Latest news with #DodiFayed
Telegraph
15 hours ago
- Telegraph
Mohamed Fayed paid spies to discover ‘truth' about Diana's death
Mohamed Fayed paid Egyptian secret service agents millions in exchange for information about the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, it can be revealed. The former Harrods owner spent a decade before his death channelling cash to his native country's agents in London, via a secret network of companies. The billionaire businessman – who has been accused by numerous women of rape and sexual assault while boss of Harrods – was desperate to obtain secret intelligence about the death of his eldest son Dodi and the Princess in Paris in August 1997. Sources say he hoped to receive confirmation from Egyptian secret service operatives of his belief that the British intelligence services had a hand in the fatal crash in the Alma tunnel. Fayed had grown convinced that the British establishment feared the idea of Dodi, an Egyptian, as a possible stepfather to the future King. At one stage, he told an Egyptian secret service agent that he knew the British intelligence services had killed the pair because they feared the possibility of the couple having a child who would be 'a Muslim brother to the future King'. His claims were discredited, along with other conspiracy theories about the Princess's death, following the three-year Operation Paget investigation by Sir John Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police commissioner. Sir John concluded in December 2006 that the pair had died as a result of an accident. Two years later, a jury inquest delivered a verdict of 'unlawful killing' due to the 'gross negligence' of Henri Paul, the driver, who was three times over the limit, as well as the speed of paparazzi photographers chasing them. Fayed, who died aged 94 in August 2023, is suspected of raping and sexually assaulting more than 100 women, dating back to the 1970s. More than 100 alleged victims have contacted police to say they were sexually abused by the tycoon. The youngest is thought to have been 13 at the time. A number of allegations were made against Fayed while he was still alive. Investigators twice sent files for a charging decision to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – in 2008, relating to three victims and in 2015 linked to one other. On another three occasions – in 2018, 2021 and 2023 – the CPS was asked for what is called early investigative advice, but the matters were not pursued further by police. The Telegraph has been told that over the decade before his death, Fayed channelled 'some millions of pounds' through a network of holding companies and commercial businesses to fund agents and informants run by the Egyptian general intelligence service, known as the Mukhabarat, in London. One source with knowledge of the payments said: 'Over a ten-year period, sums amounting to some millions of pounds were paid in cash or Bitcoin from Fayed through various companies to the Egyptian intelligence services for their operations in the UK and some in Ireland. The money was eventually paid to agents and officers. 'In return, he would get sensitive information about business rivals in Qatar and Brunei.' The source added: 'Fayed also wanted information about the death of Dodi and Diana. The Egyptian secret services told him the British establishment had not liked her relationship with Dodi, but they said to him that they had no information to offer him about the way Dodi and Diana had died. 'In fact, agents warned Fayed about his behaviour in continuing to make loud claims about MI5 and MI6 having a role in their deaths.' Sources have told The Telegraph: 'Al-Fayed's manner after the killing of his son Dodi was completely unbalanced, and he was always shouting when speaking to the Egyptian intelligence officers, which made them not pay much attention to his requests.' Fayed's youngest son, Omar, has told The Telegraph that for several years he had been aware of shadowy individuals in his father's circle who he suspected were linked to the Egyptian intelligence services. Responding to the claims that his father paid Egyptian secret agents hoping for information about the Princess, Omar said: 'My father was a very generous man and he was an information addict. ' Following the tycoon's death, Fayed's widow, the Finnish socialite Heini Wathen-Fayed, and their children fell out over the dispersal of his estate, which is estimated at £1.3 billion. The Egyptian intelligence services are understood to have become concerned that an