diana and dodi on yacht photos

The true story behind Princess Diana's iconic yacht photo

All you need to know about the iconic photo of the late princess of wales that went around the globe.

Princess Diana was always a fashion icon , we can never forget her legendary 'revenge' dress , but one of her best-known looks was snapped when she holidayed on the Jonikal yacht with the al-Fayed family, scenes which were immortalised in the fifth and sixth seasons of The Crown .

The holiday that Diana enjoyed, alongside sons Prince William and Prince Harry , would be her last before she was tragically killed in a car accident in 1997. One of the most memorable photos saw the late Princess of Wales sat on the yacht's diving board looking out over the sea.

Even though the photo of Diana in the teal swimsuit is now one of the most poignant photos of the late royal, how much do you know of the story behind it? Read on to find out all you need to know…

Why was Diana on the yacht?

Princess Diana had become friends with the businessman Mohamed al-Fayed, with the pair reportedly meeting a polo match before becoming friends. Following her divorce from the then Prince Charles and the ending of her relationship with heart surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan, Mohamed invited Diana to join him and his family on a trip to St Tropez, in southern France.

Ahead of the trip, Diana had been in Milan to attend the funeral of fashion designer and friend Gianna Versace, who had been murdered by Andrew Cunanan. The late royal later travelled to Sarajevo, in Bosnia, to highlight the issue of landmines in the country. During her time in the city, she met with people who had been injured by the mines.

You may also like

The trip would end up being Diana's first time meeting Dodi al-Fayed, and the filmmaker's then-girlfriend, Kelly Fisher, was allegedly on the trip.

Who took the photo?

On 10 August, paparazzi photos were published in the Sunday Mirror showing Princess Diana and Dodi sharing a kiss, which intensified media presence around the couple and their holiday. Paparazzi photographers began renting dinghies to try and get new photos of the royal, with some even going for prices up to £1million.

READ:  I followed expert budget beauty tips on how to look like a royal for a week

INSIDE STORY:  The time Princess Diana called a journalist to her home after reading an article she didn't like

It's ultimately unknown which photographer grabbed the photo of Diana on the side of the yacht, which was published on 24 August, a week before Diana died. The snap saw the Princess in her teal swimsuit sat at the end of the yacht's diving board, with a life ring floating in the water beneath her.

See below for more images of Diana on the Jonikal…

Diana and Dodi

Diana and Dodi grew close on the trip, and in this photo the pair shared an intimate moment as they relaxed in the sun together.

Diana with the al-Fayed family

The late Princess of Wales had been invited on the trip by Mohamed al-Fayed, and she enjoyed the businessman's company during her time onboard.

Diana in blue

Diana favoured the teal swimsuit during her time in St Tropez.

Diana's paparazzi moment

The royal was aware of the media presence, and she light-heartedly teased photographers in this photo, mimicking a pair of binoculars with her hands.

Diana stretches

The mum-of-two also brought this stunning green and blue one-piece with her on the trip, and in this photo she enjoyed some morning stretches on the yacht's deck.

Diana's family moment

Diana didn't go on the holiday alone, and she also enjoyed time with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry, and a young Harry can be seen here with his mum while she spoke to someone on the phone.

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User  Data Protection Policy . You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information,  please click here .

• British Royals
• Princess Diana

More Royalty

Earl Charles Spencer pays tribute to late sister Princess Diana with rare photos

Prince Harry's heartbreaking admission about Princess Diana's death as he comforts war widow

Princess Diana's godchild joins King Charles at Royal Ascot

Princess Kate's Trooping the Colour look was so like Princess Diana's - it's uncanny

Gallery Relive the royals' first Trooping appearances in glorious photos

Gallery Princess Beatrice rocked killer heels alongside major Hollywood icons in rare photo

Princess Anne returns to royal duties after summer break

Princess Kate's 'isolated' newlywed home by the sea is nothing like Adelaide Cottage

Princess diana's siblings - everything to know about charles spencer and more, podcast article the time princess diana called a journalist to her home after reading an article she didn't like, what prince harry really thought of princess diana and dodi fayed's relationship, charles spencer's wife shares mystical photo of princess diana's resting place - fans react.

Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed Spent Their Final Vacation On

A look at the vessel that saw the beloved royal’s last vacation.

T he Crown’s sixth season debuts this week on Netflix, chronicling the final weeks before Princess Diana’s untimely death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Amid the heart-wrenching moments that are sure to unfold, there’s one backdrop that will be a refreshing departure from the stately, windowless halls of the queen’s palatial residences : the multimillion-dollar super yacht that Princess Diana spent aboard touring St. Tropez just days before her death.

It was hot gossip, this adventure that the princess took abroad after having finalized her divorce from then Prince Charles less than a year before—something that was hinted at at the end of season 5 of The Crown as Queen Elizabeth is pressed to endorse a vacation a-sea with Fayed and her grandchildren, Prince Harry and Prince William. Diana was famously photographed sitting on the passerelle of this boat. Years later, in real life, Harry described the trip in his memoir, Spare , with fond recollection. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote.

While the series was filmed on a lookalike super yacht in Mallorca , the real boat was equally lavish. The 208-foot ship was commissioned by Dodi’s father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, who brought on naval architect Vincenzo Ruggiero to design it in the late 1980s. It was built by Italian shipyard Codecasa and launched in 1990. The steel and aluminum super yacht boasted nine staterooms that altogether accommodate up to 18 people, in addition to a crew of 26. Amenities included a Jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Mohamed had named the yacht Jonikal (it has subsequently been called Sokar and is currently called Bash ) .

Shortly after Diana’s and Dodi’s deaths, Mohamed gave the interior a redesign by H2 Yacht Design and a refit that included extending the hull. He attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions, ultimately parting with it in 2014 to an anonymous buyer. The new owner carried out further work, including machinery upgrades, a repaint, and fresh teak decks. In 2021, the yacht came into the hands of Bassim Haidar , the founder of Intercomm and GMT, who gave it a further $9.7 million refit after a reported bridge deck fire—and its current name Bash . It’s now back to turn-key condition after an 18-month remodel completed in April 2023 by marine engineering and management company Capax and boat interior company Bobic Yacht Interiors . It features a beauty salon, massage area, high-tech gym, and a spacious main salon.

In May, Robb Report reported that Bash is available for charter in the Mediterranean starting at $278,000 per week, plus expenses. In June, Haidar listed Bash for $16.8 million, according to Boat International .

There was a second motor yacht named Cujo, which Diana and Fayed also took earlier that summer. It was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, who commissioned the Italian Baglietto shipyard to build the world's fastest motor yacht. She was given two 18-cylinder engines that allowed it to go as fast as 42 knots. Fayed had bought the boat from his cousin, Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. In August, the Mediterranean Sea reclaimed Cujo, as the 62-foot artifact of Diana’s life hit an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on July 29 and sprang a leak, Vanity Fair reported. The seven people on board were rescued by teams from Antibes and safely returned to shore.

An imitation of Jonikal will feature in The Crown season 6, a set that was intended to visually illuminate the tension between Diana and the royal family. “Diana’s south of France adventure was bright and lovely pastel colors, and her world even in Kensington Palace is optimistic and warm, compared to the queen’s residence at Balmoral, which is very static, with gloomy light and drab colors,” set decorator Alison Harvey tells ELLE DECOR.

Filming on the yacht off the island of Mallorca (a St. Tropez stand-in) required many moving parts with few do-overs. “We brought in the drapes, the artwork, many furnishings,” Harvey explains. “Everything was set in the early ’90s, so we thought hard about the colors and textures that we brought in.” Harvey’s team had just half a day to dress the yacht, and then it was off to sea. “There was no getting on or off after that,” Harvey says, adding that they were “subsumed by the logistics of what we had to achieve and the time we had to do it.”

However painstaking the process, the yacht scenes will offer an intriguing context—though largely fictitious—for the iconic photographs that exist of those final weeks leading up to Diana’s death.

Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture. She has previously written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, and Citywire.

Celebrity Style

Jenna Lyons Unveils Dinnerware...for Cats

Meghan Markle’s Former Toronto Home Is for Sale

Alexander Girard’s Legendary Home Is for Sale

A Peek Inside Blake Lively’s Real Estate Portfolio

Shop Diane Keaton’s New Homewares Collection

Inside Meghan and Harry’s Montecito Mansion

Kanye West Just Offloaded His Malibu Mansion

Live Where ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Was Filmed!

Bella and Gigi Hadid’s Childhood Home Is for Sale

Mandy Moore Is Selling Her Home for $6 Million

Tour Gloria Vanderbilt’s Eclectic Manhattan Home

Martha Stewart on A.I. and Smart Home Technology

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

• What Is Cinema?

The Crown: The Sad, Strange Details of Princess Diana’s Last Vacation

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed are lounging on the sundeck of a reportedly £15 million yacht in The Crown ’s season six episode “Two Photographs” when Dodi’s domineering father telephones an onboard employee with an urgent question.

“Are they sleeping together?” Mohamed Al Fayed demands to know.

It’s an audacious question—but Mohamed really was checking in on the couple hourly during this August 1997 cruise, according to Tom Bower , who wrote an unauthorized biography of the billionaire called Fayed. The late princess was aware that these calls were coming in—so much so that she joked to Dodi, “God is calling,” when she heard a ring, according to Dodi’s spiritual healer, Myriah Daniels, who was onboard. In 2007, during the inquest into the 1997 crash that killed the princess, Dodi, and their driver, Henri Paul, Daniels said that this became one of Diana’s inside jokes with Dodi. “They’d both have a giggle,” she said.

Diana had vacationed with Mohamed, as well as Prince William and Prince Harry, aboard the Jonikal earlier that summer. As depicted in The Crown ’s season six episode “Persona Non Grata,” that first Jonikal vacation featured Jet Skis and a flirtation between Diana and the flotilla of press nearby.

“The young princes didn’t like [the trip] much,” Tina Brown writes in The Palace Papers. “The flash and excess of [Mohamed’s] hospitality—the groaning buffets and the palatial bathrooms—embarrassed William in particular.” Dodi, who was asked by his father to join the trip midway, did not help matters by making the “oddly flamboyant gesture of renting a disco for William and Harry to enjoy privately,” according to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith in Diana in Search of Herself.

Mohamed was a controversial figure who long craved social acceptance by the British elite, and hoped a relationship between his son and the recently-divorced Diana would seal the deal.

During the summer of 1997, the billionaire ordered Dodi to drop everything—including his model fiancée, Kelly Fisher —and romance the late princess. Speaking about Mohamed, Bedell Smith previously told Vanity Fair, “He was really the puppet master behind Dodi and Diana’s very brief, barely more than a month, romance…. Dodi basically did whatever his father told him to do.”

Diana’s association with Mohamed caused serious backlash in the press. “These days, Diana, you are no longer the Teflon Princess,” warned Andrew Morton , the biographer behind her bridge-burning tell-all, Diana: Her True Story, in The Sun. “You might have the run of a £20 million yacht, but your friends and fans see a woman who is drifting on the sea of life, seriously in danger of becoming shipwrecked.” Referring to Diana’s cat-and-mouse game with the paparazzi during that initial trip, columnist Judith Whelan wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald, “Diana has been erratic before. This time, however, she has done it while hosted by one of the most reviled men in Britain.”

Despite the press outrage over her association with Mohamed, Diana agreed to return to the Jonikal for the intimate trip reimagined in “Two Photographs.” “Alone in August and attracted to [Dodi], [a] sympathetic, unthreatening listener, she accepted the invitation for a second trip alone with Dodi to the Jonikal on 31 July,” wrote Bower in Fayed. “Over the next six days…the two frolicked on the sundecks, inside the sumptuous craft and in the sea.”

Dodi indulged Diana with her favorite meals—“which included carrot juice in the morning, fruit at lunch, and fish in the evening, as well as plenty of Champagne, caviar, and pâté de foie gras,” according to Diana in Search of Herself. The music was Diana’s selection as well: George Michael’s 1996 album, Older, the occasional Frank Sinatra tune, and the soundtrack of The English Patient. “Such a marvelous film,” Diana raved to Dodi’s butler, Rene Delorm, according to Fayed. “And you miss the music when you’re watching.”

Mohamed’s staff was so attentive to Diana that the Jonikal ’s chief stewardess, Deborah Gribble, could remember the tiniest detail, like that some of Diana’s birth control packets were half-used. Speaking at the inquest, she also confirmed that Dodi and Diana “were clearly having a relationship and were a couple.”

Dodi lavished Diana with gifts during their six-week courtship, including a pearl bracelet, a diamond-studded wristwatch, a silver photo frame, and a gold-and-diamond ring. When the Jonikal docked in Sardinia’s Porto Cervo, according to Brown’s The Diana Chronicles, Diana and Dodi went shopping and returned with cashmere sweaters for the princess—one in every color.

Mohamed, meanwhile, was busy behind the scenes calling press. News of the relationship between Diana and Dodi broke the first week of August, less than a month before Diana’s death. The Sun ran the news with the headline “Di’s Secret Hol With Harrods Hunk Dodi,” while Mohamed’s publicist touted the relationship as “the romance of the century.”

But by the end of the trip, according to those who knew Diana, she intended their fling to be just that. The late princess suspected that Dodi might propose to her, according to Brown, but she told a friend that an engagement ring would be “going firmly on the fourth finger of my right hand” should it be presented. As recreated in “Two Pictures,” there was “a chaotic evening ashore in Monte Carlo when Dodi suddenly decided to send for the tender and take the princess for a walk.” Rather than going for a romantic stroll, however, Dodi “got her lost after a long pant up a hill trying to evade the paparazzi,” Brown writes.

It was so embarrassing, she continues, that Trevor Rees-Jones, a bodyguard on Mohamed’s payroll, “began to feel sorry for the princess; he believed she deserved better.”

According to Gribble, Dodi also became impatient with the amount of press attention Diana was receiving.

“The tension was noticeable throughout the trip and increasing as time wore on,” Gribble revealed during the inquest. “By the time we went to Paris, there was real tension. It was incredible. It was all so tense.”

Days before her fatal accident, Diana called her sister from the Jonikal, confiding that any love spell cast on her earlier had been broken. While she did not get into specifics, Sarah McCorquodale later told the court, “I just did not think the relationship had much longer to go.”

During that final trip on the Jonikal, Diana was photographed sitting alone on a diving board in an aqua swimsuit. The image remains so iconic that, 26 years after it was taken, Netflix recreated the visual in its promotional materials for The Crown ’s sixth season.

