The Fayed Family Has Yet To Comment On The Crown

Everyone from former prime ministers to celebrities have shared their (critical) views of Netflix’s The Crown ahead of Season 5’s arrival. And while an official statement Buckingham Palace is not immediately forthcoming (nor will it be, given the palace’s history of not addressing such matters officially), the royals aren’t the only family in the spotlight this time around. Season 5 includes Princess Diana’s whirlwind relationship with Dodi Fayed, and fledging friendship with Mohamed Al-Fayed. Which begs the question, what do the Fayed family think of The Crown?

In short, it is complicated. The Fayeds have not made an official comment on the Netflix series as of yet, but they have spoken publicly about Dodi, Diana, and the royal family in the past. Speaking to the Times, Dodi’s half sister, Camilla, a socialite and restaurant owner, reflected on Dodi and Diana’s tragic death. “Such a cataclysmic event – how could it not change our family? For my dad, like any parent losing a child, it was horrific and, as it is for any family that experiences loss, it was heartbreaking.” Camilla was 12 at the time of the accident.

“But on top of all that, we were never allowed to grieve in private. That was the main thing. You couldn’t compare notes with anyone else who’d had the experience because it was never on that scale. It was part of history, something that was attached to my family, still to this day. It’s not an easy thing to forget. No one will ever forget.”

Dodi’s half-brother Omar also spoke about that night in a cover feature for Tatler in early 2022. He was nine when Dodi passed away and recalled happier times with Diana and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. “There were so many stories that came out of that period,” he said, “but for the people who were in it, it was lovely family vibes.”

Omar doesn’t believe in the conspiracy theories surrounding the event, many of which his father, Mohamed Al Fayed, has openly supported over the years. “Those tragic events are long at peace in my heart and mind,” he explained. “We have to be humble enough to accept the mysteriousness. I have seen and heard so many standpoints and it goes on and on.”

Camilla, Omar, and Dodi’s father, Mohamed, has been the most critical of the royal family to date, speaking widely about his belief that Dodi and Diana were murdered in a plot derived by Prince Philip, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and MI6. “I believe in my heart 99.9% that it was not an accident,” Mohamed told The Mirror in 1998. “I will not rest until I have established exactly what happened.” He also claimed that the couple were engaged to be married and that Diana was pregnant — the latter being disproved by coroners during the inquest into her death. Mohamed eventually conceded to the jury’s verdict in 2008 that Diana and Dodi were “unlawfully killed” by their driver, Henri Paul.