Mohamed Al Fayed, Former Harrods Proprietor and Father of Dodi Fayed who Perished with Princess Diana, Passes Away at Age 94

Mohamed Al Fayed, the enigmatic businessman of Egyptian descent whose son tragically died in a vehicular accident alongside Princess Diana, has passed away, according to a family statement released on Friday. He was 94 years old.

Known for his extended ownership of the prestigious Harrods department store and Fulham Football Club, Al Fayed was profoundly affected by the demise of his son, Dodi Fayed, who died in a car collision with Princess Diana in Paris 26 years prior. He spent the subsequent years both in grief and in opposition to the British institution he held responsible for their untimely deaths.

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The Fulham Football Club disseminated a family statement that read: “The family of Mohamed Al Fayed, including his wife, children, and grandchildren, confirm that Mohamed passed away peacefully due to old age on Wednesday, August 30, 2023. He relished a long and fulfilling retirement in the company of his family.”

Al Fayed perpetuated a belief that the fatal accident involving his son and Diana was a premeditated act, masterminded by Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeth II’s consort. He asserted that the royal family had orchestrated the accident due to their disapproval of Diana’s relationship with an Egyptian man. Al Fayed also claimed that Diana was expecting a child and had plans to marry Dodi, a marriage that the royal family could not tolerate given that Dodi was Muslim.

In an inquest held in 2008, Al Fayed named several parties he suspected were involved in a conspiracy, including Prince Philip, two former chiefs of London police, and the Central Intelligence Agency. However, the inquest concluded that the deaths of Diana and Dodi were the result of reckless driving by their chauffeur—an employee of Al Fayed’s Ritz Hotel—and the intrusive actions of the paparazzi. Independent inquiries in both the United Kingdom and France also found no evidence of a conspiracy.

Al Fayed’s complex relationship with the royal family was recently portrayed in the fifth season of the television series “The Crown,” in which the businessman was depicted by actor Salim Daw.

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, on January 27, 1929, to a school inspector, Al Fayed initially ventured into shipping investments in Italy and the Middle East before relocating to Britain in the 1960s and amassing a considerable business empire. At the pinnacle of his financial success, he owned the Ritz Hotel in Paris, the Fulham Football Club in London, and Harrods in London’s affluent Knightsbridge area.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List, Al Fayed’s family fortune was estimated to be 1.7 billion pounds (approximately $2.1 billion), ranking him as the 104th wealthiest individual in Britain this year.

Al Fayed first entered the public eye in the 1980s during a contentious battle with rival business magnate “Tiny” Rowland for the ownership of the House of Fraser group, which included Harrods. In 1985, Al Fayed and his brother acquired a 30% share of the House of Fraser for 130 million pounds and followed with an additional 615 million pounds for full ownership in the subsequent year. Although the transaction was scrutinized by the Department of Trade and Industry for alleged dishonest representations by Al Fayed and his brother, the deal ultimately proceeded.

In the 1990s, Al Fayed was a central figure in the “cash for questions” scandal that engulfed British politics. He was taken to court for defamation by British MP Neil Hamilton after claiming to have provided Hamilton with cash and a luxurious stay at the Paris Ritz in exchange for parliamentary questions. Hamilton’s legal counsel, Desmond Browne, dismissed the allegations as fabricated, but a jury ruled in favor of Al Fayed in December 1999.

Al Fayed was consistently snubbed by the British elite, facing two unsuccessful citizenship applications for undisclosed reasons.

In the sporting realm, Al Fayed acquired the underperforming Fulham Football Club in 1997 and invested extensively in both coaching staff and athletes, leading to the club’s promotion to the Premier League in 2001.

Al Fayed was also a close associate of pop icon Michael Jackson. A statue of the late artist was installed outside Fulham’s stadium in 2011, but it was eventually removed in 2013 by Al Fayed’s successor, Shahid Khan, due to its lack of popularity among Fulham supporters.

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More about Mohamed Al Fayed Obituary

• Mohamed Al Fayed Biography
• The Death of Princess Diana: The Official Inquest
• The Sunday Times Rich List 2023
• The Controversial Business Ventures of Mohamed Al Fayed
• The “Cash for Questions” Scandal
• Fulham Football Club’s Ascendancy to the Premier League
• “The Crown” Season 5: Mohamed Al Fayed
• The Michael Jackson Statue Controversy at Fulham’s Stadium
• Department of Trade and Industry Investigation into Al Fayed’s Business Transactions
• The Legal Battle with British MP Neil Hamilton