Contrary to what the photo showed, though, Diana was never really alone. By the end of the cruise, the princess suspected that Mohamed was doing more than periodically checking in with the Jonikal staff. As McCorquodale revealed during the inquest, “She thought the boat was being bugged by Mr. Al Fayed Senior.”

More Great Stories About The Crown

How The Crown ’s William and Harry Mirror Their Real-Life Relationship

See The Crown ’s Season 6 Cast and Their Real-Life Counterparts

The Crown ’s Kate Middleton on Recreating the Princess’s College Years

Did Carole Middleton Mastermind Will and Kate’s Relationship?

Inside Queen Elizabeth’s Existential Moment

Discover the British Royal Family Tree , From Queen Elizabeth II to Lilibet Diana

Listen to Still Watching for More Coverage of The Crown ’s Final Season

Julie Miller

Hollywood correspondent.

The Crown Season 6

The Crown Is Dead, Long Live The Crown

Episode 5: Welcome to Willsmania

How The Crown ’s William and Harry Mirrored the Real-Life Royals’ Relationship

Episode 6: What’s the Monarchy Good for, Anyway?

Episode 7: When William Met Kate

Kate and William’s Real-Life College Romances

Did Carole Middleton Really Mastermind Kate and Prince William’s Relationship?

Episode 8: Lesley Manville Says Ta-Ta to Princess Margaret

Episode 9: All About the Fashion Show Where Kate Snared William

The Crown Finale Revisits Prince Harry’s Nazi-Costume Scandal

Inside The Crown ’s Three-Queen Farewell

The True Story Behind 'The Crown’s Infamous Kiss Photograph

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Season 6 of The Crown.

The Big Picture

• Princess Diana's life was constantly invaded by the paparazzi, who followed her every movement and turned her personal relationships into a public spectacle.
• Mario Brenna's photograph of Diana and Dodi Fayed sharing an intimate moment on a yacht sparked a frenzy in the press and fueled a relentless pursuit for their pictures.
• The paparazzi's obsession with capturing Diana's image ultimately contributed to her tragic death in a car crash, and "The Kiss" photograph played a significant role in these events.

Since the imminent rise of paparazzi culture during the 1990s, candid photographs of celebrities have always held a negative stigma, especially after the tragic death of Princess Diana ( Elizabeth Debicki ). Part 1 of The Crown 's final season, streaming on Netflix, has a major focus on the summer of 1997, when the recently divorced Princess of Wales became the prized jewel of a media frenzy. Without the personal security of the Royal Family, Diana was not afforded the kind of privacy she was given during her marriage to Prince Charles ( Dominic West ). Her every movement was followed through long-lens cameras ( Diana reportedly yelled at a photographer outside a movie theater in London and shouted, “You make my life hell!" ), and the press made her life into a scrutinized fishbowl — even her personal relationships were not her own.

Episode 2, "Two Photographs," revisits the paparazzi's ruthless pursuit of Princess Diana's picture. The start of the show introduces the audience to a real-life character who was responsible for capturing the infamous Sunday Mirror photograph, Italian paparazzo Mario Brenna . The photograph shows "Di" and Dodi Fayed ( Khalid Abdalla ) sharing an intimate moment aboard a yacht on the Mediterranean Sea. Although the latest season of The Crown is a dramatized account of these events , it's no secret that Brenna's successful photograph is shown to have preluded Diana's deathly car chase less than a month later. But there's so much more to the story behind "The Kiss."

Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.

What's the Truth Behind Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's Romance?

On July 11, 1997, Diana and her sons, Prince William ( Rufus Kampas ) and Prince Harry ( Fflyn Edwards ), were kindly invited to join Mohamed Al-Fayed ( Salim Daw ), the business owner of Hôtel Ritz Paris and Harrods department store, at his Saint Tropez villa for a summer vacation. Dodi Fayed unexpectedly joined the party aboard Al-Fayed's yacht t he Jonikal, which becomes an integral character of its own seen in the final season of The Crown . Di, Dodi, and the Princes were said to have enjoyed a splendid time aboard the yacht, and Diana and Dodi grew fond of one another during this period.

According to Netflix's Beneath The Crown: The True Story of Diana and Dodi's Last Summer , both Princess Diana and Dodi were involved with other romantic partners before they met. Diana was reportedly dating heart surgeon Hasnat Khan ( Humayun Saeed ), whom she often referred to as "Mr. Wonderful," and clearly had big plans for their future . In the summer of 1997, Dr. Khan was rumored to have broken up with the Princess because of the consistent media attention surrounding them. On the other hand, Dodi, being a successful film producer , had a reputation as a playboy and was seen dating multiple A-list women over the course of his Hollywood career, including actress Brooke Shields, before meeting model Kelly Fisher, whom he was engaged to at the time he met the Princess of Wales.

After the vacation, Diana returned home to an apartment full of roses and an $11,000 gold Cartier watch as a present from Dodi. Diana's friends believe she developed an interest in dating Dodi to make Dr. Khan jealous . Just 11 days later, the Princess returned alone to the Jonikal and embarked on a week-long trip with Al-Fayed's son. The media went crazy, with rumors spreading of a possible romance. Most of the press coverage was heavily negative, which sparked numerous amounts of controversy around the pair. Photographers rose in numbers as the couple's relationship grew truer every day. Per Beneath The Crown , it surfaced that Mohamed Al-Fayed asked renowned publicist Max Clifford to positively endorse their relationship. Photographers were then tipped off to find Diana and Dodi's location, and on August 10, Mario Brenna found them first.

How Did Mario Brenna's "The Kiss" Change Princess Diana's Life Forever?

Per The Independent , Mario Brenna was an official photographer for the Versace fashion house who lived in Monaco in 1997. Brenna happened to discover the yacht on an inflatable boat off of the Sardinian coast (He claims he spent occasional summers around the Mediterranean Sea to catch celebrities vacationing, as stated in the National Post .) He slowly approached the Jonikal when he thought he had seen a former acquaintance. To his shock, it was actually the "People's Princess" in the arms of Dodi Fayed. Captured from 500 yards away, Brenna hurriedly snapped photos of the couple "kissing" onboard and flew straight to London to show fellow celebrity photographer Jason Fraser the historic images.

Brenna recounts finding the couple that day as a “great stroke of luck." Despite the summer haze, the photograph sparked a chaotic bidding war between major publishing companies. Brenna ultimately sold "The Kiss" to the Sunday Mirror for £250,000 . The Sun and The Daily additionally paid him £100,000 each. Fraser, who helped in negotiating the deals, sold the rights internationally, which brought their earnings to over $2.1 million in global sales.

Following Brenna's phenomenon, "The Kiss" fueled an all-out paparazzi hunt for Princess Diana and Dodi's picture. Everywhere they traveled, the paparazzi hounded the couple, with no respect for their privacy. If Brenna could make a fortune out of one photo, other photographers had a chance to do the same. Diana participated in several humanitarian works following the picture, including becoming an advocate for landmine removals in developing countries. However, her efforts were regularly overlooked by her affair with Dodi. The couple also received racist backlash after "The Kiss," with most comments disapproving of Dodi's ethnicity as depicted in The Crown .

Swarms of press, even helicopters, surrounded the yacht in which Dodi and Diana often stayed. As stated in Beneath The Crown, Dodi had encouraged Diana to dabble in Hollywood acting, with talks to co-star alongside Kevin Costner in a sequel to the box-office hit The Bodyguard . These dreams would never come to fruition. On August 31, 1997, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were declared dead following a car crash through a tunnel at Place de l’Alma in Paris, France . There are countless conspiracies revolving around their deaths, but it was undeniable that their car was mercilessly tailed by a pack of paparazzi who wanted to snap the couple's picture. Mario Brenna confesses to The New York Times that he couldn't help but think "The Kiss" triggered the horrifying events that led to the death of Princess Diana: "If it hadn’t been me, someone else would certainly have captured those images."

What Does 'The Crown' Get Right and Wrong About "The Kiss"?

The Crown is no stranger to negative criticism when it comes to dramatizing the lives of the Royal Family. Aside from a few historical flaws, Episode 2, "Two Photographs", surprisingly does an adequate job of re-imagining the events that made Princess Diana one of the most photographed persons of all time. What the show changes is Prince Charles's reaction to seeing the picture in the Sunday Mirror. The episode depicts Charles hiring Scottish photographer Duncan Muir, a fictionalized character, to take pictures of him with William and Harry as a ploy to outshine the publicity from Diana's controversial photo. It is later revealed that the Scotland photoshoot dominated the front pages of The Mirror and The Daily Record, but this didn't happen.

According to Business Insider , on August 12, 1997, the young Princes and their father participated in a photo shoot at the royals' annual vacation at Balmoral. A handful of photographers snapped the photos, not one, and the images were featured only on pages eight, nine, and five of the respective newspapers. The failed Scotland pics were still overshadowed by the public's fascination with "The Kiss," and the press made rather unfavorable remarks with subheadings like: "Young princes look embarrassed by dad's Harry Lauder image."

"Two Photographs" also mixes up some facts regarding how Dodi started courting the "People's Princess." In the show, Mohamed Al-Fayed acts as a matchmaker for the couple, endlessly pressuring Dodi to flirt with the Princess in order to prove he is worthy of inheriting his father's wealth. Dodi seems stressed about making a connection with Diana during her vacation onboard the yacht as he is engaged to Kelly Fisher (a fact that is accurate). When the couple does become more intimate, The Crown implies that Al-Fayed tipped off Mario Brenna as to their whereabouts, but Brenna claimed the misconception that Al-Fayed hired him to take "The Kiss" was "absurd and completely invented."

What the final season does right in Part 1 is the portrayal of Diana and Dodi's romantic affair and the paparazzi's relentless invasion of their private lives. Di and Dodi briefly dated for a little over a month, and their relationship was always under the microscope. As shown in The Crown , the pair did develop fond feelings for one another, and a rumored engagement as well, but the press could only imagine what their true relationship entailed. History has proven that Diana was nothing but a cash grab to the paparazzi who sought her out only in hopes of making a fortune overnight. Once she and Dodi became the eye of the world, the media never respected her space, time, or family when it came to capturing "the shot." The Crown ultimately does not sugarcoat the brutal paparazzi culture that led to Princess Diana's final moments .

Per the National Post, Brenna admitted that The Crown never made an effort to contact him about the true story of how he captured "The Kiss" or his feelings following the doomed aftermath. Furthermore, he told the Times he does not agree with how he or the paparazzi are represented in the final season. "Two Photographs," despite its blemishes, urges fans to acknowledge the prestigious drama as a fictionalized chronicle and acts as a time machine to reflect on the unfortunate events that shocked the world into a bitter period of grief. If "The Kiss" was never captured, would the "People's Princess" still be here today?

The Crown is available to stream exclusively on Netflix in the U.S.

Watch on Netflix

• TV Features

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

‘The Crown’: Behind the Photo of an Embrace That Changed Princess Diana’s Life

In the show, Mohamed al-Fayed sends the photographer Mario Brenna to capture shots of Diana and al-Fayed’s son, Dodi, on vacation. The portrayal is inaccurate, Brenna says.

By Alex Marshall

Reporting from London

It’s summer 1997, and Princess Diana is flirting with Dodi Fayed, a globe-trotting playboy, on the Jonikal, a yacht floating on sparkling Mediterranean waters.

Diana, teasingly, says that she likes men who have lips that are “just the right temperature.”

“Are mine the right temperature?” Dodi replies.

“I don’t know,” Diana says: “Need to check.” Then, the couple kiss, blissfully unaware that just a few meters away, Mario Brenna, a slick Italian photographer, is on a boat, with a long-lens camera trained on the couple.

A few days later, Brenna’s shots of the princess and her new beau are on the front pages of newspapers worldwide.

This is a central scene in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s royal drama “The Crown” — the first batch of episodes premiered on Thursday — and a moment that signaled the start of a tabloid frenzy around the couple that many blame for their deaths on Aug. 31, 1997, in a car crash in Paris as they were chased by photographers.

Yet the depiction is far from accurate, according to Brenna, speaking in what he said was his first interview with an English-language newspaper.

For a start, “The Crown” has Mohamed al-Fayed — Dodi’s father, and a retail and hotel tycoon who died this year — appearing to hire Brenna to take the shots, in an effort to push Diana and Dodi’s relationship into the public eye, and cajole the pair to marry.

In an email, Annie Sulzberger, the head of research for the show — she is also the sister of The Times’s publisher, A.G. Sulzberger — said that “there are a few theories about how Brenna managed to find the Jonikal moored somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea,” but the one the team found most credible was that one of al-Fayed’s employees leaked the boat’s location to Brenna.

But Brenna said the idea that al-Fayed hired him was “absurd and completely invented,” and that no one leaked information about the yacht’s whereabouts to him. Every summer at that time, he was in Sardinia so he could take paparazzi shots of famous people, he said, and coming across Diana and Dodi was simply a “great stroke of luck.”

On Aug. 1, 1997, Brenna said he approached Diana’s yacht on a fast moving inflatable boat after mistaking a blonde woman making a telephone call on its upper deck for an old acquaintance. As he got closer, he was stunned to realize it was the princess.

Bruno Malka, Brenna’s agent at the time who helped sell the images to Paris Match magazine, said in an email that he thought Brenna was familiar with the yacht, “without knowing it was Diana and Dodi” onboard that day. Brenna was successful, Malka added, because he had spent so many years working in the region.

After spotting the couple, Brenna said he spent the next few days stalking the boat, including climbing a cliff to get a better view. From that elevated position, about 400 meters away from Diana, he took several photos of Diana and Dodi in an embrace. The shots were almost blurred, Brenna said, because the heat haze meant he struggled to get the pair in focus.

Still, he knew immediately he’d secured “a historic photo.” He’d also captured an image that “solved my personal and family problems,” he said, at a time when he had recently divorced and so “was not swimming in wealth.”

He unloaded the rolls of film from the camera, then buried them to make sure they didn’t get exposed to the sun as he tried to take more images, and also as he feared a competitor might have seen him at work and try to steal his camera and so obtain the images every other photographer in the Mediterranean had been hoping to get first.

On Aug. 10, the Sunday Mirror, a British tabloid, splashed Brenna’s image on its front page . “The Kiss,” the headline read. Soon, Brenna said, he was selling the pictures worldwide. In the following six-to-eight months, he said, he made about 1.7 million pounds, or $2.1 million, from his photos of the couple.

Brenna’s pictures — and the prices news outlets paid for them — sparked a frenzy. In 2013, Jason Fraser, a British photographer who helped Brenna sell his images, told The Daily Mail that after they were published, over 2,000 photographers arrived in the Mediterranean hoping to get their own snaps of Diana and Dodi. “I felt the whole thing was spinning out of control,” Fraser said. Weeks later, the couple died.