important funding stream for their intelligence work in the UK would be cut off as a result. It is understood that business intermediaries tried unsuccessfully to seek a meeting with Mrs Wathen-Fayed, to persuade her to 'continue her late husband's work' and carry on providing funding from his assets. Another Cairo-based source, who works for one of Fayed's institutions, said: 'One of the guards who works [here] and was recruited from the Egyptian general intelligence service informed me that some of the most prominent leaders of the service are very interested in determining the amount of money and wealth left by Al-Fayed and are seeking to continue its work as it was in the past.' Fayed rose from an impoverished childhood in Alexandria to build a multi-billion-dollar business empire. At the time of his death, he still owned the Paris Ritz, which he bought in 1979, though he sold Harrods in 2010 to the investment arm of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund for a reported £1.5 billion. Mrs Wathen-Fayed, his second wife, whom he married in 1985, was tasked with splitting an inherited property empire, which includes apartment buildings overlooking Hyde Park, a Scottish castle and apartments in New York, between his four children. Omar Fayed, now 36, said that his father's desire to discover what he was convinced was 'the truth' behind the death of Dodi and the Princess would have motivated any relationship he had with the Egyptian secret intelligence services. The environmentalist and publisher said: 'He always wanted a competitive advantage over his business rivals and he always wanted to know what had happened to Dodi and Diana, even if he had, towards the end, reconciled himself to what he said was 'letting God sort it out'. 'His papers and documents on the subject of Dodi and Diana were so huge they crossed continents, and any information the Egyptian SIS could have provided would have been very welcome to him.' Mr Fayed said that it was highly unlikely his mother would be prepared to agree to any request from Egyptian secret services to carry on her late husband's arrangement. He added: 'I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they [Egyptian SIS] would want to approach us to carry on getting funding. 'I have been approached by one Egyptian national who ran a private security firm about money owed to him by my father to 'look after' his [Fayed's] family. He wants the money to continue.'
Leader Live
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Earl Spencer says loss of sister Diana, Princess of Wales felt like ‘amputation'
Diana died in the early hours of August 31, 1997 after being injured in a crash in a road tunnel in Paris. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene while their bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived with serious injuries. Speaking about his grief on ITV's Loose Men, Spencer, 60, said: 'It's such an amputation. You grow up with these people, they are your flesh and blood, they're with you forever, and then they're gone. 'You expect obviously first grandparents and then parents to go, and there's the awful tragedy… of children going, but siblings, it's a really extraordinary thing. 'For years after Diana died, I would think, 'Oh I must ring her and tell her something' because we shared the same sense of humour, and you just realise of course that's not going to happen. 'I have two sisters who I adore but they're quite a lot older than me, so I don't share my childhood with anyone anymore, and that's a great loss that you can never really put right.' Asked how he dealt with protecting Diana, he said: 'I remember just before she died, a female journalist wrote a really horrendous article, because by that stage I don't think that journalist was thinking of Diana as a person, she was something to make money off or whatever, and I wrote to her in outrage… I think particularly as a brother of a sister, you always feel like you want to get stuck in really.' Diana's life has inspired countless films and TV series. Most recently, the events leading up to her death were portrayed in the final series of hit Netflix drama The Crown. Earl Spencer appeared as a panellist on the ITV show alongside reality TV star Sam Thompson, This Morning presenter Craig Doyle and TV doctor Amir Khan. The special programme, a rebrand of ITV chat show Loose Women, tackled subjects including modern fatherhood, couples' counselling, and men's physical and mental health, with I'm A Celebrity winner Thompson discussing his ADHD diagnosis.
