Mohamed Al-Fayed and his late son Dodi feature prominently in the new series of Netflix drama The Crown.
The Egyptian-born billionaire was at one time among the most high-profile businessmen in Britain, at one stage owning Fulham football club, luxury department store Harrods and the Paris Ritz.
But he was also a controversial figure who became a pantomime villain in the British press after pursuing conspiracy theories about the death of his son, who perished in a car crash alongside Princess Diana in 1997.
Who plays Mohamed Al-Fayed in the Crown?
Mohamed Al-Fayed is played by veteran Palestinian actor Salim Daw, with Khalid Abdalla playing son Dodi.
Mr Al-Fayed is portrayed as a domineering figure in the life of his eldest son, whom he controls with money.
Episode three also touches on his upbringing in Egypt, charting his rise from a Coca-Cola seller on the streets of Alexandria to a charismatic businessman with interests across Europe and the Middle East, including the then-burgeoning commercial hub of Dubai.
But the series also presents him as an ostentatious social climber who reveres the British royal family.
His fascination with the monarchy leads him to renovate the villa in France where King Edward lived, befriend and hire the king’s valet, and splash out on Polo memberships to get a seat physically close to the queen.
However, his efforts are never quite enough to become part of the inner circle, as he eventually realises that and no amount of money can help one penetrate Britain's class system.
Dodi Al-Fayed's Death
Dodi and Diana's romance sparked a frenzy in the British tabloids, ultimately culminating in a fatal car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris in August 1997. They were aged 42 and 36, respectively, at the time of their deaths.
Henri Paul, their chauffeur, was also among the victims, but bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones survived with serious injuries.
The death of his son was devastating blow to Mr Al-Fayed, who maintained that Dodi and Princess Diana were killed by MI6 on the orders of Prince Philip, an outlandish allegation that was dismissed by several investigations.
Ten years after the crash, a high-profile £4.5 million inquest found that the princess was unlawfully killed because driver Henri Paul was drunk and driving too fast and the car was being chased by photographers.
Diana and Dodi might have survived, the inquest found, had they been wearing seat belts.
Later life
Now aged 93, Mr Al-Fayed's advancing age has seen his presence in the public eye decline. He is said to be spending his remaining years at his estates in Surrey, England, and in Scotland.
Mr Al-Fayed has four surviving children, including Omar, a prominent environmentalist and space exploration advocate; and Camilla, a restaurateur who owns Farmacy, a popular vegan restaurant in Notting Hill, west London.
The Crown season 5 — in pictures
Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
'Laal Kaptaan'
Director: Navdeep Singh
Stars: Saif Ali Khan, Manav Vij, Deepak Dobriyal, Zoya Hussain
Rating: 2/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
