The fifth installment of The Crown dropped this week and produced a variety of characters that fans had been eagerly waiting for. The historical drama chronicles the reign of Queen Elizabeth II and the latest season revolves around the scandalous politics that the world is rather familiar with, including Princess Diana’s divorce from Prince Charles. It also throws light on her 1996 interview with Martin Bashir and her relationship with Dodi Fayed, played by Khalid Abdalla in the Netflix show.
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Who was Dodi Fayed?
Dodi Fayed was the son of the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed and had also produced several films including Chariots of Fire as well as The Scarlet Letter Hook. He was also said to be Princess Diana’s boyfriend in real life, and there has been much speculation regarding the couple, whether they were dating for the sake of tabloids, or if they were actually in love. They had known each other for just a handful of weeks before their death in August.
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The pair is said to have first met at a polo match in 1986, where Fayed played against Charles. Fayed was married to the model, Suzanne Gregard at the time. However, they divorced after eight months of marriage. Fayed and Diana grew close in July 1997 after Charles and Diana separated. Fayed invited Diana and her sons Prince William and Harry on a holiday on his yacht in France.
At the time of Diana’s death, Fayed and the princess were still in a relationship. On August 31, 1997, the couple were killed in a car crash in Paris, after being chased by the paparazzi. They had just spent a little over a week together on a holiday in the French and Italian Rivieras. Unfortunately neither of them were wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, and Fayed was pronounced dead on the scene after being removed from the wreckage. Fayed’s father declared then that they had been pursued by ‘MI6’ agents.
Dodi in The Crown
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The Crown portrays Dodi as a rather sensitive figure, who is frustrated with the overpowering presence of his father in his life. The latest season sees him struggling, with him trying to make a mark for himself after facing a slew of flop films and eventually setting up his meeting with Princess Diana. It ends with him getting engaged to Kelly Fischer and Diana preparing to leave for Saint Tropez, as per the invitation offered by Dodi’s father. Dodi and Diana’s relationship is expected to be the focus of Season 6, and it remains to be seen if the show will address the conspiracy theories surrounding their death.
The Crown Season 5 is currently streaming on Netflix.