In “The Crown,” Brenna (portrayed by Enzo Cilenti) explains his methods to camera. To capture celebrities misbehaving, the fictional Brenna says, you have to take risks. Paparazzi also have to act like “hunters … killers.”

Brenna said in the email interview that he did not share this opinion of his work (“I do not identify with the term ‘killer,’”) and that he was never contacted by anyone from “The Crown” to learn about his experiences (Netflix did not respond to a request for comment).

After Diana and Dodi’s death, al-Fayed sued Fraser, the British photographer, for taking photos of Diana and Dodi on a boat, saying it was an invasion of privacy. Brenna said he did not face any such action, adding his images were legal as they “were taken outdoors, in a public place.” And he regretted the privacy crackdown that happened since, with governments and stars trying to stop the paparazzi from taking photos: “There is still the right to report,” he said.

Today, Brenna lives near Lake Como, in Italy, where he said he’s photographed celebrities including George Clooney, Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé, even as the dawn of social media had impacted his profession significantly, including its financial rewards.

Brenna said he and his family enjoyed the success of the photos throughout August 1997. But then, Diana died. When he heard the news, Brenna said, he “couldn’t believe it” and cried, not least because he had two children himself and so could understand what her death would mean for Diana’s boys. He made a decision “not to speak or disclose anything about the incident until William and Harry reached adulthood.”

The mere thought that his images “could have contributed to fueling the hunt for Diana and Dodi obviously saddens me,” Brenna said. But he did not think his work added significantly to the furor around the princess.

“If it hadn’t been me,” he added, “someone else would certainly have captured those images.”

Alex Marshall is a European culture reporter, based in London. More about Alex Marshall

Diana's last day: Dodi's yacht, a Ritz suite, a diamond ring and relentless photographers

Diana, divorced from Prince Charles after he cheated on her, was the mother of the future king of England and the most photographed woman in the world

You can save this article by registering for free here . Or sign-in if you have an account.

Article content

By Michael S. Rosenwald

The last day of Princess Diana’s life began on the top deck of her lover’s yacht, with croissants and fresh jams.

Diana and her beau, Dodi Al Fayed, sipped their coffee marveling at the breathtaking Emerald Coast in Sardinia. Diana took hers with milk. Fayed took his black. There were kiwis, too.

“They were in a good mood,” his butler remembered later. “They were always laughing, holding hands.”

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

• Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
• Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
• National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
• Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
• Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

• Access articles from across Canada with one account.
• Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
• Enjoy additional articles per month.
• Get email updates from your favourite authors.

Don't have an account? Create Account

Their romance was a whirlwind — passionate, thrilling, scandalous. Fayed, the son of Harrod’s department store owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, was a rich playboy. Diana, divorced from Prince Charles after he cheated on her, was the mother of the future king of England and the most photographed woman in the world.

That Saturday — Aug. 30, 1997 — promised to be a moment of change. The princess knew it. She snuck a call to Richard Kay, a friend who covered the Royals for the Daily Mail, and told him, as he later wrote, “she had decided to radically change her life.”

“She was going to complete her obligations to her charities,” Kay continued, “and then, around November, would completely withdraw from her formal public life.” Diana had not told Kay why, but he had a hunch: “They were, to use an old but priceless cliche, blissfully happy. I cannot say for certain that they would have married, but in my view it was likely.”

In the 20 years since she’s been gone, there have been countless revisions to this love story. Her friends and relatives: They weren’t in love! His friends and relatives: They were in love!

Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format.

• There was an error, please provide a valid email address.

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Last week, in the Daily Mail, Kay published an article with this headline: “Was Diana about to dump Dodi?” In it, he quoted Diana’s private secretary saying she’d planned to return home after becoming bored with Fayed.

“It’s very much a personal view,” the secretary said, “but I don’t think she would have seen Dodi again once she got back.”

Whatever the case, Fayed wanted to propose that fateful night. It was summer. As they were on holiday, Britain announced plans to invite the Irish Republican Army for peace talks. Conspiracies theories about the suicide of Vincent Foster, President Bill Clinton’s lawyer, were spreading. Israel and Lebanon were sparring with one another.

Fayed’s primary concern was the six-figure diamond ring waiting in Paris. People close to Fayed said the couple picked it out a week earlier even though they had been dating less than a month.

The danger of their relationship wasn’t its brevity. To royal watchers, to Buckingham Palace, and no doubt to the British tabloids whose photographers were hounding them, the threat was something the couple apparently had not yet considered, even as rumours swirled that Diana was already pregnant.

“For the mother of the future king of England to bear the child of a Muslim Arab, a child who would be the half sibling of the heir to the throne, would be embarrassing in the eyes of the royal family and the ruling Establishment,” former Time magazine reporters Tom Sancton and Scott MacLeod wrote in their book, Death of a Princess .

Fayed’s calendar that day had just one entry — at 6:30 p.m., he was to pick up the ring at a store near his father’s hotel in Paris, The Ritz. They left the boat for Fayed’s plane around 11:30 a.m., taking along the butler and a masseuse for Fayed’s painful back.

As soon as they landed in Paris, Fayed saw the paparazzi out his window.

“Dodi did not want this special occasion ruined by a bunch of a shutter-happy cowboys trying to corral them on motorcycles and shoving lenses in their faces,” the ex-Time reporters wrote. “As soon as the door opened, cameras started clicking.”

The aggressiveness of the photographers — and their sheer numbers — would increase as the day progressed.

Diana and Fayed arrived at The Ritz in the late afternoon. She went to the salon for a hair appointment. He went to the jeweler. The couple then rested in the hotel’s Imperial Suite before going to Fayed’s apartment to get dressed for dinner. She checked in with her children, who were in Scotland with Prince Charles and the queen.

“On that Saturday evening, Diana was as happy as I have ever known her,” her friend Kay wrote in the Daily Mail. “For the first time in years, all was well with her world.”

They left for Fayed’s apartment around 7 p.m., trailed by photographers. More were waiting at the building’s front door when they arrived. Fayed fumed. There was an ugly shoving match.

Once inside, Fayed pulled his butler aside, telling him about his plan to propose that night.

“The ring was on the nightstand in his bedroom,” author Christopher Anderson wrote in “The Day Diana Died.” “Dodi had checked to make sure they had several bottles of Dom Pérignon on ice for the big moment.”

But dinner was a bust.

The first restaurant they tried — Chez Benoit, a cozy, casual bistro not far from the city centre – was quickly overrun by photographers. They split and headed for The Ritz, ducking into the dining room hoping to be left alone.

The princess ordered vegetable tempura. Fayed ordered grilled turbot.

“No sooner had they ordered,” the ex-Time reporters wrote, “they began to feel the indiscreet stares of other diners.”

The couple left and had the food delivered to the Imperial Suite. Fayed’s plan was in shambles. They had to get back to the apartment. But how? The hotel was swarming with photographers.

Fayed devised a plan: The couple’s driver and bodyguards would make a big show out front, appearing to get their caravan of Mercedes sedans ready to leave. Meanwhile, the Princess and Fayed would slip out the back door, in a borrowed car driven by a hotel security officer.

What happened next was the subject of lengthy investigations and conspiracy theories that live on today. The couple did get away. But the driver, it turned out, was drunk.

As the couple sped off, the photographers out front got tipped off about the escape, quickly catching up on their motorcycles. Their driver darted in and out of traffic, wrecking spectacularly inside the Pont de l’Alma tunnel near the Eiffel Tower.

Fayed died instantly. Diana died at the hospital.

Her death startled the world.

An up-and-coming anchor named Brian Williams broke into regular coverage on MSNBC to announce the news to Americans in the early morning hours of Aug. 31.

“I’ve just been handed from the Reuters news service what has been marked ‘bulletin,'” Williams said, speaking slowly. “It says, ‘Princess Diana has died.'”

She was 36.

Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark nationalpost.com and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

What we know about the driver charged with fatally hitting Johnny Gaudreau and his brother

This is johnny gaudreau's last family photo shared publicly by wife before his tragic death, johnny gaudreau, 31, and brother matthew, 29, killed after bicycles hit by car before sister's wedding, carson jerema: progressives want to control our lives, and canadians have had it.

How BC United (formerly the B.C. Liberals) collapsed — and what could happen next

Makeup mega-influencer glamzilla just created the ultimate birthday blush.

Makeup artist and influencer Stephanie Valentine — best known as @Glamzilla — has released the ultimate two-piece blush kit with the brand Nudestix.

Budget-friendly gift ideas under $50

Thoughtful gift ideas that won't break the bank

Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

The best bras for every occasion

Wireless, backless, nursing or barely there options for different body types

How to score promo codes and coupons for Bambu Lab

Bookmark these coupons before placing your order

5 stylish bags for back to 'school'

Whether you are heading back to the classroom or simply embracing this mentality, there are lots of ways to justify a new bag

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here . By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy .

You've reached the 20 article limit.

You can manage saved articles in your account.

and save up to 100 articles!

Looks like you've reached your saved article limit!

You can manage your saved articles in your account and clicking the X located at the bottom right of the article.

Find anything you save across the site in your account

See Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana Shared With Dodi Fayed

Since her untimely death in August of 1997, Princess Diana’s last summer spent with Dodi Al-Fayed has been described in various ways: a passionate love affair, a fake publicity stunt, a temporary fling, a rouse to infuriate another suiter, or the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Although the stories change, the setting remains: a summer tour through the Mediterranean aboard a multi-million dollar superyacht. Later this year, nearly 25 years to the day, the 208-foot vessel will launch for sale again. 

The yacht is full of glossy and dark wood paneling. 

Originally named Jonikal , then Sokar , and most recently Bash , the luxury vessel was first owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and father of Dodi Al-Fayed. During the fateful summer, Al-Fayed hosted Princess Di and her two sons aboard the Jonikal . After the couple’s tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed attempted to sell the yacht numerous times before it was finally bought in 2014. It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who is selling it just over a year later as he reportedly has plans to upgrade to a larger vessel. “She is in the yard being refitted, and will be launched for sale in September,” said John Wood, director at Seawood Yachts. 

Coffered ceilings add a dramatic, yet timeless feel. 

Bash , as the yacht is currently named, was designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s and built by the superyacht building firm Codecasa before launching in 1990. The vessel can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms in addition to rooms for 26 crew members. Among many notable features, Bash includes a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, a formal dining room, main saloon, a bar, and office space. Full of dark wood paneling and coffered ceilings, the interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style of the early 1900s. 

The vessel includes nine staterooms in addition to plenty of space for the crew. 

Powered by Wärtsilä engines, the yacht has a cruising speed of 15 knots and top speeds of 20 knots. Even though an exact price hasn’t been advertised just yet, the last time the boat was sold, it was listed for $10,000,000. 

Here Are The Real Photos Of Diana On Vacation That Inspired Those Scenes In The Crown

The Princess of Wales did indeed have a little chat with paparazzi on a boat.

The sixth and final season of The Crown got off to an emotional start by depicting Princess Diana’s final weeks before her death in August 1997. At the time, Princess Diana was newly dating Dodi Fayed, son of Harrod’s owner Mohamed Al-Fayed and famously spent time on Al-Fayed’s yacht in the south of France that summer with 12-year-old Prince Harry and 15-year-old Prince William. She was being constantly followed by the paparazzi, and is seen confronting photographers in The Crown in an effort to get them to leave her sons alone so they could enjoy their holiday. Which, according to photos taken of the princess at the time, appears to be at least somewhat based on a real event.

Season 6, Part 1 of The Crown saw Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) vacationing off the coast of Saint-Tropez with her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William (played by Fflyn Edwards and Rufus Kampa, respectively), on Al-Fayed’s yacht. If The Crown is to be believed, Prince William in particular was struggling to have a good time on his holiday because of the constant presence of the paparazzi. And so, Princess Diana decided to throw on a swimsuit and jet over to the photographers to pose for some shots in an effort to get them to leave.

The Crown’s version...

“Enjoying your holiday?” a member of the paparazzi asks Princess Diana in The Crown when she is seen approaching them on a boat, and she replies. “Yes, we’re having a lovely time, apart from one little thing, you lot. Seriously, how long are we going to have the pleasure of your company? The attention is starting to freak out the boys.”

She offered the paparazzi a “surprise” if they would leave her sons alone as they snapped photos of her. And while we don’t know if the real Princess Diana offered them a surprise, she absolutely did confront them that summer.

How it looked in real life...

A year after Princess Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris, journalist and biographer Sally Bedell Smith wrote about the royal’s relationship with the paparazzi for Vanity Fair — in particular, that fateful summer in the south of France. “On a holiday in July 1997 with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and his family in Saint-Tropez,” Bedell Smith wrote at the time, “she first eluded paparazzi by crawling along a balcony and hiding behind a towel, then surprised a contingent of British tabloid reporters and photographers ... by addressing them from her motorboat in a fetching leopard-print bathing suit. ‘You will have a big surprise coming soon, the next thing I do,’ she teased, and implied that she was thinking of living abroad.”

This wasn’t the only moment that the Netflix series recreated from Princess Diana’s holiday that last summer. Princess Diana was also seen in a super colorful swim suit, hanging out on the beach with her sons. A scene The Crown pulled off perfectly.

In real life, most of the photos from that moment were taken with Princess Diana spending time with her sons on the yacht, even wrapping her son Prince Harry up in a big hug while wearing the iconic swimsuit.

Princess Diana was also photographed sitting on the diving board of Al-Fayed’s yacht, all alone in a bright blue bathing suit. Looking, some might say, quite lonely.

Like the series showed, Princess Diana in 1997 was also seen wearing a bright blue one-piece swimsuit, staring off into space.

While The Crown has certainly done an impeccable job of recreating real-life photos of moments from the lives of royals, it’s important to remember that these are dramatized and fictionalized versions of real events. No matter how spot-on they might look to us.

This article was originally published on November 20, 2023

MORE SECTIONS

• Dear Deidre

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters
• Deliver my newspaper
• Sun Vouchers
• The Sun Digital Newspaper
• Racing Members Enclosure
• Fabulous Clothing

Inside the £13m 208ft ‘love boat’ yacht where Princess Diana & Dodi Fayed had their romantic fling which is on The Crown

• Becky Pemberton
• Published : 12:36, 16 Nov 2023
• Updated : 12:36, 16 Nov 2023

THE famous £13million superyacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed enjoyed their romantic fling is featured on the new season of The Crown.

