Businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, Father of Princess Diana's Partner Dodi Fayed, Dead at 94

Egyptian-born businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed—whose son Dodi Fayed was killed in the same 1997 car crash as Princess Diana—died on Aug. 30. He was 94. 

"Mrs Mohamed Al Fayed, her children and grandchildren wish to confirm that her beloved husband, their father and their grandfather, Mohamed, has passed away peacefully of old age on Wednesday August 30, 2023," read a statement on behalf of his wife Heini and family to the BBC. "He enjoyed a long and fulfilled retirement surrounded by his loved ones." 

Al-Fayed moved to the U.K. in the 1970s and went on to become the owner of London's Harrods department store and Fulham Football Club, which also mourned his death on Sept. 1.

"Everyone at Fulham was incredibly saddened to learn of the death of our former Owner and Chairman, Mohamed Al Fayed," read a message on its website. "Everyone associated with Fulham owes Mohamed a debt of gratitude for what he did for our Club, and our thoughts now are with his family and friends at this sombre time."

Al-Fayed owned Fulham for 16 years before selling the club to Shahid Khan in 2013. 

"On behalf of everyone at Fulham Football Club, I send my sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mohamed Al Fayed," Khan said in a statement on the soccer organization's site. "The story of Fulham cannot be told without a chapter on the positive impact of Mr Al Fayed as Chairman. His legacy will be remembered for our promotion to the Premier League, a Europa League Final, and moments of magic by players and teams alike."

On a more personal note, Khan added, "I always enjoyed my time with Mr Al Fayed, who was wise, colourful and committed to Fulham, and I am forever grateful for his trust in me to succeed him."

Toward the end of his life, Al-Fayed lived in Surrey, England with his wife, according to the BBC.  

Al-Fayed's death comes 26 years after the passing of his filmmaker son Dodi Fayed, who he shared with first wife Samira Khashoggi.

Dodi—who won an Oscar for producing Chariots of Fire in 1981—had a brief romance with Princess Diana following her divorce from King Charles III, which was finalized in August 1996. It was just a year later that Diana and Dodi died in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, when her sons Prince William and Prince Harry were 15 and 12 years old, respectively.

Al-Fayed previously compared Dodi and Diana's story to Romeo and Juliet.

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