London, Dec 20: A stewardess on the yacht on which Princess Diana sailed with Dodi Al Fayed before her death has revealed that the princess was on the Pill when she died.

The revelation contradicts claims that Diana was pregnant at the time of her death.

Deborah Gribble, a senior stewardess on the Fayed family's luxury yacht, "Jonikal", told the inquest into the couple’s deaths that she spotted strips of contraceptive tablets during her cleaning duties on two of the three Mediterranean cruises Diana took with Dodi.

Gribble, speaking via video-link from New Zealand, said: "Yes, I believe there were pills in the pack. "

She said that it was "apparent" that Diana and Dodi were sleeping together, adding: "They were clearly having a relationship and were a couple. "

Dodi's father Mohamed Fayed believes the couple were assassinated by MI6 on the orders of Prince Philip to prevent them marrying and having a Muslim baby.

Gribble worked on the Jonikal yacht while Diana and Dodi were on board for three cruises in 1997.

During the last cruise, which ended on the eve of the August 31 car crash, Dodi gave Diana gifts including clothes and a bracelet, Debbie said.

However, she insisted there had been no talk of an engagement ring, reports The Sun.

The stewardess also described her horror at chauffeur Henri Paul’s driving after a private flight to Paris from Sardinia.

“It was fast and furious. I was actually quite scared in the back seat. There was one manoeuvre where he drove across a number of lanes suddenly, ” she said.

She added that with hindsight, she was "not surprised" at the fatal accident in the Alma underpass. (ANI)