Dodi Fayed - an Egyptian-born film producer and the son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed - was famed for his ill-fated relationship with Princess Diana, which was cut short when they were tragically killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997.
Portrayed by Khalid Abdalla, Dodi Fayed was introduced in season five of The Crown, but naturally became one of the key figures in series six focusing on Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana's relationship - their holiday in St Tropez through to their deaths in Paris later that summer.
Here, Grazia explores Dodi Fayed's life and relationship with the late Princess of Wales.
Before Diana...
Long before his romance with the people's princess, Dodi was well known across the world.
Where was Dodi Fayed born?
Dodi Fayed was born on 17 April 1955 in Egypt's second-largest city, Alexandria, to tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed - who previously owned luxury department store Harrods and Fulham Football Club, as well as the Hôtel Ritz Paris up until his death on 30 August 2023 - and Saudi Arabian author Samira Khashoggi.
He was the half-brother of Omar Fayed, Camilla Fayed, Karim Fayed, and Jasmine Fayed.
Where did Dodi Fayed go to school?
An all-male Catholic school in Egypt is where Dodi Fayed started his education, before he attended a private boarding school almost 2,000 miles away in Switzerland.
He also briefly attended the military academy Sandhurst in Berkshire.
What work did Dodi Fayed do for work?
After completing his education, Dodi Fayed became an attaché, aka a diplomatic official, working at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in London.
However, determined to carve out a successful path of his own in the film industry, Dodi Fayed secured many executive producing gigs under his belt through his family's production company, Allied Stars. Breaking Glass, The Scarlet Letter and Chariots of Fire are a few of the titles accredited to him.
Dodi Fayed also worked for his father in Harrods' marketing department.
Who did Dodi Fayed date?
Prior to his romance with Diana, Dodi was engaged to model Kelly Fisher - who claimed that Dodi's romance with the former royal left her 'heartbroken.'
Kelly wasn't the only star linked to Dodi. Pre-Diana, his rumoured girlfriends include Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Winona Ryder, and Nancy Sinatra.
And in 1986, he married model Suzanne Gregard, before they divorced after only eight months.
There was no denying that Dodi garnered himself a reputation as a wealthy playboy - but those close to him insisted that he also had a more quiet, sensitive side. Vanity Fair writer Dominick Dunne reportedly said, 'Whatever he was, he was a nice guy. There was something very gentle about him.'
Likewise, Khalid Adballa, who plays Dodi on The Crown, said of his character, 'This image of him as the Hugh Hefner type is completely false. A lot of his friends in the '90s were saying, "But that doesn't sound like Dodi at all."'
Meeting Diana...
Dodi's world took a turn during the summer of 1997, where his friendship with one of the world's most famous (and beloved) women took a romantic turn.
What happened between Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana?
Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's alleged first meeting in 1986 was covered in episode three of season five. They met for the first time at a Windsor polo match, in which he competed against her then-husband Prince Charles. Princess Diana was thought to have been introduced to Dodi Fayed through his father, Mohamed Al Fayed.
It was not until the summer of 1997 - over a decade since their paths first crossed - that they struck up a romance when Princess Diana and her sons Prince William and Harry were invited to holiday in Saint Tropez with Dodi Fayed and his family. This summer holiday is covered in the opening episode of series six of The Crown.
Princess Diana reportedly penned Dodi Fayed a letter after the trip, thanking him for 'bringing such joy into this chick's life'. In August of that year, their relationship was confirmed with paparazzi photos showing them kissing and embracing during a nine-day yachting holiday in the French and Italian Rivieras.
Before returning to London, the couple decided to stop in Paris, where they tragically met their fate.
On 31 August, Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were killed in a car crash at the Pont de l'Alma underpass, aged 36 and 42 respectively. The only survivor was bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who was seriously injured but remained conscious.
British and French police concluded that the chauffeur, Henri Paul, was driving under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs, but paparazzi chasing the car are also said to have contributed to the crash.
A spokesman for Mohamed Al Fayed later claimed that Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed were engaged at the time of their deaths. But her former butler, Paul Butler, told the inquest into her death that she had never given him the impression that Dodi Fayed was 'The One' and suggested that she was simply 'on the rebound' from her relationship with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan (who was called the 'love of her life' by her close friends after her death).
Who is Kelly Fisher?
Dodi Fayed married model Suzanne Gregard the same year he met Princess Diana, 1986, but they divorced eight months later. He was then engaged to American model Kelly Fisher in 1997, but called it off to be with Diana.
Kelly claimed she was none the wiser about her ex's infidelity until the paparazzi photos of him and Princess Diana circulated around the world, and revealed she was filing a breach of contract suit against him. She alleged that he 'led her emotionally all the way up to the altar and abandoned her when they were almost there,' and that he 'threw her love away in a callous way with no regard for her whatsoever'.
Kelly Fisher - who is played by Erin Richards in The Crown - dropped the lawsuit shortly after Dodi's death.
Who is Jasmine Al-Fayed?
Jasmine Al-Fayed is the oldest daughter of Mohamed Al-Fayed and half-sister of Dodi Fayed. She has faced much criticism over the years, which began when she was accused of using her father's name to boost her fashion label, Jasmine di Milo, onto the international fashion circuit in 2003.
The decision to not finish her degree in London, but instead take on a year apprenticeship in Harrods' sewing room also faced backlash.
Despite this her fashion designs have proved the doubters wrong, as they have been stocked in more than 44 countries and have been worn by the likes of Anne Hathaway, Rihanna and Sienna Miller.