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Princess Dianaand Dodi Fayed’s brief romance is being explored onThe Crown.
The couple dated for a few months before their untimely deaths in late August 1997, whentheir car crashed in Paris. As a result of the crash, Fayed and their driver died instantly, while Diana died hours later from her injuries.
Their relationship will be further explored in the show’s sixth season asthe series documents Diana’s final days.
From his Hollywood career as a producer to his family background, here’s everything to know about Fayed.
He was born in Alexandria, Egypt
Born Imad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed on April 15, 1955, Fayed spent his early life in Alexandria, Egypt.Fayed graduated from Sandhurst Military Academybefore attending Collège Saint Marc in Egypt and the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland, per Biography.com.
His father formerly owned Harrods department store
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Fayed was the eldest son of the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, and his only son with his first wife Samira Khashoggi. Though Egyptian-born, Al-Fayed was well known for his business ventures in Europe, includinghis former ownership of Harrods department storeand Fulham F.C. in the United Kingdom as well asthe Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Paris, where Diana spent her last meal and evening with Fayed before their car crash.
As shown onThe Crown, Al-Fayed also had an interesting connection to the royal family, as he took over the lease of Paris' Villa Windsor (the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor) following Wallis Simpson’s death. He also worked closely with Sydney Johnson, who was the former valet of Edward VIII.
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He served as an attaché at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in London
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He was an executive producer
Fayed executive produced a handful of big films in the ’80s and ’90s, includingChariots of Fire,Hook, andThe Scarlet Letter. The former took home Best Picture at the 1982 Oscars, where producerDavid Puttnam thanked Fayed and his fatherduring his speech.
He was previously married before dating Princess Diana
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Like Diana, Fayed was a divorcé. He was previously married to model Suzanne Gregard in 1986, but they divorced after less than a year of marriage. He was alsoengaged to model Kelly Fishershortly before getting together with Diana.
He reportedly met Princess Diana at a polo match
According toThe Independent,Fayed and Diana first met at a polo matchin 1986, where he was playing againstDiana’s then-husband Prince Charles. They connected again 11 years later when Diana and her children, Prince William and Prince Harry,vacationed with himand his family in St. Tropez.
source: people.com