South Wales Guardian
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Earl Spencer says loss of sister Diana, Princess of Wales felt like ‘amputation'
Diana died in the early hours of August 31, 1997 after being injured in a crash in a road tunnel in Paris. Her partner, Dodi Fayed, and the driver of the Mercedes-Benz W140, Henri Paul, were pronounced dead at the scene while their bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, survived with serious injuries. Speaking about his grief on ITV's Loose Men, Spencer, 60, said: 'It's such an amputation. You grow up with these people, they are your flesh and blood, they're with you forever, and then they're gone. 'You expect obviously first grandparents and then parents to go, and there's the awful tragedy… of children going, but siblings, it's a really extraordinary thing. 'For years after Diana died, I would think, 'Oh I must ring her and tell her something' because we shared the same sense of humour, and you just realise of course that's not going to happen. 'I have two sisters who I adore but they're quite a lot older than me, so I don't share my childhood with anyone anymore, and that's a great loss that you can never really put right.' Asked how he dealt with protecting Diana, he said: 'I remember just before she died, a female journalist wrote a really horrendous article, because by that stage I don't think that journalist was thinking of Diana as a person, she was something to make money off or whatever, and I wrote to her in outrage… I think particularly as a brother of a sister, you always feel like you want to get stuck in really.' Diana's life has inspired countless films and TV series. Most recently, the events leading up to her death were portrayed in the final series of hit Netflix drama The Crown. Earl Spencer appeared as a panellist on the ITV show alongside reality TV star Sam Thompson, This Morning presenter Craig Doyle and TV doctor Amir Khan. The special programme, a rebrand of ITV chat show Loose Women, tackled subjects including modern fatherhood, couples' counselling, and men's physical and mental health, with I'm A Celebrity winner Thompson discussing his ADHD diagnosis.
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bizarre reason Princess Diana tipped off newspapers to let them know where she was - and asked for opinions about her breasts
It may have been a way for her to exert control over her public image in an environment that was desperate to capture every move. But one royal expert claims it was a way to make the men in her life jealous. In the 2022 royal biography, The Palace Papers, royal author Tina Brown explores Princess Diana's impact on the monarchy and how her death shook the Firm. She claims that Diana was in fact tipping off tabloids behind the scenes - while publicly saying she was being 'hounded' by the press. Brown wrote: 'Time and time again, as we have seen, Diana chose to invade her own privacy, often for the capricious reason of making the men in her life jealous. 'The most unforgettable 'stolen' snap from Diana's last fateful holiday was the famous 'kiss picture' of her in a clinch with bare-chested Dodi off the coast of Corsica. 'It was she who tipped off Italian lensman Mario Brenna - to send a taunting message to the current love of her life, Hasnat Khan.' Diana is widely considered to be one of the most photographed women in the world. Conde Nast's former chairman Nicholas Coleridge and Princess Diana are seen together outside Vogue House in 1991 Princess Diana is widely considered to be one of the most photographed women in the world. She is pictured after a lunch in London in August 1996 Diana leaves Sardinia with Dodi Fayed on her way to Paris in August 1997 Her image, particularly her fashion, was extensively documented and distributed globally, influencing trends and captivating audiences worldwide. Nicholas Coleridge, the former president of Condé Nast, wrote about inviting Diana to a boardroom lunch in 1996 in his memoir The Glossy Years. The day after a picture of the princess sunbathing topless had appeared in the Mirror, he said that he expected Diana to cancel. But instead she confirmed her attendance with a request that there would be no publicity - and asked if he had seen the infamous photo. Coleridge claims Diana then asked Coleridge: 'Nicholas, please be frank, I want your real view. Are my breasts too small, do you think?' Revealing how he went 'breathless and as red as a guardsman's tunic', he reassured her that her breasts were 'perfect', and told her not to worry'. As he then walked her to her car outside vogue house, she says was 'besieged by paparazzi'. Afterwards, Coleridge rang a newspaper friend to see if he could find out who had leaked her visit. Diana allegedly asked Coleridge: 'Are my breasts too small?' Brown wrote: 'Time and time again, as we have seen, Diana chose to invade her own privacy, often for the capricious reason of making the men in her life jealous' Coleridge said he was told Diana rang the