IT would be "entirely inappropriate" for a jury made up of royal household members to decide how Princess Diana died, the judge in charge of her inquest has ruled.

Baroness Butler-Sloss, a former senior judge, decided that the hearings would be held in public and would consider both the deaths of the princess and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed.

A plea by princes William and Harry for a "swift conclusion" was read out in court at the start of legal arguments on how the inquest should be conducted.

Since their mother died in a car accident in Paris almost ten years ago, the princes have endured endless conspiracy theories, two high-profile investigations, numerous court cases and an earlier inquest in France.

Lady Butler-Sloss read out a letter by the princes' private secretary, Major Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton. "It is their desire that the inquest should not only be open, fair and transparent, but that it should move swiftly to a conclusion," it said.

A second letter by Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who was in court, said she and her siblings felt the same.

The matter might have been concluded years ago had Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi's father, not insisted that a plot by British spies and the Royal family was behind the deaths.

Last month a three-year inquiry by Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, the former Met police chief, found the tragedy was no more than a drink drive accident. His findings echoed that of a two-year inquiry by French police.

Nevertheless Mr Al-Fayed labelled the 832-page Stevens report as "garbage" and a "cover-up".

There are likely to be at least 40 witnesses at the full inquest, the court heard today. Many of them will be French will appear via video-link from Paris.

Lady Butler-Sloss is yet to decide whether to call a jury made up of ordinary people, or to hear the inquest herself.

Mr Al-Fayed's legal team argued for a public jury.

Normally inquests into the deaths in the royal family are heard by a jury drawn only from members of the royal household.

However, Sir John, the Queen's legal representative, said it would be "undesirable, even perhaps invidious" to have a royal jury.

"We so submit not because we doubt the capacity to reach a fair and true verdict, but rather the principle that justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done."

Lady Butler-Sloss then ruled: "I think that's one decision I can make today. I think it entirely inappropriate for me to ask for a jury from the royal household."

She also indicated that she would hold a joint inquest for Diana and Dodi, as it would be "unbelievably expensive" and upsetting for the families to have separate hearings.