FACTBOX - The inquest into Princess Diana's death

(Reuters) - Princess Diana and her lover Dodi al-Fayed were unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of chauffeur Henri Paul and paparazzi photographers pursuing their limousine into a Paris road tunnel in 1997.

The jury, which reached their majority decision on Monday, spent almost six months listening to more than 250 witnesses from around the world.

Few areas of the private life of the "People's Princess" were spared before Lord Justice Scott Baker, and a string of sensational allegations were explored in court.

The inquest into Diana's death in a Paris car crash cost 10 million pounds ($20 million).

Here are some facts about the inquest process:

-- Inquests are official inquiries held in England and Wales into deaths that appear violent, unnatural, of a sudden and unknown cause, or in some way suspicious.

An inquest seeks to determine who has died, and when, where and how their death came about. It cannot apportion blame or identify someone as having criminal liability.

-- Most inquests are held in front of a coroner, an independent judicial officer, sitting alone.

-- However, jury inquests are mandatory in a small number of cases, such as deaths in police custody, and can also be held at the discretion of the coroner. In 2006, only 570 out of a total of 29,300 inquests were held in front of a jury.