Mohamed Al Fayed says Dodi provided 'safe haven' for Diana

Mohamed Al Fayed says Dodi provided 'safe haven' for Diana



Mohamed al-Fayed has said his son Dodi provided a 'safe haven' for Princess Diana before her death 20 years ago this week - a day after a top lawyer called for a fresh probe into the Paris car crash where the couple died.

The former Harrods owner said his family still grieves for Dodi, who was 42 at the time of the fatal crash, every day.

He also branded Diana 'a devoted mother and a wonderful human being'.

Speaking to the Sunday People, Al-Fayed said: 'Princess Diana trusted my son and he became a shoulder to lean on at a troubled time in her life.

'Dodi wanted to be a safe haven for her and her boys.'

Diana and Dodi died on August 31, 1997, along with driver Henri Paul while they were being chased by paparazzi.

Mr Al-Fayed believes the couple would have married, and has previously stated that they were murdered.

The QC who represented Mr Al-Fayed during the inquest into Princess Diana's death has called for a fresh investigation.



Michael Mansfield - who has also represented the Bloody Sunday and Stephen Lawrence families - made the comments in a US documentary soon to be broadcast.

He believes there is good reason to suspect her death was not accidental and finds it baffling that police did not react more strongly to a note written by Diana in which she claimed Prince Charles was plotting her death in a car crash.

In the programme, Mansfield - as reported in The Sun - says: 'If you find a body at the bottom of the cliffs in Dover and the person has left a note saying, "I'm going to end up at the bottom of the cliffs, dead" and, in the note, she'd indicated who she thought would be responsible for her death, I think the first port of call is to say, 'Hmm, well there may be something in this'.'

The TV show - TLC on Saturday - contains a fictionalised portrayal of Prince William and Prince Harry weeping.

It also discusses theories that Diana was killed because she was carrying Dodi's child.