Mohamed Al Fayed’s chilling nickname for Princess Diana as she was left ‘shaking’

Mohamed Al Fayed dubbed himself Princess Diana’s “surrogate father”, but one ‘sickening proposal’ left her shaking, according to former butler Paul Burrell.

The late Harrods tycoon has been accused accused of rape and sexual assault by 19 different women, Scotland Yard revealed last week. A new BBC documentary also claims that Al Fayed deployed an army of aides to silence his alleged victims and used his power and wealth to evade justice.

And as the sickening allegations emerge, concerning details regarding Al Fayed’s relationship with Princess Diana have also surfaced. After Diana separated from King Charles in 1992, she began to form a new life for herself away from the Royal Family. She used her new-found freedom and the huge interest surrounding her as a platform for vital charity work, raising awareness of topics her in-laws shied away from.

In doing this she met the late Al Fayed, an Egyptian businessman often named as one of the richest men in the world at the time. While it’s unknown where they first met, their circles would have crossed regularly as he sponsored many of the charities she was involved with.

And speaking in 2023, Mark Hollingsworth, Al Fayed’s biographer, told The Independent that the tycoon had “long courted” the princess and after her divorce considered himself her “confidante and protector”. He said Al Fayed told him: “She had selfish parents. Her mother and her father were absent, left her with nannies… She was looking for the right man who could compensate for what she missed during her childhood.”

In a searing swipe at Diana’s broken marriage, Al Fayed is said to have branded the late royal “an incubator”. He told Hollingsworth: “Unfortunately, her husband [Prince Charles] was married to her because she was beautiful, provided an heir and then he left, had fun and continued with his old life. She was there as an incubator.”

In the summer of 1997, the year after Charles and Diana were finally able to officially divorce following their five year separation, Al Fayed invited Diana and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to join his family on his yacht in the south of France. The 208ft superyacht was the perfect setting for family time, with photos from the time showing the loving mum playing with her sons on the deck.

The boat, which has now changed hands, has nine staterooms and can hold 18 people as well as a crew of 26. Dripping in luxury, it boasted a jacuzzi, office, formal dining room and a swim platform. And it was during this trip that Diana grew close to Al Fayed’s oldest son, 42-year-old film producer Dodi.