press herself from her car on her way to the lunch. He was told she often tips them off about where she'll be. Brown wrote: 'This is classic, authentic Diana - tricky, seductive, playing a double game.' The royal author compared Diana's colluding with the media to Harry and Meghan's entertainment deals - but calling Diana's plans 'more thought out'. Pictures of Diana with businessman Gulu Lalvani, who she dated for four months, were snapped after Diana allegedly tipped off the media to her whereabouts. And despite publicly showing outrage by Anna Pasternak's book Princess of Love, which gave a tell-all account of the alleged love affair between Diana and Major James Hewitt, Pasternak told MailOnline in 2019 that Diana encouraged Hewitt to cooperate with writing the book. At the time Diana said: 'He's sold me out! Men aren't supposed to do that to women, I hope his c*** shrivels up!' Brown wrote: 'The tabloids branded him forever more as the 'love rat' and Pasternak was excoriated for peddling mawkish fantasy.' Pictures of Diana with businessman Gulu Lalvani, who she dated for four months, were snapped after Diana allegedly tipped off the media to her whereabouts. The two are pictured in London in 1997 At the time Diana said: 'He's sold me out! Men aren't supposed to do that to women, I hope his c*** shrivels up!' Pasternak said: 'He told me that Diana was worried that Andrew Morton's second book was going to expose the affair in unflattering terms. 'She wanted control and was adamant that if the affair was presented in the book as a true love story, the world would not condemn the couple but would understand why they came together as they did.' Diana apparently 'tipped off' a notorious paparazzo about her husband's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, a year before it was revealed. Australian photographer Darryn Lyons - who earned millions of dollars selling images of the late Diana through his Big Pictures agency - made the bombshell claims during an interview with WHO magazine in 2018. Lyons alleged that around six to 12 months before 'Squidgygate' - referring to the series of phone conversations between Diana and her friend James Gilbey that were leaked to the British press - the royal had 'subtly' hinted at her husband's infidelity. Both of Diana's sons also have a complex relationship with the press - the most obvious being Harry and Meghan's many TV appearances. But for the Waleses it was déjà vu. In 2017 Prince William sought £1.3million compensation over topless photos of his wife Kate Middleton, which were published in French Closer magazine in 2012. Australian photographer Darryn Lyons - who earned millions of dollars selling images of the late Diana through his Big Pictures agency - made the bombshell claims during an interview with WHO magazine in 2018 Harry and Meghan's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey made significant accusations against the press The case dated back to September 2012 when William and Kate were pictured relaxing on the terrace of a chateau belonging to the Earl of Snowdon, William's cousin and the late Princess Margaret's son, in the southern region of Provence. Long-lens cameras captured Kate topless, while only wearing a pair of bikini bottoms. One particularly intimate image showed William rubbing suncream into his wife's skin, and was said to have caused particular upset. The Duke of Cambridge said the images were 'all the more painful' as they reminded him of the way his mother died, as she was pursued by paparazzi photographers in Paris. Publication of the photographs triggered a dramatic reaction in Britain, with media organisations – including the Daily Mail – deciding not to publish them. William was known to be particularly angry at the way Kate was treated and pushed for prosecutions from day one. Later that year the French celebrity magazine was ordered to pay £92,000 in damages to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for publishing topless photos of Kate. While the amount is one of the highest ever in a privacy case in France, it is a fraction of the £1.4million the couple wanted over the grainy images. Brown wrote: 'Today, her sons express their lasting contempt for the press in different ways: William with a grim, steely obsession with control; Harry with tortured, vocal, frequently ill-judged condemnation' Brown wrote: 'It would be unreasonable to ask that William and Harry forgive the paparazzi who trained their cameras on their beloved mother's dying moments in the Paris tunnel. 'Today, her sons express their lasting contempt for the press in different ways: William with a grim, steely obsession with control; Harry with tortured, vocal, frequently ill-judged condemnation. 'But neither of them had yet been heard to reflect on how much Diana loved to dance with danger.' Brown put it best herself: 'The camera was Diana's fatal attraction and her most potent weapon - the source of so much power and so much pain. She was always gambling with those odds.'