The glamorous royal and her wealthy boyfriend were famously pictured kissing on the luxury “love boat” Jonikal, which is now called Bash, before their tragic deaths in 1997.

Photos of the couple’s Mediterranean getaway circulated around the world, with The Sunday Mirror paying £250,000 for first rights to the collection.

The fall out of the photos was depicted on the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown, with the Queen , played by Imelda Staunton , seen viewing the multi-page spread back home.

The stunning 208ft yacht can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms, along with 26 crew members.

It also offers a range of impressive amenities including a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space.

More on The Crown

I worked on The Crown - everyone had the same big problem with the Netflix set

Harry 'will watch The Crown after friends make sure no scenes can traumatise him'

The yacht belonged to Dodi’s multi-millionaire father Mohamed Al-Fayed .

The billionaire former Harrods owner amassed his astonishing fortune running several high-profile business ventures and a Premier League football club prior to the announcement of his death in August 2023.

The ship was first launched in 1990, and has had a number of owners over the years.

According to Boat International, it was sold earlier this year, and although the sum hasn’t been disclosed, the asking price was €15,500,000 (£13million).

Most read in Royals

Di’s bodyguard reveals how 3 mistakes killed her & his heartbreaking warning

If Noel & Liam Gallagher can make up...then there's hope for Harry & William

Harry's surprise attendance at uncle’s funeral was 'supposed to remain secret'

William & Harry stood yards apart chatting to family at uncle’s intimate wake

Diana’s final month included two cruises on The Jonikal.

The holidays sparked unfounded rumours that Diana was pregnant and about to announce plans to marry Dodi .

Dodi died aged 42 in a Paris car crash with Diana 26 years ago.

The pair first met at a polo match in 1989, but they did not get together until Dodi invited the princess to stay at his father's 30-bedroom villa in St Tropez in July 1997.

Much of Dodi's fortune was spent on impressing a string of beautiful models and actresses.

The playboy was linked to Blue Lagoon actress Brooke Shields, Val Kilmer’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley, Stranger Things star Winona Ryder and Frank Sinatra’s daughter Tina.

Following the 1997 car crash that led to the couple's deaths, Mohamed attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions before ultimately parting with it in 2014.

It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who sold it just over a year later with plans to upgrade to a larger vessel.

• Celebrity relationships and break ups
• The Crown (TV Show)
• Princess Diana

Insiders reveal the truth about Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's relationship

New documentary highlights the last few weeks of princess diana and dodi fayed’s lives.

Social Sharing

During the summer of 1997, photos of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed filled the tabloids as paparazzi photographers scrambled to snap shots of their apparent love affair.

In the new documentary Diana & Dodi: The Princess and the Playboy , members of Diana and Fayed's inner circle remember what they witnessed that summer — which would ultimately be the couple's last. 

She was a former member of the British Royal Family, he was a filmmaker and the son of a wealthy businessman who wanted to be included by the British elite. 

Featuring interviews with close friends, former employees and even Fayed's ex-girlfriends, Diana & Dodi: The Princess and the Playboy uncovers how the two met — and how Fayed's father appears to have orchestrated it all. 

Insiders reveal the truth about Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's relationship | Diana & Dodi: The Princess and the Playboy

The film also documents how their relationship came under intense scrutiny by the press. Images of the pair together could fetch over one million euros, and they had to find elaborate ways of avoiding photographers. At the same time, a former girlfriend of Fayed's — who says they were engaged when he met Diana — was suing him, claiming he had promised her money to abandon her career. 

Was it true love? Former friends of Diana have said it was just a fling, a rebound from her very public divorce. But in the documentary, Fayed's former butler reveals that the filmmaker was planning to propose in Paris on the night of their deaths. 

• In Depth Expert investigation reveals the truth about Princess Diana's death 25 years ago

Diana & Dodi: The Princess and the Playboy tells the untold story of Dodi Fayed and the truth about his relationship with Princess Diana, featuring unprecedented access and new, revelation-packed stories.

Related Stories

• In Depth Expert investigation reveals truth about Princess Diana's death more than 25 years ago
• now streaming Remembering the life of Queen Elizabeth II: Our longest-reigning monarch

Add some “good” to your morning and evening.

Get our curated selection of must-watch docs from CBC in your inbox every week!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply.

How The Crown Recreated the Iconic Princess Diana Diving Board Photo

Spoiler alert: It wasn't actually a diving board she was sitting on.

On August 24, 1997—exactly a week before Princess Diana's tragic death —paparazzi captured one of the last, and perhaps most iconic, photos ever taken of her. The royal, who had been vacationing with boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed on his father's luxury yacht off the coast of Portofino, was seen wearing a turquoise one-piece swimsuit, sitting alone on the edge of the diving board looking out at sea. Except it wasn't a diving board that she was perched on.

"It's the platform you [use to] get on and off the yacht," reveals Alison Harvey, The Crown 's series set director. Or the passerelle, as it is more commonly known in the boating world.

Nevertheless, it was that haunting image, which would later send shockwaves around the world following Diana's passing, that was poignantly chosen as the main poster of the sixth and final season of The Crown . And according to the show's production team, recreating the photo took a village.

"We were very lucky to go to a real superyacht. I think if we tried to do it from scratch we would have never made that," Harvey says of remaking Mohamed Al Fayed 's 208-ft yacht, Jonikal, for the series. "We had the bones of the set that we then enhanced with more period details to make it feel more like the Fayed's world."

The result: the interior of the yacht featured a blue and yellow motif with Egyptian art, paintings, fabrics and patterns from the '90s. "Everything [was] stylized to fit the Fayed world to counteract with The Queen's world, which is a much more dreary environment," continues Harvey. "It was that old money, new money [kind of thing]."

Getting Elizabeth Debicki , who plays Diana in the series, to look exactly like the Princess of Wales in that moment also required some reimagining. "There were some restrictions in term of copyright and what we could show, what we couldn't show, and how the picture was taken," explains Harvey, "so it was slightly adapted for our purposes."

For starters, the hair and makeup department were tasked with making a wig that looked like Diana's hair post-swim. "The challenge was really this thing of realizing that iconic Diana but without being able to fall back on her very manufactured hair and makeup that we're used to seeing in the media," Cate Hall, hair & makeup designer of The Crown , explains. "Obviously [Elizabeth's wearing] a wig, but it's about if you look at the shading, the color, the tone and the way it's sitting. Most of our efforts go into any which way we can into making [wigs] look natural and I think it does look natural and lived in."

Then the costume department had to recreate the turquoise bathing suit to look identical to the one Diana wore in real life. "We didn't get the [actual] designer to do it," says Sidonie Roberts, The Crown 's co-costume designer, "so it was our version of it."

While "it was relatively simple" to do so, "the question with us with Elizabeth was what does she feel comfortable in? Because '90s to 2000s swimwear is pretty high on the thigh," says Roberts. "That I think was our first fitting with her, so it was getting a balance between the actual shape and also what Elizabeth, as an actress would feel comfortable, being quite exposed, in this scene. But in terms of color, we just went similarly as the other one because it is a moment in itself and we wanted to keep that iconic moment as it was."

In the days that followed that photo, Princess Diana and Dodi traveled to Paris, where they died in car crash on August 31 . Diana was 36 and Dodi 42. The first part of The Crown, which is available to stream on Netflix now , follows the weeks leading up to and after their death. The rest of the season is set to hit the streaming platform Thursday, December 14.

Sophie Dweck is the associate shopping editor for Town & Country, where she covers beauty, fashion, home and décor, and more. 

The Crown Final Season

Elizabeth Debicki Misses Playing Princess Diana

Princess Diana's Fight Against Landmines

'The Crown' Creator Reveals His Next Project

Get to Know All of King Charles's Grandchildren

Meet King Charles's Siblings

A Guide to King Charles III's Nieces and Nephews

Meet the Children of Queen Camilla

Everything You Need to Know About the Middletons

A Timeline of William and Kate's Relationship

Elizabeth Debicki Channeled Princess Diana

A Guide to Kate Middleton's Family Tree

William & Kate Were Roommates at St Andrews

‘The Crown’: The Story Behind That Princess Diana Yacht Photo

I t’s telling that the lead image in the promotion of the final series of The Crown, a show ostensibly about Queen Elizabeth II and her ascendent line of heirs, is not of HRH. Instead, it’s an iconic shot of the person who's really at the centre of the Netflix show's sixth season: the late Princess Diana.

The photo in question has become embedded in popular culture since it was taken on Diana’s last holiday before her death. The ex-royal sits, pensively, on the diving board of a superyacht, looking out to sea in a turquoise swimsuit. But what is the true story behind one of the most famous images of the Princess Of Wales?

The backstory

In July 1997, Diana was on a Mediterranean holiday with her boyfriend at the time, Dodi Al Fayed, son of the then-Harrods’ boss, the late Mohammed Al Fayed. Diana and Dodi – and the Princes William and Harry – all spent time together in Castle St. Therese, Al Fayed’s 30-bedroom villa in St. Tropez in the South of France.

But Diana was called to Milan on 22 July, where she attended the funeral of her friend Gianni Versace, who was murdered by a fan on the steps of his Miami home on 15 July.

The author and friend of Diana, Tina Brown, later wrote: “The murder of the flamboyant fashion star Gianni Versace... while Diana was on Al Fayed's yacht, was a meteor shower in the exploding sky of her final summer.”

With the weight of the death of her friend still on her mind, in early August, Diana travelled alone to Sarajevo to publicise the fight against landmines in the country. Here, she came face to face with some horrific tales of mutilation of the people, and spent time working with rehabilitation groups of survivors.

By early August, after an emotionally turbulent few weeks, Diana was back on holiday with Dodi, this time on his yacht, known as Jonikal.

But on 10 August, pictures of Diana and Dodi kissing in Sardinia were published in the Sunday Mirror , and all hell broke loose; especially when it was claimed Diana could possibly be engaged, or even pregnant. In the trailer for series six, Imelda Staunton’s Queen is shown the front-page splash and told: “Interest in the princess’ private life is unlikely to die down any time soon”, and it’s likely that in real life Diana would have received a stern phone call from the palace.

From this point onwards, it only intensified the swarms of paparazzi clamouring for pictures of the pair on holiday. Video footage from the trip shows dinghies filled with men with long-lens pictures surrounding the yacht, desperate to catch another money-spinning shot of the couple together – with figures going as high as £1 million a photo.

On 24 August, Diana, dressed in just the teal swimsuit, took a walk out to the diving board of the yacht and sat down on it. She would have had a lot to process from the past few weeks.

She would also have known the press were desperate for pictures of her and Dodi together – perhaps she told him to stay below deck to protect him while she gave photographers a shot to appease them.

But according to one paparazzo in the documentary Sex & Power , the romance was just for show: “No-one knows this, so it’s ­actually quite interesting. [The crew member] said, ‘They don’t share the same bedroom, he calls her ma’am, is ­incredibly deferential and respectful. But as soon as she goes outside to wave to the paps, she’s bending over and kissing him and hugging him’... The truth [of their romance] is the opposite.”

Was this then another posed shot designed to reset the narrative, or was it simply a candid picture of the troubled princess in genuine thought? Whatever the case may be, the photo's melancholy pull is still being felt.

The first half of The Crown series 6 streams on Netflix from November 16.

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Newsletters
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides
• Labor Day sales

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

What Really Happened During Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed’s Vacation?

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Among Princess Diana’s most iconic images—the revenge dress, the casual biker shorts—is a photo of her in an aqua blue swimsuit, sitting on a diving board over the ocean. Taken before her tragic death in August 1997, the solitary princess was captured aboard the Jonikal, the boat owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed , on a getaway with his son Dodi , her new fling. The shot is so recognizable, so symbolic of her isolation. (Decades later, SZA even recreated it on her SOS album cover and The Crown paid homage to it for its season 6 posters.) But it turns out that the real-life story of the trip behind it is even more complex. Most of what the public knows of Diana’s vacations with the Fayeds that summer in 1997 is limited to blurry paparazzi shots from afar. In The Crown ’s sixth season, Peter Morgan attempts to dramatize what might’ve happened behind closed doors. These scenes, however, were filmed in Mallorca instead of the French Riviera.

Diana was invited by Mohamed, a friend and businessman, to vacation in Saint-Tropez with her sons in July 1997. The Harrods owner would also goad his own son to join, too. The invitation came at a good time, after a few rough blows for Diana: Prince Charles was throwing a lavish birthday party for Camilla Parker Bowles at Highgrove, the house he and Diana once shared. And she had just broken up with surgeon Hasnat Khan, due to the media frenzy around their relationship. It was the month before William and Harry would be at Balmoral with their father and the rest of the royals, who no longer accepted her. So off she went, straight to the $20 million yacht that Fayed bought just before the trip to impress her—Tina Brown writes in The Diana Chronicles .

Prince Harry has looked back fondly at that trip, mostly because of the quality time they spent with their mom. “Actually, we’d been with Mummy weeks earlier when she first met him [Dodi], in St. Tropez,” he writes in her memoir Spare , per Today . “We were having a grand time, just the three of us, staying at some old gent’s villa.

“There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday. Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

But the cameras followed her, like they always did. The Crown depicts photographers sailing out toward the Jonikal to snap images of the princess sunbathing and swimming in her one-piece. It also shows her approaching the boats filled with paparazzi to forge a deal: She’ll pose for them for a few shots if they’ll leave her and her kids alone.

Part of this is true. The New York Times reported in 1997 that Diana was quite cooperative with the press, at least during the first trip in July: “Three times, on separate occasions, she went out to the sea front and jumped off a small pier into the water, with photographers around her. Then, after leaving for 10 days with Mr. Fayed on the boat trip during which the photographs of the embracing couple were taken, she returned.”

“It was clear enough to all of us that she wanted to show the British establishment she was free,” Frederic Garcia, who photographed Diana on the trip, told the paper at the time. But her and the Al-Fayeds’ exasperation with the media grew after helicopters flew over the boat, according to the NYT .

Perhaps her openness to being photographed was her response to Camilla’s birthday party. “She just wanted to make the people at Balmoral as angry as possible,” her friend, art collector Lord Palumbo, told Brown. Now it wasn’t just a revenge dress; it was a revenge photo shoot with revenge swimsuits on a revenge vacation.

Brown even writes that the biggest photos from the trip, of the princess kissing a shirtless Dodi on the boat, “were the direct result of tips from Diana herself.” After they were published, she called photographer Jason Fraser, who “was in cahoots” with Mario Brenna, who shot the images, to ask why the pictures were so grainy. But she wasn’t the only one working with the press. Mohamed also had a publicist tip gossip columns on her and Dodi’s whereabouts and frame their getaway as a sensational romance, according to Brown.

