Inside Mohamed Al Fayed’s bond with Princess Diana as bombshell sex assault claims emerge
Princess Diana was friends with Mohamed-Al Fayed and his family for about 10 years, striking up a romance with the billionaire's oldest son Dodi, who died by her side in the devastating Paris car crash
Mohamed Al-Fayed was best-known as the eccentric wealthy owner of Harrods and for his connection with the late Princess Diana.
But now darker allegations have surfaced that he raped and sexually assaulted more than 20 female ex-employees at his luxury London department store. Al Fayed faced groping and sexual assault allegations as well as one claim of rape which was investigated by police in 2015 but did not lead to any charges. According to their accounts, the sexual assaults happened in London, Paris, St Tropez and Abu Dhabi.
The BBC has heard testimony from some of Al-Fayed’s former employees who gave harrowing details of alleged sex attacks. The allegations will be heard tonight as part of a podcast and feature on BBC Sounds and iPlayer. At the time of his death last year aged 94, most 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.
And 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.
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.
