Meet the Al-Fayeds, the family on "The Crown" who bought Harrods and The Ritz and were close with Princess Diana

Keyaira BooneNov 16, 2022, 05:15 IST

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed vacationed together in 1997.Patrick Bar/AP

The Al-Fayed family encounters the house of Winsdor in "The Crown's" fifth season.

The family amassed significant wealth before hobnobbing with royals.

Season five of "The Crown" introduces the Al-Fayed family, formerly the Fayed family, to the royal saga.

Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana and Salim Daw as Mohamed Al-Fayed in season five of "The Crown."Keith Bernstein/Netflix

The wealthy family is well-known throughout Britain for purchasing Harrods and for their close personal ties to Princess Diana.

Princess Diana and Mohamed Al Fayed attended a charity gala at Harrods together in 1995.Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images

Mohamed Al-Fayed, the patriarch of the family, is said to now be worth $1.9 billion dollars, according to Forbes.

Mohamed Al Fayed attended the Issa show during London Fashion Week in 2014.Danny Martindale/WireImage

Mohamed was born in Egypt when it was still part of the British Empire, which made a strong impression on him as a child.

Mohamed Al-Fayed in Harrods in 1989.Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

In his 20s, Mohamed worked for the prominent Saudi businessman Adnan Khashoggi, and he married Adnan's sister Samira Khashoggi in 1954.

Amr Khashoggi and Samira Khashoggi at Lincoln Center in New York in 1990.Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

Mohamed and Samira had their son Dodi in 1955, shortly before divorcing.

Khalid Abdalla plays Dodi Fayed in season five of Netflix's "The Crown."Netflix, Ron Galella/Getty Images

Mohamed moved to the United Kingdom in the mid-1970s and added the prefix "Al" to his surname.

Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed watches his department store's annual Christmas parade in west London in 2008.REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett

As shown in "The Crown," the Al-Fayed family purchased The Ritz Paris in 1979 and renovated it.

The Ritz is acquired by the Fayed family during season five of "The Crown."Chesnot/Getty Images

In 1981, Mohamed funded the film "Chariots of Fire." The film's director thanked Mohamed and Dodi, who produced the film, on the Oscars stage in 1982.

Director Hugh Hudson and producer David Puttnam thank Mohamed and Dodi Al-Fayed after winning the Best Picture Oscar for "Chariots of Fire" in 1982.ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Mohamed acquired Harrods, a famed department store significant to British culture, in 1984.

Mohamed Al Fayed opening the Harrods sale in 1999.Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via Getty Images

In 1985, Mohamed married Finnish socialite-turned-model Heini Wathén. The couple have four children together.

Mohamed Al-Fayed and his wife Heini Wathen attend the "Colonne Vendome" in 2016 in Paris.Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images

The impression the Duke and Duchess of Windsor made on a young Mohamed led him to spend $14.4 million to renovate one of their former Parisian residences in 1986.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor spend the New Year inside a villa on the French Riviera in 1939.Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 1997, Mohamed purchased the Fulham Football Club, a club in England's Premier League based in southwest London, and actively supported the team.

Fulham Football Club manager Kevin Keegan (right) celebrates with club owner Mohammed Al Fayed after a team victory in 1999.Tom Hevezi - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

Despite his attempts to reach the highest echelons of British society, Mohamed reportedly felt snubbed by the British upper crust.

Queen Elizabeth II and Mohammed Al-Fayed attend The Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1995.Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Mohamed has cited British racism and snobbery as the reason he has not been allowed to become a British citizen, despite several attempts.

Mohamed Al-Fayed holds up a mock passport in London after his application for a British passport is refused in 1996.Neil Munns - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images

But Princess Diana befriended Mohamed and eventually formed relationships with other family members.

Princess Diana and Mohamed Al-Fayed dined together during a charity dinner for the Harefield Heart Unit held at Harrods in 1996.Jayne Fincher/Getty Images

Mohamed and Diana were often spotted enjoying one another's company. She was reportedly unbothered by the vagueness surrounding his family's background.

Princess Diana enjoyed a holiday with the Fayed family shortly before her death in 1997.Michel Dufour/WireImage

Mohamed's son Dodi dated Princess Diana in 1997 for a few months.

Diana Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed were dating at the time of their deaths in 1997.PA Images via Getty Images

Dodi was in the car with Princess Diana during the fatal crash inside a tunnel in Paris in 1997.

A memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, which was installed at Harrods by Mohamed Al-Fayed in 2005, as seen in 2017.Robert Alexander/Getty Images

Mohamed has said that Dodi and Diana's deaths were the result of racism and murder.

Mohamed Al-Fayed held press conferences to present alleged evidence of his theories to the media in 2006.PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

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