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Privacy NoticeMore than 20 ex-Harrods staff have recently accused former owner Mohamed Al Fayed of assault and physical violence, with five women claiming he raped them. But Princess Diana’s relationship with the late Egyptian billionaire was well-documented as they were often seen together at various events over several years. This bond would later be etched in history when Diana tragically died in a car accident in Paris in 1997, along with Mohamed’s eldest son, Dodi. Given their mother’s tragic link to the Al Fayed family, a top royal expert has recalled how he tried to win round Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, with a gift from Harrods. Prince Harry even went as far as calling the gift “genius” in his tell-all memoir, Spare.
Mohamed Al Fayed attending a charity dinner with Princess Diana in February 1996
(Image: Getty Images)
Former BBC royal correspondent, Jennie Bond, exclusively told OK!: “Harry wrote in his book about his mother’s ‘friend’. He said that as long as their mother was happy, they had no problem with him.” She went on to detail what Harry said about the gift, saying: “Harry said both he and William were very impressed by laser pens from Harrods given to them by Mohamed. He wrote: ‘He was the father of mummy’s boyfriend, so maybe he was trying to win us over. If so, job done. We thought those lasers were genius. We whipped them around like lightsabers.'” Lightsabers are fictional energy swords that appear in the Star Wars franchise – the weapon is used by Jedi and Sith to cut through enemies and blast doors, among other things. Reflecting on what the princes might make of the latest allegations, Jennie said they’d most likely be “horrified”, explaining: “I’m sure they both will have been as horrified as the rest of the world. We don’t know much about their feelings about Mohamed Al Fayed… or indeed Dodi. William has never spoken about either.” Sign up to OK!’s royal newsletter to get updates sent to your inbox for free
Jennie Bond says Princes Harry and William will be ‘disgusted’ by the allegations
(Image: Getty Images)
Lightsabres are used in the Star Wars franchise
(Image: Lucasfilm/Disney)
She continued: “I think they will now both be disgusted by the allegations, and by the memory of Mohamed Al Fayed cosying up to their mother and hoping his son would marry her.” Meanwhile, a Harrods spokesperson issued a statement about the allegations, saying: “We are utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed. These were the actions of an individual who was intent on abusing his power wherever he operated and we condemn them in the strongest terms. We also acknowledge that during this time his victims were failed and for this we sincerely apologise.
The princes were given laser pens by Mohamed Al Fayed
(Image: Getty Images)
“We are doing everything we can to fix this. The Harrods of today is a very different organisation to the one owned and controlled by Al Fayed between 1985 and 2010, it is one that seeks to put the welfare of our employees at the heart of everything we do. This is why, since new information came to light in 2023 about historic allegations of sexual abuse by Al Fayed, it has been our priority to settle claims in the quickest way possible, avoiding lengthy legal proceedings for the women involved. This process is still available for any current or former Harrods employees. “While we cannot undo the past, we have been determined to do the right thing as an organisation, driven by the values we hold today, while ensuring that such behaviour can never be repeated in the future.”Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnPrince HarryPrince WilliamPrincess Diana