Meanwhile, Dodi was juggling this burgeoning love story with another one. He was already engaged when he first joined Diana on the boat at his father’s behest in July. His fiancée was Kelly Fisher , an American actress and model, and their wedding was scheduled for the following month, on August 9, 1997. He had even left Fisher in Paris to board the Jonikal in St. Tropez. She joined later but, just as it’s shown in The Crown , she was relegated to a different Al-Fayed boat, where Dodi would visit her at night, Brown writes. Fisher soon caught on. In August, she sued Dodi for breach of contract, and was represented by high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred. But she withdrew the suit after his death.

In Spare , Harry remembered thinking Dodi was “cheeky” but overall was content with the relationship: “As long as Mummy’s happy, I told Willy, who said, he felt the same.” But Brown reported in her 2007 book that Prince William grew concerned. He told friends it was weird that they were on vacation with what seemed like a “substitute family.” When photos of Diana and Dodi on the boat were published, William complained to her that the boys at school would mock him for it.

After doing significant charity work in Bosnia with land mine victims, Diana reconvened with Dodi on the Jonikal in August. “The fact that she came back for a second visit so soon really shows her loneliness more than it does a passion for Dodi,” Dominick Dunne reported for Vanity Fair in 2008. But the privacy—or whatever amount of it that they had—might have appealed to her. “A splendid yacht. A helicopter. A private plane. Guards to keep the paparazzi at bay. She probably knew that she was being used by a social climber for his and his son’s advancement in London society, but in high society it was a fair deal. Each benefited.”

Dodi and Diana’s romance would be short-lived, but he showered her with gifts during their six-week relationship, including a pearl bracelet and diamond wristwatch, according to Vanity Fair . With him, the princess felt “so taken care of,” her confidant Lady Elsa Bowker told Brown. And on top of that, he was a “sympathetic, unthreatening listener,” wrote Tom Bower, author of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s unauthorized biography.

But their relationship probably wasn’t going to be a lasting one. According to Brown, Diana suspected Dodi might propose to her, but told a friend that the ring would go “firmly on the fourth finger of my right hand,” meaning she would not have accepted. Her sister Sarah McCorquodale later testified, “I just did not think the relationship had much longer to go.”

It’s been believed that the romance was even orchestrated by Mohamed himself. According to Bower, the older Al-Fayed would check in on Dodi and Diana during the trip (which is also portrayed in The Crown this season). McCorquodale also told the court that Diana “thought the boat was being bugged by Mr Al-Fayed Senior.”

On that second trip in August, Diana and Dodi were photographed together in the South of France and Sardinia, before heading to Paris for their tragic final days. There, they would be chased by cameras again for the last time.

You Might Also Like

The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types

100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)

Recommended Stories

Novak djokovic crashes out of us open 1 day after carlos alcaraz stunner.

This is the first year Djokovic didn't win a Grand Slam since 2017.

Caitlin Clark scores career-high 31 points while Angel Reese sets double-double record in Fever win

Caitlin Clark scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Indiana Fever to a 100–81 victory over the Chicago Sky. Indiana wins the season series, 3–1.

Your iPhone might not be compatible with iOS 18. Here are the eligible devices

Apple's latest software, including Apple Intelligence features, won't be available for every iPhone user. We'll explain who's getting left out this year.

Final predictions for every AFC team: Jets, Titans, Steelers & more | Football 301

Nate Tice and Charles McDonald join forces to preview every team in the AFC. For each team they discuss win totals, give a player to watch and try to predict why each team could under- or over-perform expectations this season.

Columbus Blue Jackets' Johnny Gaudreau, brother Matthew Gaudreau killed by alleged drunk driver while biking

Gaudreau played 763 NHL games with the Flames and Blue Jackets.

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino will miss 6-8 weeks due to broken thumb after disastrous play

Pasquantino and reliever Lucas Erceg were both hurt on the same play Thursday vs. the Astros.

Hockey world reacts to tragic deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau

The brothers were killed when they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while biking.

Nvidia investors should've sold the stock a month ago, strategist says

Nvidia's valuation is getting hard to justify, and it's time to sell, one investment manager says.

Shohei Ohtani bobblehead night: Dodgers star makes MLB history after catching first pitch from his dog

Dodger fans love Shohei Ohtani — and his dog. They got plenty of both on Wednesday.

White Sox approaching MLB record for losses draws sympathy from surviving 1962 Mets

As the 2024 Chicago White Sox approach setting a MLB record for losses, the 1962 New York Mets sympathize with their misery.

clock This article was published more than  7 years ago

Diana’s final hours: Dodi’s yacht, a Ritz suite, a diamond ring and relentless photographers

The last day of Princess Diana’s life began on the top deck of her lover’s yacht, with croissants and fresh jams.

Diana and her beau, Dodi Al Fayed, sipped their coffee marveling at the breathtaking Emerald Coast in Sardinia. Diana took hers with milk. Fayed took his black. There were kiwis, too.

“They were in a good mood,” his butler remembered later. “They were always laughing, holding hands.”

Listen to this story on “Retropod” :

For more forgotten stories from history, subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Amazon Echo | Google Home and more

Their romance was a whirlwind — passionate, thrilling, scandalous. Fayed, the son of Harrod’s department store owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, was a rich playboy. Diana, divorced from Prince Charles after he cheated on her, was the mother of the future King of England and the most photographed woman in the world.

[ How Britain and the world mourned Diana, the ‘People’s Princess’ ]

That Saturday — Aug. 30, 1997 — promised to be a moment of change. The Princess knew it. She snuck a call to Richard Kay, a friend who covered the Royals for the Daily Mail, and told him, as he later wrote , “she had decided to radically change her life.”

“She was going to complete her obligations to her charities,” Kay continued, “and then, around November, would completely withdraw from her formal public life.” Diana had not told Kay why, but he had a hunch: “They were, to use an old but priceless cliche, blissfully happy. I cannot say for certain that they would have married, but in my view it was likely.”

In the 20 years since she’s been gone, there have been countless revisions to this love story. Her friends and relatives: They weren’t in love! His friends and relatives: They were in love!

Last week, in the Daily Mail, Kay published an article with this headline: “Was Diana about to dump Dodi?” In it, he quoted Diana’s private secretary saying she’d planned to return home after becoming bored with Fayed.

“It’s very much a personal view,” the secretary said, “but I don’t think she would have seen Dodi again once she got back.”

Whatever the case, Fayed wanted to propose that fateful night. It was summer. As they were on holiday, Britain announced plans to invite the Irish Republican Army for peace talks. Conspiracies theories about the suicide of Vincent Foster, President Bill Clinton’s lawyer, were spreading. Israel and Lebanon were sparring with one another.

Fayed’s primary concern was the six-figure diamond ring waiting in Paris. People close to Fayed said the couple picked it out a week earlier even though they had been dating less than a month.

The danger of their relationship wasn’t its brevity. To royal watchers, to Buckingham Palace, and no doubt to the British tabloids whose photographers were hounding them, the threat was something the couple apparently had not yet considered, even as rumors swirled that Diana was already pregnant.

“For the mother of the future king of England to bear the child of a Muslim Arab, a child who would be the half sibling of the heir to the throne, would be embarrassing in the eyes of the royal family and the ruling Establishment,” former Time magazine reporters Tom Sancton and Scott MacLeod wrote in their book,  “Death of a Princess.”

Fayed’s calendar that day had just one entry — at 6:30 p.m., he was to pick up the ring at a store near his father’s hotel in Paris, The Ritz. They left the boat for Fayed’s plane around 11:30 a.m., taking along the butler and a masseuse for Fayed’s painful back.

As soon as they landed in Paris, Fayed saw the paparazzi out his window.

“Dodi did not want this special occasion ruined by a bunch of a shutter-happy cowboys trying to corral them on motorcycles and shoving lenses in their faces,” the ex-Time reporters wrote. “As soon as the door opened, cameras started clicking.”

Diana and the media: She used them, and they used her. Until the day she died.

The aggressiveness of the photographers — and their sheer numbers — would increase as the day progressed.

Diana and Fayed arrived at The Ritz in the late afternoon. She went to the salon for a hair appointment. He went to the jeweler. The couple then rested in the hotel’s Imperial Suite before going to Fayed’s apartment to get dressed for dinner. She checked in with her children, who were in Scotland with Prince Charles and the Queen.

“On that Saturday evening, Diana was as happy as I have ever known her,” her friend Kay wrote in the Daily Mail. “For the first time in years, all was well with her world.”

They left for Fayed’s apartment around 7 p.m., trailed by photographers. More were waiting at the building’s front door when they arrived. Fayed fumed. There was an ugly shoving match.

Once inside, Fayed pulled his butler aside, telling him about his plan to propose that night.

“The ring was on the nightstand in his bedroom,” author Christopher Anderson wrote in “The Day Diana Died.” “Dodi had checked to make sure they had several bottles of Dom Pérignon on ice for the big moment.”

But dinner was a bust.

The first restaurant they tried — Chez Benoit, a cozy, casual bistro not far from the city center — was quickly overrun by photographers. They split and headed for The Ritz, ducking into the dining room hoping to be left alone.

The Princess ordered vegetable tempura. Fayed ordered grilled turbot.

“No sooner had they ordered,” the ex-Time reporters wrote, “they began to feel the indiscreet stares of other diners.”

JFK’s last birthday: Gifts, champagne and wandering hands on the presidential yacht

The couple left and had the food delivered to the Imperial Suite. Fayed’s plan was in shambles. They had to get back to the apartment. But how? The hotel was swarming with photographers.

Fayed devised a plan: The couple’s driver and bodyguards would make a big show out front, appearing to get their caravan of Mercedes sedans ready to leave. Meanwhile, the Princess and Fayed would slip out the back door, in a borrowed car driven by a hotel security officer.

What happened next was the subject of lengthy investigations and conspiracy theories that live on today. The couple did get away. But the driver, it turned out, was drunk.

As the couple sped off, the photographers out front got tipped off about the escape, quickly catching up on their motorcycles. Their driver darted in and out of traffic, wrecking spectacularly inside the Pont de l’Alma tunnel near the Eiffel Tower.

Fayed died instantly. Diana died at the hospital.

Her death startled the world.

An up-and-coming anchor named Brian Williams broke into regular coverage on MSNBC to announce the news to Americans in the early morning hours of Aug. 31.

“I’ve just been handed from the Reuters news service what has been marked ‘bulletin,’” Williams said, speaking slowly. “It says, ‘Princess Diana has died.’”

She was 36.

Read more Retropolis: 

O.J.’s last defender — F. Lee Bailey — is broke, disbarred and working above a hair salon

Blood in the water: Four dead, a coast terrified and the birth of modern shark mania

What if the president ordering a nuclear attack isn’t sane? An Air Force major lost his job for asking.

‘Then they came for me’: A Hitler supporter’s haunting warning has a complicated history

Mail that baby: A brief history of kids sent through the U.S. Postal Service

How a despondent veteran helped make the Golden Gate Bridge a suicide destination

MORE SECTIONS

• Social Casino

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters

Inside the £13m 208ft ‘love boat’ yacht where Princess Diana & Dodi Fayed had their romantic fling which is on The Crown

• Becky Pemberton
• Published : 7:36 ET, Nov 16 2023

THE famous £13million superyacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed enjoyed their romantic fling is featured on the new season of The Crown.

The glamorous royal and her wealthy boyfriend were famously pictured kissing on the luxury “love boat” Jonikal, which is now called Bash, before their tragic deaths in 1997.

Photos of the couple’s Mediterranean getaway circulated around the world, with The Sunday Mirror paying £250,000 for first rights to the collection.

The fall out of the photos was depicted on the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown, with the Queen, played by Imelda Staunton, seen viewing the multi-page spread back home.

The stunning 208ft yacht can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms, along with 26 crew members.

It also offers a range of impressive amenities including a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space.

The yacht belonged to Dodi’s multi-millionaire father Mohamed Al-Fayed.

The billionaire former Harrods owner amassed his astonishing fortune running several high-profile business ventures and a Premier League football club prior to the announcement of his death in August 2023.

The ship was first launched in 1990, and has had a number of owners over the years.

According to Boat International, it was sold earlier this year, and although the sum hasn’t been disclosed, the asking price was €15,500,000 (£13million).

Most read in Royals

Bodies found in search for missing couple who vanished from nudist ranch

US gears up for all-out SPACE WAR with Russia and China as West warned 'be ready'

World's sexiest volleyball star Kayla Simmons stuns in barely-there bikini

Real estate mogul left $34m in debt and had $8k in bank before his death

Diana’s final month included two cruises on The Jonikal.

The holidays sparked unfounded rumours that Diana was pregnant and about to announce plans to marry Dodi.

Dodi died aged 42 in a Paris car crash with Diana 26 years ago.

The pair first met at a polo match in 1989, but they did not get together until Dodi invited the princess to stay at his father's 30-bedroom villa in St Tropez in July 1997.

Much of Dodi's fortune was spent on impressing a string of beautiful models and actresses.

The playboy was linked to Blue Lagoon actress Brooke Shields, Val Kilmer’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley, Stranger Things star Winona Ryder and Frank Sinatra’s daughter Tina.

Following the 1997 car crash that led to the couple's deaths, Mohamed attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions before ultimately parting with it in 2014.

It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who sold it just over a year later with plans to upgrade to a larger vessel.

• Celebrity relationships and break ups
• Princess Diana

Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, which made front-page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Diana was entertained on board a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, went down in 2500m (8200ft) of water.

Thursday 3 August 2023 17:00, UK

A motor yacht used by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France before they died in a Paris car crash has sunk.

The 19m (62ft) Cujo went down 21 miles (35km) off Beaulieu-sur-Mer after sending out a mayday call last Saturday.

The seven people on board the luxury vessel, which was taking on water, were rescued by teams from Antibes before it sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean at a depth of 2500m (8200ft).

They were safely returned to shore.

The area was monitored for pollution as the boat sank with 7,000 litres of diesel in its tanks.

Cujo made front page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Al-Fayed entertained Diana onboard, a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, which was finalised in August 1996.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by al Fayed's billionaire father Mohamed.

More on France

Telegram founder Pavel Durov facing charges over allowing criminal activity on messaging app

Telegram founder Pavel Durov arrested in France

Suspect arrested in French synagogue 'terror attack'

Related Topics:

• Princess Diana

It had previously been named Jonikal.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann who told the Italian Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines giving her a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and he sold her on to his cousin, al Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, a famous celebrity hangout on the French Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis.

