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Privacy NoticePrincess Diana’s ties to former Harrods boss, Mohamed Al Fayed, were well-known as they were frequently pictured together at events for a number of years. This connection would later be immortalised when Diana was tragically killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 alongside Mohamed’s eldest son, Dodi. Mohamed’s closeness with one of the world’s most famous women was back in the headlines recently after 20 female former employees of the London department store came forward to make allegations of assault and physical violence against the late Egyptian billionaire. And, with their mother having such a tragic connection to the Al Fayed family, a leading royal expert looks at how Princes William and Harry could be feeling after the latest developments.
Diana’s connection to Mohamed Al-Fayed was well-known
(Image: Getty Images)
“I’m sure they both will have been as horrified as the rest of the world,” former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond exclusively tells OK! “We don’t know much about their feelings about Mohamed Al Fayed… or indeed Dodi. “William has never spoken about either, but 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.” Reflecting on what the Duke of Sussex wrote in Spare about his memories of Mohamed, Jennie added: “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.’ “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.”
Mohamed Al Fayed (far left) and Diana, Princess Of Wales with Princes William and Harry in 1997
(Image: 2003 Eric Ryan)
Jennie’s comments came after more than 20 female former employees of the department store have come forward with allegations of assault and physical violence at properties in London and Paris. Five women alleged they had been raped by Mr Al Fayed, who died last year at the age of 94. Speaking at a press conference held by the legal team representing alleged victims, Barrister Dean Armstrong KC described Al-Fayed as a “serial sexual abuser” whose abuse was “constant and repetitive” over a span of 25 years.
The legal team representing Mr Al Fayed’s alleged victims pictured at a press conference
(Image: AFP or Licensors)
He said: “I have many years of practice… I have never seen a case as horrific as this,” he declared at the press conference. This case combines some of the most horrific elements of the cases involving Jimmy Savile, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. “Savile because in this case, as in that, the institution, we say, knew about the behaviour”, Mr Armstrong continued. Epstein because in that case, as in this, there was a procurement system in place to source the women and girls. As you know, there are some very young victims. And Weinstein, because it was a person at the very top of the organisation who was abusing his power. We will say plainly, Mohammed Al Fayed was a monster.”
Mohamed Al Fayed owned Harrods between 1985 and 2010
(Image: BBC)
A Harrods spokesperson said: “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. 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! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnPrince WilliamPrince HarryPrincess DianaRoyal Family
