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. Pictures of the couple cuddling and kissing on the top deck went around the world, while Diana was photographed sunbathing, jumping into a speedboat and sitting on the stern in a contemplative mood. They were among the last pictures of the princess, who told her friend Rosa Monckton in a phone call from the yacht that her time with Dodi was 'bliss'.
Speaking in 2017, a friend gave a glimpse into what Diana and Dodi's relationship was like behind closed doors. They said: "They used to sit on the floor having takeaway meals. She and Dodi were mad on films.
He had a wall filled with VHS tapes. Any moment they had together, they went there. They'd watch TV and hang out like teenagers.
In a way, the Princess was having her youth again because she had been in the Royal Family for 15 years. People say it was just a summer fling with Dodi but they had been friends for ten years." Dodi died alongside Diana in the horrifying Paris car crash just a few months after the holiday, on August 31, 1997.
Al Fayed had claimed they were just hours away from announcing their engagement, something which Diana's friends say wasn't true. Following the tragedy, Al Fayed insisted the crash was not an accident and hired an expensive team of investigations to look into what happened. A report by former Met Police commissioner Lord Stevens published in 2006 rejected the claims voiced by some, including Al-Fayed.
The inquests into the deaths finished in 2008, with a jury returning a verdict that the 'People's Princess' and her boyfriend were unlawfully killed. Al Fayed died at the age of 94 in August last year. Harrods' owners said they were "utterly appalled" by the allegations and apologised for the fact that his victims had been failed.
Met Commander Kevin Southworth said: "We are aware of various allegations of sexual offences made over a number of years in relation to the late Mohammed Al Fayed which were reported to us. If further information comes to light it will be assessed.".