Following the death of Diana and Al-Fayed in central Paris on 31 August 1997, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

Related Topics

Huge tributes to Princess Diana laid outside palace on 27th anniversary of her death

The death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997 sent shockwaves across the globe and left billions of people grief-stricken - but 27 years on, tributes continue to come in

• 12:18, 31 Aug 2024

It was a shocking and heartbreaking moment that sparked a national outpouring of grief, still felt by many Royal fans across the globe today.

On August 31, 1997, the tragic news broke that Princess Diana had died in a horrific car crash in a Paris underpass – after touching the lives of billions of people. 27 years on from the tragedy, tributes for the late Princess continue to pour in.

Visitors and royal fans have come to lay flowers and view photos of the 'People's Princess' this morning, which adorn gates of Kensington palace, her former residence, on the anniversary of her death. One large banner displaying a series of photos of Diana reads: "Her work continues through her loving sons Prince William and Prince Harry ."

Princess Dina was tragically killed in the crash alongside her partner Dodi Fayed. The young princes – William, then just 15, and Harry, 12 – were on holiday with their father at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the time. It was Charles who broke the gut-wrenching news to them.

"One of the hardest things for a parent to have to do is to tell your children that your other parent has died," Harry said in the BBC documentary Diana, 7 Days, to mark the 20th anniversary.

"How you deal with that? I don't know. But you know, he was there for us. He was the one out of two left, and he tried to do his best and to make sure that we were protected and looked after," Harry said. "But you know, he was going through the same grieving process as well."

William said: "I remember just feeling completely numb, disorientated, dizzy. You feel very, very confused. And you keep asking yourself, 'Why me?' All the time, 'Why? What have I done? Why? Why has this happened to us?'"

Their last interaction with their mum was a brief phone call, something that happened every evening since their parents' separation.

"I can't really, necessarily, remember what I said," Harry said in the HBO 2017 documentary Diana, Our Mother. But all I do remember is probably, you know, regretting for the rest of my life how short the phone call was. And if I'd known that was the last time I was going to speak to my mother – the things I would have said to her."

But rather than having time to process their loss, less than a week later they had to say goodbye in the most public of funerals.

An estimated 2.5 billion people globally watched as William and Harry walked, heads bowed, behind her cortege. Walking with them were Charles, Diana's brother Earl Spencer and Prince Philip . "I'll walk if you walk," Philip had promised his grieving grandsons.

Harry reflected on that day. "My mother had just died and I had to walk a long way behind her coffin, surrounded by thousands watching me while millions more did on television. I don't think any child should be asked to do that, under any circumstances. I don't think it would happen today."

William said: "There's nothing like it in the world . There really isn't. It's like an earthquake has just run through the house and through your life and everything. Your mind is completely split. And it took me a while for it to actually sink in."

The young boys were in shock and despite the Palace's best efforts to get them to open up, it was tough. "Being so small at that age, it was very difficult to communicate or understand your ­feelings," said William. "I was very touched by it, but none of it sank in... In order not to break down we have to put on a game face,."

Harry admitted it was confusing to see the love and emotion from so many who had never met his mother. He says the first time he cried was when his mother was buried at her family home, the Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire. Her final resting place was on a small island in the Oval Lake – where her family could grieve and have the People's Princess, finally, to themselves.

MORE ON Labour Party BBC Earl Spencer Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Princess Diana Tony Blair Documentaries Funerals Grieving Love Royal Family Car crashes Politics

Get our daily royal round-up direct to your inbox.

Traurig! Die letzten Bilder von Lady Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed vor ihrem Tod

Lady Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed

Wer war der Mann, der die „Prinzessin der Herzen“ nach ihrer gescheiterten Ehe glücklich machte? Wie lernten sie sich kennen? Wie lange waren sie zusammen, bevor ihnen der tragische Autounfall das Leben kostete? Wir beantworten euch genau diese Fragen und zeigen die letzten gemeinsamen Bilder von Lady Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed.

Traueraltar Lady Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed

Imad El-Din Mohammed Abdel Moneim Fayed oder kurz Dodi Al-Fayed, wurde 1955 in Alexandria, Ägypten, geboren. Er war der älteste Sohn des Geschäftsmanns Mohamed Al-Fayed, der nicht nur der Besitzer des berühmten Kaufhauses Harrods im Vereinigten Königreich war, sondern auch von vielen weiteren erfolgreichen Unternehmen.

Dodi Al-Fayed im Jahr 1987

Dodi Al-Fayed wuchs umgeben von Luxus auf und genoss die exklusivste Ausbildung in ganz Europa, einschließlich der renommierten Militärakademie Sandhurst, die auch Prinz Harry und Prinz William besuchten.

Dodi Al-Fayed und Cathy Lee Crosby

Dodi Al-Fayed begann schon früh, seinem Ruf alle Ehre zu machen und verbrachte als Teenager viel Zeit in der Londoner Nachtszene. Die Medien nannten ihn den „Don Juan Millionär“, der sich neben seinem Partyleben auch eine Karriere als Filmproduzent aufbaute.

Dodi Al-Fayed im Jahr 1997

Angeblich lernten sich Dodi Al-Fayed und Lady Diana schon kennen, als sie noch mit Prinz Charles verheiratet war. Bei einem Polospiel, bei dem Charles und Dodi in gegnerischen Mannschaften spielten, trafen die beiden wohl das erste Mal aufeinander. Gefunkt hatte es allerdings erst 1997, als nicht nur die Ehe mit Prinz Charles gescheitert war, sondern auch Dianas folgende Beziehung mit dem Chirurgen Hasnat Khan.

Statue von Dodi Al-Fayed

Obwohl wir nie mit Sicherheit wissen werden, welche Gefühle Diana für den erfolgreichen Produzenten hegte, wurde bekannt, dass Dodi Fayed ernsthafte Absichten hatte. Er wollte der „Prinzessin der Herzen“ einen Heiratsantrag machen. In der Öffentlichkeit wurden die Absichten dieser jungen Liebe kritisch begutachtet. Sogar Politiker mischten sich in die Angelegenheit ein. So gab Premierminister Tony Blair in seiner Autobiografie zu, dass er Bedenken über die Beziehung von Diana und Dodi hatte.

Prinzessin Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed im Urlaub

Viele glauben bis heute, dass Prinzessin Diana ihre Beziehung mit Dodi Al-Fayed begann, um über ihren Liebeskummer nach ihrer gescheiterten Beziehung mit dem berühmten Chirurgen Hasnat Khan hinwegzukommen. Diana und Hasnat waren von 1995 bis 1997 ein Liebespaar.

Prinzessin Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed auf einer Yacht

Als die ersten Bilder von Lady Diana mit Dodi Al-Fayed auftauchten, war das Paar bereits seit einigen Monaten zusammen. Weil die Medien überrascht waren, taten sie fortan ihr Bestes, um das Paar zu verfolgen und alles Mögliche über das Verhältnis der beiden zu dokumentieren.

Prinzessin Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed

Am Abend des 30. August 1997 wurde das Paar bei einem Abendessen im luxuriösen Hotel Ritz in Paris gesehen, das Dodis Vater gehörte. Während dieser Frankreich-Reise sollen sich die beiden verlobt haben, wie Mohamed Al-Fayed nach dem tragischen Unfall preisgab.

Prinzessin Diana im Jahr 1997

Prinzessin Diana, ihre Leibwächter und Dodi Al-Fayed waren nach dem Abendessen in der Nacht des 31. Augusts auf dem Weg zu Dodis Wohnung, als ihr Auto von Paparazzi verfolgt wurde. Das Auto geriet außer Kontrolle, was zum Tod von Prinzessin Diana, Dodi Al-Fayed und dem Fahrer Henri Paul führte.

Nach der gescheiterten Ehe mit Prinz Charles konnte Prinzessin Diana ihr Leben so leben, wie sie es immer wollte. Die „Prinzessin der Herzen“ stand dabei allerdings ständig unter Beobachtung der Öffentlichkeit. Auch ihre Beziehung nach Prinz Charles war ein gefundenes Fressen für die Presse.

Wer war Prinzessin Dianas letzter Partner?

Der letzte Liebespartner von Prinzessin Diana war ebenfalls ein bekannter Mann des öffentlichen Lebens. Dodi Al-Fayed war Milliardenerbe und berühmter Filmproduzent. Den Medien war er als Frauenheld bekannt, der sich gerne in der Gegenwart attraktiver Frauen aufhielt. Kein Wunder, dass sich die Presse überschlug, als die Beziehung von Prinzessin Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed bekannt wurde.

Lady Diana und Dodi Al-Fayed wurden mehrfach bei gemeinsamen Urlauben in Südfrankreich und Italien fotografiert. Die Urlaubsbilder, auf denen das junge Paar zusammen entspannte, gingen durch die Medien.

Doch wer war der Mann, der die „Prinzessin der Herzen“ nach ihrer gescheiterten Ehe glücklich machte? Wie lernten sie sich kennen? Wie lange waren sie zusammen, bevor ihnen der tragische Autounfall das Leben kostete ? Wir beantworten euch genau diese Fragen und zeigen die letzten Bilder des Liebespaares.

• Britisches Königshaus
• Internationale Stars

• Updated Terms of Use
• New Privacy Policy
• Your Privacy Choices
• Closed Caption Policy
• Accessibility Statement

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions . Legal Statement . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper .

King Charles felt ‘unbearable emptiness’ after Princess Diana’s death

The princess of wales, 36, was killed on aug 31, 1997 in paris.

King Charles, Princess Diana’s marriage was so explosive that violence seemed inevitable, bodyguard alleges

Christopher Andersen, author of "The King," spoke to Fox News Digital about his shocking biography of Queen Elizabeth II's eldest son and his tumultuous marriage to Princess Diana.

King Charles was "shattered" when he learned that his ex-wife, Princess Diana, had died in a car accident.

The glamorous Princess of Wales passed away on Aug. 31, 1997. At the time, the 36-year-old was being chased by paparazzi in Paris. Her companion, Dodi Fayed, and their chauffeur, Henri Paul, also perished in the crash.

"When he was first told over the phone that Diana had died, Charles, according to an eyewitness, "howled like a wounded animal,’’ Christopher Andersen, author of "The Day Diana Died," told Fox News Digital.

KING CHARLES, PRINCESS DIANA 'IN MORTAL COMBAT' OVER CAMILLA BEFORE DEVELOPING 'LASTING AFFECTION': AUTHOR

The former Prince Charles was "shattered" over the news of Princess Diana's tragic death, author Christopher Andersen told Fox News Digital. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

"Later, after he rushed from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to Paris to bring her back to England, Charles nearly passed out when he first viewed her body," he shared. "A nurse who was standing in the room told me he reeled back and looked as if he had been ‘struck by an unseen force.’ Considering how epic their marital battles had been, people were surprised at Charles’ reaction. He was devastated by Diana’s death , perhaps to a degree that surprised even him." "Charles was shattered," Andersen added.

Christopher Andersen's book, "The Day Diana Died," is available in bookstores. (Blake Publishing)

Andersen’s statements came shortly after a letter written by the former Prince Charles to his friend was sold at auction for $2,000. In it, Charles detailed the "unbearable emptiness" he felt four months after Diana’s death, the U.K.’s DailyMail reported.

"When he was first told over the phone that Diana had died, Charles, according to an eyewitness, ‘howled like a wounded animal.'" — Christopher Andersen, author of "The Day Diana Died."

In a letter that recently sold at auction, King Charles wrote about the "unbearable emptiness" he felt four months after Princess Diana's death. (Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images)

Andersen noted that in Diana’s final months, the exes finally put aside their differences for the sake of their sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

"In the months before Diana’s death, she and Charles decided to put their bitterness behind them and become, in her words, ‘very best friends,’" Andersen explained. "A close confidant of Diana’s told me that ‘her love for Charles never really died.’ Diana even grudgingly admitted that the love and devotion Charles and [his mistress] Camilla had was something to be admired."

During the final months of Princess Diana's life, she developed a warm friendship with her ex-husband for the sake of their two sons. (Getty Images)

"Charles and Diana wrote, surprisingly, affectionate notes to each other," said Andersen. "On the eve of Diana’s death, Charles dashed one off to her that began ‘My dearest Diana’ and ended with ‘Lots of love, Charles.’"

She never received it.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in 1997. She was 36. Her companion Dodi Fayed and chauffeur Henri Paul also died. (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Behind palace doors, Charles was "swept up in a whirlwind of emotion" after learning what happened to Diana.

"The mother of his two young sons had been killed in a horrific car crash," said Andersen. "She also happened to be the most idolized woman in the world. Charles had to battle his mother, the queen, and the entire establishment of the monarchy to ensure that Diana was given the kind of funeral she deserved."

Diana received a ceremonial funeral that was attended by 2,000 people. It was watched by over 2 billion people worldwide.  

From left to right, Prince William, Prince Harry and the former Prince Charles stand outside Westminster Abbey at the funeral of Diana, the Princess of Wales, on Sept. 6, 1997. (Anwar Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

As Charles grieved, Diana’s rival Camilla Parker Bowles became "the target of death threats."

"She had to go into hiding until things calmed down," said Andersen. "[And] as loving a father as Charles – and even though he was heartbroken over Diana’s tragic death – he took the time-honored stiff upper lip approach. Diana’s boys were never given grief counseling of any kind. William and Harry were famously forced to walk behind their mother’s coffin through the streets of London teeming with a million weeping spectators – what their uncle Earl Spencer later described as ‘a tunnel of grief.’"

"Both William and Harry have never fully come to terms with their mother’s death," Andersen shared. "And in a sense, they have yet to emerge from that tunnel of grief."

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

Christopher Andersen said Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince Charles' mistress, went into hiding after receiving death threats following Princess Diana's passing. (Mathieu Polak/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)

After Diana was laid to rest, Charles would still be haunted by the memories – and legacy -of his ex-wife.

"It seemed to Charles that now he would never be able to marry his longtime mistress," said Andersen. "At every turn, it seemed that Charles was thwarted by the memory of Diana. After Diana’s death, it took eight years for Charles to convince Queen Elizabeth II to allow him to marry Camilla – and then only after he promised that Camilla would never be known as queen. In the minds of millions, this was the title that rightfully would have gone to Diana had Camilla not wrecked Diana’s marriage to Charles."

"Of course, Charles broke that promise… and crowned Camilla queen," said Andersen.

King Charles and Queen Camilla were crowned on May 6, 2023, in London. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Charles ascended to the throne upon the death of his mother. England’s longest-reigning monarch died in 2022 at age 96. Charles and Camilla married in 2005 and were crowned in May 2023.

