Report: Royals were warned when Princess Diana went on holiday with businessman Al Fayed, accused of sexual abuse

Several women have accused Egyptian billionaire Al Fayed, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, of sexual assault, including rape. The businessman had good relations with Princess Diana in the late 1990s. She once went on a holiday trip with Al Fayed and her two sons, Prince William and Harry. The trip was made despite a warning from former head of royal protection, Dai Davies.

“This is a man I would be concerned about if any of my relatives went on holiday with him, not to mention the future king and his brother and their mother, Princess Diana,” Dai Davies told Sky News.

According to a CNBC report, nearly 37 women have come forward and accused the Egyptian billionaire of sexual harassment, including rape. Six of the victims are Americans and one of them gave an exclusive interview to US media channel NBC News.

Al Fayed was the former owner of London's luxury department store Harrods and also appeared in the Netflix series “The Crown”, a historical drama series about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

What was the connection between Al Fayed and Princess Diana?

Al Fayed gained worldwide attention for his close relationship with the late Princess Diana. Diana and Al Fayed's son, Dodi Fayed, were in a relationship. The two died in a car crash in Paris in 1997. After his son's death, Al Fayed spent years trying to prove his claims that the car crash was not an accident, but a deliberate attempt by the royals to prevent Diana from marrying his son Dodi, a Muslim.

The BBC released a documentary and podcast on Thursday in which Fayed was accused of sexual assault by several women who worked at the London luxury department store, five of whom accused him of rape.

The new investigation involved a “mix of survivors and individuals with evidence” against Fayed, the legal team confirmed to AFP after announcing that it was representing 37 women who accused Fayed of sexual abuse.

The legal team representing women who accuse the late Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed of rape and sexual abuse drew parallels between the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. The lawyers said the allegations also involve some girls who were only 15 and 16 years old at the time of the alleged assault.