Dodi Fayed

Dodi Fayed
Born	Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed (1955-04-15)15 April 1955 Alexandria, Egypt
Died	31 August 1997(1997-08-31) (aged 42) Pont de l'Alma, Paris, France
Cause of death	Road accident
Nationality	Egyptian
Occupation	Film producer
Spouse(s)	Susanne Gregard (1987-unknown)
Parents	Mohamed Al-Fayed Samira Kashoggi

Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed (Arabic: عماد الدين محمد عبد المنعم الفايد‎, IPA: [ʕeˈmæːd ɪdˈdiːn mæˈħæmmæd ʕæbdelˈmenʕem elˈfæːjed]), usually known as Dodi Fayed (Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [ˈduːdi]; 15 April 1955 – 31 August 1997) was the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed. He was best known as the boyfriend of Diana, Princess of Wales, with whom he died in a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.

He was employed by his father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, billionaire owner of Harrods department store, and also worked as a film producer.

Life

Born in Alexandria, Egypt, Fayed was the son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods department store and owner of Fulham Football Club and the Hôtel Ritz Paris. His mother was Samira Kashoggi, sister of Saudi Arabian-born arms dealer billionaire Adnan Khashoggi. Fayed was a student at Collège Saint Marc before attending the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. He also briefly attended Sandhurst. Fayed was the executive producer of the films Chariots of Fire, Breaking Glass, F/X, F/X2, Hook, and The Scarlet Letter. He also served as the Executive Creative Consultant for the F/X television series. Fayed also worked for his father on Harrods' marketing. Fayed was of Egyptian descent from his father and Spanish, Turkish and Arab descent from his mother.^{[citation needed]}

Diana, Princess of Wales

Main article: Death of Diana, Princess of Wales

In July 1997, Dodi became romantically involved with Diana, Princess of Wales. He had been engaged to American model Kelly Fisher, but broke off the engagement when he began his highly publicised relationship with Diana. In the early hours of 31 August of that year, Diana and Dodi died in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma underpass in Paris. They had stopped in Paris en route to London, after having spent nine days together on holiday in the French and Italian Riviera aboard his family yacht, the Jonikal. Neither Dodi nor Diana was wearing a seatbelt. Investigations by French and British police concluded that their chauffeur Henri Paul was driving under the influence of alcohol, and paparazzi chasing the couple are also believed to have helped cause the accident. Dodi's father, Mohamed Al-Fayed claimed that the couple were executed by MI6 agents. Fayed's former spokesman Michael Cole has claimed that the couple had become engaged before their deaths. The relationship between Dodi and the Princess of Wales and the deaths that occurred were documented in the television film Diana: Last Days of a Princess. Dodi was portrayed by Patrick Baladi. He was originally interred in Brookwood Cemetery near Woking, Surrey, but was moved to the Fayed estate in Oxted, Surrey.

Memorials

"Innocent Victims", the second of two memorials in Harrods.

Memorial to Diana and Dodi in Harrods.

Dodi's father has erected two memorials to Dodi and Diana at Harrods. The first, unveiled on 12 April 1998, consists of photos of the two behind a pyramid-shaped display that holds a wine glass still smudged with lipstick from Diana's last dinner as well as a ring Dodi purchased the day before they died. The second, unveiled in 2005 and titled "Innocent Victims", is a 3m high bronze statue of the two dancing on a beach beneath the wings of an albatross. The memorials were designed by 80-year-old Bill Mitchell, a close friend of Fayed and architect for Harrods for more than 40 years.

See also

• Death of Diana, Princess of Wales
• Operation Paget
• Peter Pan 2003 It was made in memory of him.