"Charles may have confessed to feelings of ‘unbearable emptiness’ four months after Diana’s death, but it wasn’t that long before he began to resent the persistent shadow she cast over everything he did," Andersen claimed. "After a quarter-century, Charles and Camilla still must endure comparison with the incomparable Princess Diana."

Today, the king is battling an undisclosed form of cancer. Andersen claimed that his illness had put the 75-year-old "in a reflective mood."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

King Charles is battling an undisclosed form of cancer. (Jonathan Brady - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

"I’m sure his memories of Diana – both the positive and the negative – are always there, lurking in the background," said Andersen. "She was a larger-than-life figure who grew even larger in death. King Charles spent years shadowboxing with the ghost of Diana."

Andersen previously told Fox News Digital it is likely that Charles has had regrets about his marriage to Diana over the years.

WATCH: KING CHARLES, PRINCESS DIANA’S MARRIAGE WAS SO EXPLOSIVE THAT VIOLENCE SEEMED INEVITABLE, BODYGUARD ALLEGES

"To understand just how heartbreaking Diana's marriage to Charles was, you have to go back to the beginning," Andersen explained. "Just as Kate Middleton and millions of other girls put pinups of William and their bedroom walls and dreamed of marrying the handsome prince, Diana and her generation fantasized about marrying [the former] Prince Charles. Diana was only 19 when she got engaged to Charles, and even then it was pretty clear that she was in love with him, but that he was still in love with Camilla.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer pose for photographers at Buckingham Palace after the announcement of their engagement. (© Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)

"During the TV interview right after the engagement, Charles uttered his famous ‘whatever in love means’ when asked if he loved Diana. Diana, on the other hand, didn't hesitate to say she loved him. There may have been moments when Charles wrote tender words to his Diana, but their marriage was pretty much a nightmare for both from day one."

"There was one brief time during Diana's second pregnancy when they became truly close," Andersen continued. "Diana would say it was the closest they had ever been or ever would be – but that all blew up as soon as Harry was born. Charles, who had hoped for a girl, blurted out ‘Oh, God, it's a boy. And he even has red hair.’ Diana said ‘at that moment something inside me closed off.’

Prince Charles and Princess Diana married in 1981. Their divorce was finalized in 1996. (Getty Images)

"Charles undoubtedly regrets that he ever allowed himself to be bullied by his father Prince Philip into marrying Diana – although that would, of course, have meant that William and Harry never would have existed. The sad truth is, Camilla was the love of Charles' life all along, and Diana knew it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com.

Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck call it quits; Justin Timberlake's DWI: Inside the biggest scandals of the summer

'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' star Winona Ryder reveals what 'soured' her on making movies

Maren Morris' infant son received 'scary' death threats after the musician called out Morgan Wallen

Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's ketamine overdose remains free on bond, cannot practice medicine

Angelina Jolie can't wait until she's 'able to leave' Los Angeles

Fox News Entertainment

Get a daily look at the top news in music, movies, television and more in the entertainment industry.

By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use , and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.

You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!

Diana, a princesa. O perfil que a VISÃO publicou 10 dias antes da sua morte

Dizia um ilustre compatriota de Lady Di, William Shakespeare de sua graça, que a vida era um palco. A ser verdade, ela tem conseguido sempre o papel de vedeta. Só na tenra idade, Diana Frances Spencer, 36 anos, filha mais nova do conde de Spencer, terá passado despercebida e mesmo assim não há a certeza.

Já viveu diversas vidas e ainda está no esplendor da beleza, sorrisos ora ternos ora matreiros, capaz de dissimular, intrigar, amar – ou levar a efeito uma espécie de vingança interminável contra os Windsor, particularmente em relação à ex-sogra, a rainha Isabel II, alegada patrocinadora do estrepitoso divórcio de Diana e do príncipe herdeiro, Carlos, 48 anos, em 1996.

Privada do tratamento de alteza real, o que a obrigaria a fazer vénias ao filho mais velho, William, 15 anos, futuro rei de Inglaterra, a princesa de Gales tem feito tudo, nos últimos dois anos, para ser levada a sério – e o mais falada possível nos media internacionais. É por isso que se compreende mal que a recente descoberta do seu romance com o multimilionário Dodi Al-Fayed possa ser obra apenas dos atrevidos paparazzi, que a seguem para toda a pa rte. Qual quê! Uma raposa daquelas só se deixa apanhar se quiser – e ainda por cima num bem-bom de beijos e abraços sob o sol do Mediterrâneo, a bordo do Jonikal, um dos iates apalaçados do pai do mocinho. Mas se assim é, irá mesmo embarcar numa de Jackie Onassis, trocar a ribalta por privacidade, sossego e segurança material?

VISÃO Plus

Mas alguém a imagina semi-reclusa, sem nos poder brindar do televisor mais próximo com um daqueles sorrisos amalandrados?

Depois da sua atribulada separação do príncipe de Gales, em 1992, até ao posterior divórcio em 1996, Lady Di passou por fases que a deram como a mais virtuosa das criaturas (é não saber observar-lhe os olhinhos!), capaz de aturar um herdeiro do trono sensaborão e infiel, até à figura menos favorável da adúltera confessa, ex-amante de um capitão da cavalaria real Games Hewitt), mais conhecido pelo Ratazana, por ser aquilo que na ébria Inglaterra se costuma chamar um infame kiss and tell .

Numa recuperação sensacional, Diana, que chegou a andar com ar abatido de mosquinha morta, foi vindo ao de cima com as saias a subir e os decotes a baixar, mais roliça, mais desejável do que nunca, enquanto o ex-marido se ia divertindo assumidamente com a cinquentona Camilla Parker Bowles, a mulher da sua vida já devidamente divorciada do brigadeiro do mesmo apelido, por sinal também da cavalaria da Guarda Real, certamente habituado com o passar dos anos a desco rir inconveniências até no relinchar das montadas.

LEILÃO DE VESTIDOS

O primeiro grande passo para a construção de uma nova personagem, impossível de impor sem o auxilio dos media, passou por a princesa abraçar uma causa menos explorada que a da sida, por exemplo, até então uma das suas predilectas. Escolher o ataque às minas antipessoal, que fazem todos os anos incontáveis vítimas inocentes, mostrou-se uma boa aposta, tanto mais que tinha de se deslocar a zonas pe rigosas do Globo, marcando assim a diferença entre ela e as senhoras de bem-fazer que só transpiram a assinar cheques.

Não se quer dizer com isto que Diana seja apenas uma actriz que tira partido destas cruzadas, de forma alguma, há calor humano na antiga professora da pré-primária da selecta escola Young England de Pimlico. A sua deslocação a Angola em Janeiro passado, dispensando muito mais atenção às vítimas das minas, sobretudo às crianças, do que às autoridades locais, constituiu um verdadeiro e merecido sucesso. E nisso – honra lhe seja feita – foi grandemente ajudada pelo governo conservador de então, chefiado por John Major, que pôs o seu ministro da Defesa a criticar a alegada ingenuidade da princesa de Gales.

Liberta dos compromissos de esposa do futuro rei – e podendo, portanto, exprimir opiniões -, Diana fez frente às críticas que mais não pretendiam do que esconder o facto de o Reino Unido ser um dos principais fabricantes e vendedores de armamento a nível mundial, lucrando com o impudente negócio da morte. O segundo grande acto do relançamento de Lady Di no corrente ano, engendrado pelo seu génio para o marketing, foi o leilão em Nova Iorque de 79 dos seus mais belos vestidos de baile e cocktail, usados entre 1981 e 1996, algo visto como um símbolo do seu corte com o passado de futura rainha de Inglaterra.

Confidenciou que a ideia de deixar a Christie’s leiloar os reais trapos, em 25 de Junho passado, partira do filho mais velho, destinou os chorudos proventos da almoeda a instituições de caridade americanas e britânicas relacionadas com o cancro e a sida – e acedeu amavelmente a deixar-se fotografar, esplêndida, uma última vez, com algumas das fatiotas que ficarão pelo menos na chamada pequena história. Como aquele vestido azul-escuro, idealizado por Victor Edelstein, que ela usou na Casa Branca em 1985, quando rodopiou nos braços seguros de John Travolta.

O AMIGO AL—FAMED

Quando, em 29 de Julho de 1981, Diana Spencer e Carlos de Inglaterra se casaram em Londres, na catedral de São Paulo, num dos maiores acontecimentos mediáticos do século XX, a princesa virgem tornava-se protagonista de um conto de fadas que parecia saído de um livro da mãe da segunda mulher do conde Spencer, a engraçadíssima Barbara Cartland, quase centenária e autora dos romances cor-de-rosa mais vendidos no mundo. Hoje dificilmente Di entraria num book da prolífera escritora. Com o correr do tempo e as partidas do destino, a princesa foi conhecendo gente de diversos círculos sociais e reatando com pessoas que a sua condição anterior aconselharia que evitasse. Estará certamente neste último caso o poderoso magnata egípcio Mohamed Al-Fayed, 64anos, dono dos famosos armazéns Harrods de Londres, do parisiense Hotel Ritz e da mansão do bosque de Bolonha onde viveram os desaparecidos duques de Windsor.

Diz-se que o multimilionário foi amigo durante alguns anos do falecido conde Spencer e que datará dessa época o seu interesse pelo bem-estar da princesa, adiantando alegados especialistas nestas matérias que o aristocrata pediu a Al-Fayed que, depois da sua morte, ele lhe olhasse pela filha. O dono do Harrods é muito malvisto em certos círculos da Grã-Bretanha, onde são postos em causa os métodos pouco ortodoxos através dos quais terá conseguido a sua imensa fortuna e também os famosos armazéns, adquiridos em 1985. Os seus rendimentos têm sido objecto de inquéritos (calcula-se que possua bens na ordem dos 500 milhões de contos) e continua a comprar coisas, figurando entre as suas mais recentes aquisições um clube de futebol, o Fulham, da segunda divisão inglesa.

SOBRINHO DE KHASHOGGI

Mohamed Al-Fayed viu ser-lhe negado por duas vezes o passaporte britânico (anseia por tornar-se súbdito de Sua Majestade) e o Partido Conservador deve-lhe em boa medida a derrota nas últimas eleições. Diz-se que o nababo defendia – e porventura lá saberia porquê – que comprar deputados era tarefa mais fácil do que arranjar táxi em hora de ponta londrina. Que se saiba adquiriu dois, que encarregava de fazer as perguntas que queria na Câmara dos Comuns, mas consta que outras personalidades do mundo da política não desdenhavam a sua hospitalidade interesseira, passando boas temporadas à borla no luxuoso Ritz de Paris.

Foi precisamente desta personagem que a princesa de Gales aceitou o convite para passar alguns dias na casa de férias da família Al-Fayed em Saint-Tropez e num dos seus magníficos iates, o Sakara. Acompanhada pelos filhos William e Henry (12 anos), Diana deixou-se fotografar pelos paparazzi em sugestivos fatos de banho exclusivos do Harrods, mostrando a sua beleza descontraída ao lado de Mohamed, mas também do filho deste, Dodi, 41 anos, playboy divorciado, produtor de cinema e também (claro!) multimilionário. A mulher do magnata egípcio e mãe do rebento era a falecida Samira Khashoggi, irmã do famoso Adnan Khashoggi, um dos homens mais ricos do mundo, figura de peso no Médio Oriente, grande comerciante de armas.

Se as férias mediterrânicas da princesa e dos filhos nada tiveram aparentemente de especial (Diana conhecera Dodi há dez anos num jogo de pólo em Windsor), para além da visível boa disposição de todos os intervenientes, fotograficamente documentada, há a dizer que coincidiram com a festa de aniversário que Carlos decidiu dar ao grande amor da sua vida, Camilla Parker Bowles, que completava meio século. Ver o príncipe de Gales assumir de forma tão pública a amante deve ter irritado a ex-mulher, que declarou aos jornalistas ter uma grande surpresa na forja. Tinha mesmo.

De acordo com elucidativas fotografias que deram várias vezes a volta ao mundo, Lady Di passou umas segundas férias secretas a bordo de um outro iate de Mohamed Al-Fayed, o Jonikal, mas desta vez somente acompanhada pelo filho. É de estranhar bastante que uma personalidade sempre tão perseguida pelos paparazzi não soubesse que corria o risco de ser captada em cenas reveladoras de patente intimidade. Depois de alguns dias a navegar ao largo das costas da Córsega e da Sardenha com o multimilionário, Diana rumou para a Bósnia-Herzegovina, para mais uma etapa da sua campanha contra as minas anti-pessoal, chegando a Sarajevo a bordo de um jacto pertencente a outra figura muito problemática, o especulador financeiro de origem húngara George Soros. A todos a princesa encantou com o seu sorriso e manifestações de interesse, ficando na retina a imagem do seu longo abraço à muçulmana Elvira Tadic, 57 anos, junto à sepultura do filho desta, Dragan, falecido há três anos. De regresso ao seu palácio de Kensington, a mãe do futuro rei de Inglaterra apercebia- -se do rebuliço provocado pelas suas fotos com Dodi, presentes em todos os tablóides britânicos, que se faziam eco das mais diversas reacções e publicavam algumas notícias delirantes. O mais interessante, no entanto, foi a divulgação da biografia correcta e aumentada do suposto noivo da princesa (ela apressou-se a desmentir quaisquer projectos de futuro casamento).

AS PROEZAS DE DODI

Há uma coisa em Dodi Al-Fayed que causa simpatia: nunca pretendeu adquirir a cidadania inglesa. Nascido no Egipto, possui essa nacionalidade e a dos Emirados Árabes Unidos. Educado na Suíça, passou (brevemente) pela britânica Sandhurst, uma das mais famosas academias militares do mundo. Durante algum tempo oficial das forças de defesa dos Emirados, Dodi cedo se interessou pela produção cinematográfica, passando a viver a maior pa rte do ano em Los Angeles (teve de abandonar o seu filme mais recente, Zorro, para poder estar com Lady Di). Foi um dos produtores de Carros de Fogo, um filme inglês premiado com um Oscar, ao mesmo tempo que o pai o obrigava a trabalhar nas diversas secções do Harrods.

Fundou mais tarde a sua companhia, a Allied Stars, que esteve envolvida na produção de películas como Capitão Gancho, de Steven Spielberg, com Robin Williams e Dustin Hoffman. Dodi tem a mania dos automóveis, figurando na sua “colecção” dois Ferraris e um Rolls-Royce de 1928. Dispõe de um helicóptero Sikorsky e de um jacto de executivo. Possui um castelo na Escócia e residências em Genebra, Nova Iorque, Beverly Hills, Dubai e Génova. Caso precise, pode sempre também utilizar as da família, como a de Saint-Tropez ou a imponente mansão de Park Lane, em Londres.

