How Mohamed Al Fayed ‘long courted’ Princess Diana – and creepy name he used for her
Princess Diana had an unlikely friendship with Mohamed Al Fayed, the eccentric former Harrods owner who has been accused of raping and sexually assaulting ex-female employees
Mohamed Al Fayed “long courted” Princess Diana and regarded himself as her “surrogate father”, according to his biographer.
Al Fayed died last year at the age of 94 but now more than 20 female former employees have spoken to the BBC as part of a special investigation, coming forward with allegations of assault and physical violence at properties in London and Paris. Five of the women alleged they had been raped by him.
The new BBC documentary claims Al Fayed deployed an army of aides to silence his alleged victims and used his power and wealth to evade justice. At the time of his death last year, many remembered him for his royal connection.
After Diana separated from King Charles in 1992, she began to form a new life for herself away from the Royal Family. She used her new-found freedom and the huge interest surrounding her as a platform for vital charity work, raising awareness of topics her in-laws shied away from.
In doing this she met the late Al Fayed, an Egyptian businessman often named as one of the richest men in the world at the time. While it’s unknown where they first met, their circles would have crossed regularly as he sponsored many of the charities she was involved with.
And speaking in 2023, Mark Hollingsworth, Al Fayed’s biographer, told The Independent that the tycoon had “long courted” the princess and after her divorce considered himself her “confidante and protector”. He said Al Fayed told him: “She had selfish parents. Her mother and her father were absent, left her with nannies… She was looking for the right man who could compensate for what she missed during her childhood.
“Unfortunately, her husband [Prince Charles] was married to her because she was beautiful, provided an heir and then he left, had fun and continued with his old life. She was there as an incubator.”
In the summer of 1997, the year after Charles and Diana were finally able to officially divorce following their five year separation, Al Fayed invited Diana and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to join his family on his yacht in the south of France. The 208ft superyacht was the perfect setting for family time, with photos from the time showing the loving mum playing with her sons on the deck.
The boat, which has now changed hands, has nine staterooms and can hold 18 people as well as a crew of 26. Dripping in luxury, it boasted a jacuzzi, office, formal dining room and a swim platform. And it was during this trip that Diana grew close to Al Fayed’s oldest son, 42-year-old film producer Dodi.
