Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late Egyptian-born billionaire and longtime owner of Harrods, is under renewed scrutiny following explosive claims in a new memoir and a BBC documentary that detail allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward Princess Diana.
Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler, alleges in his forthcoming book The Royal Insider that Al-Fayed once told the princess he wanted to sleep with her before proposing she marry his son, film producer Dodi Fayed. Burrell claims Al-Fayed told Diana: "I want you to marry my son because in Egyptian tradition, the father goes first. I'm going to sleep with you."
Diana, who later began dating Dodi before both were killed in a 1997 car crash in Paris, reportedly confided to Burrell that she found Al-Fayed "creepy" and "slimy." She allegedly quipped that he resembled "Yoda" from Star Wars and complained that "he's always putting his hands on me."
The memoir's release coincides with the BBC documentary Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods, which aired September 19. The program features testimony from more than 20 women who accused Al-Fayed of sexual assault while working at Harrods or at his residences in London, Paris, St. Tropez and Abu Dhabi. The allegations span three decades, beginning in the 1990s.
Harrods, which Al-Fayed owned between 1985 and 2010, issued a statement after the documentary aired, saying it was "utterly appalled by the allegations of abuse perpetrated by Mohamed Al Fayed." The company added, "We failed our employees who were his victims and for this we sincerely apologize. The Harrods of today is a very different organization." The current ownership has been settling civil claims since mid-2023.
Al-Fayed, who died in 2023 at age 94, had faced prior accusations of sexual misconduct in 1997, 2008 and 2017. The BBC reported that at least 14 civil lawsuits for damages were filed against Harrods in relation to alleged abuse by its former owner.
The allegations add to the controversial legacy of Al-Fayed, who long sought influence in British society but never secured citizenship. His role in Diana and Dodi's relationship was dramatized in Netflix's The Crown. While the show depicted him as a matchmaker, Al-Fayed's former spokesperson Michael Cole dismissed the portrayal as "total nonsense." Cole said, "He was delighted that his eldest son and his family's dear friend Diana were together. But making two people fall in love with each other? That was beyond even his great talents."
Burrell's book also delves into tensions within the modern royal family, suggesting Meghan Markle's first dinner at William and Kate's newly renovated Kensington Palace apartment sparked an early rift with the Princess of Wales. He claimed Prince William has grown weary of transatlantic criticism, saying: "William won't take any more cheap shots from across the Atlantic. He doesn't care anymore. He doesn't listen to the noise in the background - and that's what Harry and Meghan have become."