A faceta mais conhecida de Dodi reside, porém, no seu gosto militante por mulheres bonitas, que colecciona a um ritmo definido por um amigo como de uma por semana. Em 1981, saía muito com Tanya Roberts, que entrava na série televisiva Os Anjos de Charlie. Outra namorada famosa (o rapaz gosta de dar nas vistas) foi Brooke Shields, que um dia lhe perguntou se no Harrods tinham muitos perfumes. Para demonstrar que estavam bem fornecidos, Dodi mandou-lhe 150 frascos todos diferentes. O multimilionário também deu umas voltas com a actriz de soft-core Koo Stark, hoje fotógrafa e outrora amiga íntima do príncipe André, ex-marido de Sarah Ferguson, duquesa de York. Em 1983, esteve noivo de uma herdeira iraniana, Linda Atterzaedh, mas só em 1987 viria a contrair matrimónio com a modelo americana de origem dinamarquesa Suzanne Gregard, actualmente com 37 anos. O casamento foi um impulso mais ou menos tonto – conta um amigo – surgido numa estância de ski do Colorado e o divórcio ocorreu oito meses mais tarde. Consta que a brincadeira custou a Dodi a módica quantia de meio milhão de contos e a beldade ainda quis um Rolls-Royce novo e não abriu mão das jóias, que aos Al-Fayed não se faz desconto! (O playboy afirmou, na altura, que nunca mais daria outro nó).

Fala-se também das amizades de Dodi com Britt Ekland (o rapaz não despreza a velha guarda), Valerie Perrine e Tina Sinatra. O seu nome já surgiu associado à princesa Stéphanie do Mónaco e, pouco tempo atrás, davam-no como particularmente encantado por Wynona Ryder. Actrizes, modelos e outras sílfides com foto omnipresente nas revistas do coracão têm sido presa fácil do herdeiro AI-Fayed, descrito como possuidor de boa apresentação, excelentes maneiras e um olhar de cão que perdeu o dono ao qual as mulheres resistem dificilmente – assegura um amigo dele. É claro que ter um livro de cheques com chapéu alto e mais páginas que dois volumes da Enciclopédia Britânica também ajudará o seu pedacinho.

Casar com Diana seria o culminar de uma carreira recheada de êxitos para este playboy muçulmano, capaz de proporcionar à princesa de Gales uma vida de autêntica rainha, enquanto Camilla parece condenada a viver a contar os pennies. Que vingança de Lady Di contra os soberbos Windsor! Para o pai Mohamed, entretanto, ser avô putativo do futuro rei de Inglaterra vale certamente bem mais do que ter um passaporte com o escudo do leão e do unicórnio. Atenção às cenas dos próximos capítulos.

(Artigo publicado na VISÃO nº 231 de 21 de agosto de 1997, com a ortografia antiga)

Para saber mais

• O mito e a tragédia: O artigo escrito a quente no rescaldo da morte da princesa Diana
• “Não me lembro do que disse, mas provavelmente lamentarei para o resto da vida o quão breve foi essa chamada”

Palavras-chave:

CAPA DA EDIÇÃO

Edição 1643

Mais vistos, como vai estar o tempo no outono: as primeiras previsões para o último trimestre do ano, cientistas criam bateria de fluxo que mantém 99,95% da capacidade após 850 ciclos de carga, “o evento de hoje é um evento relativamente insignificante”, refere especialista em sismo-tectónica, queda de helicóptero: quatro corpos encontrados. as buscas recomeçam amanhã, e que tal pôr rodas aos professores, pixel 9 em análise: tem o melhor da google e ainda poupa até €300, camisas com padrões: a irreverência de um clássico, madeira: albuquerque vai renascer das cinzas, imobiliário: as 10 casas de luxo mais caras à venda em portugal, onkalo: um ‘cemitério’ a 400 metros de profundidade para resíduos nucleares, mais na visão.

Fomos conhecer o Xiaomi SU7, o primeiro carro elétrico da gigante chinesa

Queda de helicóptero: Buscas por militar da GNR desaparecido no Douro retomadas

Da árvore ao chocolate: Uma viagem ao mundo do cacau

Queda de helicóptero: Governo decreta luto nacional

Recorde a reportagem da VISÃO em Timor aquando do referendo

ESG Talks chegam a Leiria para falar de Plásticos, Moldes e Cerâmica

Timor: as pressões de Guterres, o debate de Sampaio e os portugueses de branco. Como Clinton foi convencido a encostar a Indonésia à parede

Assalto ao MAI: os riscos, as falhas, as vítimas

25 anos do referendo de Timor-Leste: recorde as imagens que marcaram o início da liberdade

Oasis homenageados com mural em Manchester após anunciarem regresso da banda

Riberalves: Um novo capítulo no negócio do bacalhau

Mais notícias.

Catarina Furtado revela os motivos para o divórcio de João Reis: "Foi inevitável"

Isa Toledo e Keli Freitas - onda de talento vinda do Brasil

E-goi é distinguida com Estatuto INOVADORA COTEC 2024

Exame 483 – agosto de 2024

As aves urbanas podem ser portadoras de bactérias resistentes a antibióticos, sugere novo estudo

Mpox: Casos registados em Portugal não são da nova variante mais perigosa

Nova versão do sistema operativo da QNAP é capaz de evitar ciberataques

BMW i5 eDrive 40 em teste: Quem sabe, sabe!

“O Senhor dos Anéis: Os Anéis do Poder”: A vez dos vilões

Riberalves altera projeto da Praia dos Moinhos para reduzir impacto ambiental

Um viva aos curiosos! David Fonseca na capa da PRIMA

Paris: entre o respeito pelo passado clássico e a modernidade

Iúri Leitão de prata em Paris e com enorme lição de desportivismo

Transição Energética: evitar tropeços na rede elétrica

Hackers ligados à Rússia estão a explorar falhas informáticas iguais às de vendedores de spyware

Fomos à China conhecer o Xiaomi Mix Flip

VISÃO Júnior de julho de 2024

Princesa Leonor ingressa na Escola Naval da Marinha

Em “A Promessa”: Verónica abdica da fortuna de Miguel antes do casamento

Mpox: identificado primeiro caso da nova variante na Europa

O divertido depoimento de Luísa Sobral sobre as férias com os filhos

Estes são os óculos de sol que lhe vão ficar bem

Sesimbra Oceanfront Hotel: Vista para o infinito azul

Nova edição da CARAS Decoração: retiros inspiradores no campo e na cidade

Quis Saber Quem Sou: Será que "ainda somos os mesmos e vivemos como os nossos pais?"

Em “A Promessa”: António perdoa Nuno e paga-lhe a dívida

Escapadinha a Amarante para celebrar o final do verão

Vencedores e vencidos do 25 de Abril na VISÃO História

Sede da PIDE, o último bastião do Estado Novo

VISÃO Júnior: Explorar a natureza com Dinis, o 'minibiólogo'

Angelina Jolie deslumbra na passadeira vermelha de Veneza

VOLT Live: especial Carrega Aqui, o novo Dacia Spring, o EcoRally Proença

Ana Markl: 'Gostava de ter uma banda'

Máxima recupera impactante vestido de renda

De Zeca Afonso a Adriano Correia de Oliveira. O papel da música de intervenção na revolução de 1974

Ambiente: Como o clima nos põe doentes

Portugal faz bem: a expressão material da marca So-So

O "primeiro verão a quatro" de Dânia Neto

Saudades do Brasil em Portugal

No último dia da visita, Meghan homenageia a moda colombiana

Pigmentarium: perfumaria de nicho inspirada na herança cultural da República Checa

7 concertos a não perder no MEO Kalorama

Tin brand studio.

Um oásis no exterior da sua casa: mobiliário e dicas para desfrutar melhor da vida ao ar livre

LEROY MERLIN dá mais vida e conforto ao Arraial Santos no Tejo

FEP lança três novos mestrados executivos: banca, finanças e retalho

Parceria tin/público.

A Trust in News e o Público estabeleceram uma parceria para partilha de conteúdos informativos nos respetivos sites

US Open: Van de Zandschulp venceu Alcaraz em todos os departamentos

PS dramatiza, Chega de fora: Governo mais isolado no OE2025

Ataque com faca em autocarro faz cinco feridos na Alemanha

• Leggi il quotidiano
• Basso Piemonte
• Cultura e Spettacoli
• Tutto Genoa
• Tutto Spezia
• The Meditelegraph
• Green&Blue
• Moda & Beauty
• Aste e Appalti
• Il SecoloXIX
• La Provincia Pavese
• La Sentinella del Canavese
• Acqui Terme
• Albisola Superiore
• Alessandria
• Cairo Montenotte
• Casale Monferrato
• Finale Ligure
• Novi Ligure
• Santo Stefano Di Magra
• Sestri Levante
• Ventimiglia

31 agosto 1997: l’anniversario. L’ultima estate di lady Diana

Nel giorno in cui tutto il mondo ricorda la “principessa del popolo” ripercorriamo le tappe della sua ultima estate. Quella che aveva visto Diana invaghirsi di Dodi Al Fayed dopo aver detto definitivamente addio al suo vero grande amore

Abbonati per leggere anche

Leggi anche.

Rania di Giordania, una “nonna in blu jeans”. La regina compie 54 anni e viene eletta nonna più glamour del mondo

Kate Middleton a messa a Balmoral: è la terza apparizione pubblica dopo la diagnosi di cancro

Dalla Costa Azzurra alla Norvegia, gli hotel di lusso amati dai reali di ieri e di oggi

• News people

Lady Diana : ce nid d'amour en plein cœur du bois de Boulogne dans lequel elle aurait pu habiter avec Dodi Al-Fayed

Avant son brutal décès le 31 août 1997, la princesse Lady Diana aurait visité la sublime villa Windsor aux côtés de son compagnon de l’époque Dodi Al-Fayed. Un nid d’amour dans lequel tous deux auraient pu habiter.

C’est un drame qui a choqué le monde entier et qui bouleverse encore aujourd’hui un très grand nombre de fans de la famille royale britannique : le 31 août 1997 à Paris, aux côtés de son compagnon de l’époque Dodi Al-Fayed , la princesse Lady Diana décédait des suites de ses blessures, après un terrible accident de voiture .

Aujourd’hui, et alors que sera célébré le 27 anniversaire de sa disparition le 31 août 2024, il est intéressant de se pencher sur cette demeure en plein cœur du bois de Boulogne qu’elle a visité quelques jours seulement avant son décès. Une sublime propriété nommée la villa Windsor , qui a accueilli tout au long des époques de très nombreuses personnalités comme Charles de Gaulle, mais aussi Edouard VIII, l’oncle d’ Elizabeth II , et sa femme Wallis Simpson.

Lady Diana : ce nid d'amour en plein cœur du bois de Boulogne dans laquelle elle aurait pu habiter avec Dodi Al-Fayed

Après leur décès, l'homme d’affaires égyptien, Mohamed Al-Fayed , décide de racheter la demeure. Il signe alors un bail de 50 ans avec la mairie de Paris, pour la jolie somme d ’un million de francs ( 230 478 euros)  à l’époque. C’est lui qui donne par la suite le nom de Villa Windsor, et remet la villa en état. Et lorsque son fils Dodi Al-Fayed devient le compagnon de lady Diana, il rêve d’y installer les deux amoureux.

Selon les rumeurs d’ailleurs, la mère des princes William et Harry aurait même visité la demeure, avec l’intention de s’y installer et d’y commencer une vie avec Dodi. Une théorie qui ne sera malheureusement jamais vérifiée , car la jeune femme et son compagnon décèdent tragiquement dans un accident de voiture quelques jours plus tard sous le pont de l’Alma. Selon certains, elle comptait d’ailleurs, ce soir-là, retourner à la villa Windsor pour y passer la nuit.

La villa Windsor : un pied-à-terre pour Lady Diana sur Paris ?

Pourquoi diable Lady Diana se sera-t-elle intéressée à cette demeure avec Dodi Al-Fayed ? La réponse est simple : cela lui aurait fait un pied-à-terre à Paris dans lequel elle aurait pu profiter en toute tranquillité de son idylle avec le fils de Mohamed Al-Fayed. Dans lequel elle aurait pu également, sans être harcelée par les paparazzis, profiter de ses garçons. La villa Windsor possède en effet, selon AD Magazine “un vaste terrain de 10 978 m² dans le bois de Boulogne” .

Son “ style géorgien édifié par l’architecte Charles-Louis-Roger Bouvard, entre 1928 et 1929” , son “garage” et le “pavillon de gardien à l’entrée” sont également un atout de charme pour la propriété. “Balustrade d’esprit rococo, escalier d’honneur en fer forgé, plafonds peints de fresques exotiques (en clin d’œil à la villa du couple Windsor aux Bahamas), chinoiseries, objets précieux, salles de bains et marbres et boiseries dans les chambres… ” sont également autant de détails qui rendaient la villa Windsor si unique.

La villa Windsor : une somptueuse demeure bientôt ouverte à la visite

Quelques mois après le décès de son fils et Lady Diana, l’homme d’affaires égyptien Mohamed Al-Fayed décide, en février 1998 , de se séparer de la propriété. Il vend aux enchères de très nombreuses pièces présentes au sein de la demeure, les regroupe par lot au Sotheby's New York, puis redistribue les bénéfices à des causes auxquelles tenait Lady Diana.

Et si, pendant un temps, il a été impossible pour les promeneurs et les curieux de voir le terrain de la villa ou de venir la visiter, ce devrait désormais être possible. D’ici quelques semaines ou quelques mois, cet hôtel particulier, qui a été restauré de fond en comble, devrait être ouvert au public . Seulement, en revanche, lors de manifestations culturelles ou d’occasions spéciales.

• - La caissière faisait passer les caddies de courses de sa famille gratuitement, le montant est astronomique
• - Carla Bruni et Nicolas Sarkozy : cette somptueuse villa dans le Var que leur fille Giulia regrettera à la rentrée lundi
• - Ce ralentisseur qui pullule en France abîme les voitures, mais il y a une bonne nouvelle pour les automobilistes
• La rédaction
• Service client
• Contactez-nous
• Je m'abonne à Marie France
• KiosqueMag : la boutique officielle
• Mentions légales
• Politique de confidentialité
• Politique d’utilisation des cookies
• Règlements
• Plan du site
• Gestion des cookies