Princess Diana film poster put up at entrance to Paris tunnel where she died in horror crash Poster has has appeared on a billboard next to the Pont de l'Alma in Paris It shows star Naomi Watts in character as Diana, Princess Of Wales Yards away is a memorial to Diana, who died in car crash in 1997 One of closest friends brands placement 'shameless and despicable' A poster advertising the new 'Diana' film has sparked outrage after it was installed on the exact spot where the princess died 16 years ago. The imposing 6x4ft film hoarding, showing star Naomi Watts in character as Diana, Princess Of Wales, appeared on a billboard advertising sign next to the Pont de l'Alma in Paris over the weekend. Yards away stands the iconic gold-leafed Flame of Liberty which became her unofficial memorial in the wake of her death on which 'Diana pilgrims' continue to scrawl messages in her memory. And today one of the princess' closest friends reacted with fury, branding it a 'shameless and despicable attempt to promote a movie that should never have been made'. Crass? The poster sits on a billboard hoarding right at the entrance of the tunnel where Diana died and overlooks the Flame of Liberty, which has become an unofficial memorial to the princess Imposing: The poster is roughly 6x4ft and overlooks the Flame of Liberty which stands yards away Tragic: Diana was with Dodi al Fayed (right) when their car slammed into a pillar in the underpass in the early hours of August 31 1997 as her drunk chauffeur, Henri Paul, attempted to outrun pursuing paparazzi. The fateful night: This photograph was taken on the night Diana died. In the distance the Flame of Liberty can be seen standing over to the entrance of the tunnel in which the fatal crash occurred Fatal wreck: The car was barely recognisable by the time police arrived following the crash Princess Diana was killed with her lover, the Harrods heir Dodi Fayed, when the car they were traveling in smashed into a pillar inside the tunnel in the early hours of August 31 1997 as her drunk chauffeur, Henri Paul, attempted to outrun pursuing paparazzi. Her death sent shockwaves around the world and not only triggered an unprecedented outpouring of grief in Britain but also raised questions over the media's treatment of international celebrities. And today the poster sparked outrage among many who knew Diana best. Describing it as 'despicable and crass', Rosa Monckton, who was considered one of the Princess' most trusted confidantes, told MailOnline: 'I really don't have any words to describe how I feel about this cynical and shameless attempt to publicise a film that should never have been made. To have made a film so speculative and as this is disgusting enough, but to then advertise it on the spot at which she died is despicable. Close to the stone: The poster overlooks the wall above the tunnel where 'pilgrims' have scribbled various messages in her memory (right) Inside the tunnel: It was into one of these pillars that the car carrying Diana and Dodi crashed at high speed Shrine: On the bridge above the tunnel's entrance, a wealth of scrawled messages to the late princess can be seen - forever marking the spot where she died Memorial: The Flame of Liberty became the unofficial memorial to Diana in the wake of her death I cannot imagine that any company could stoop so low. It is a terrible intrusion into her memory, not to mention the lives of her sons, whose feelings are often forgotten in these stories. I would expect them to take it down right away. The company responsible for marketing the film in France has so far been unavailable to comment. The move comes as the new film, which has been widely panned in Britain, opened in Paris this weekend. Last image: This CCTV footage showing Diana with Dodi Fayed inside the lift at the Ritz Hotel was captured hours before their deaths On holiday: Dodi and Diana had taken a holiday together in St Tropez just a week before their deaths The film, branded by the Daily Mail's own film reviewer Chris Tookey as 'flamboyantly atrocious', chronicles Diana's romance with Dr Hasnat Khan which ended in 1997 only a few weeks before her death. Dr Khan, nicknamed "Mr Wonderful" by a besotted Diana, is now 54 and living alone in East London. But it was Dodi Fayed, the Harrods heir and son of Mohamed al Fayed, with whom she got into the car at the Paris Ritz hotel on the night she died.