We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Princess Diana began dating Dodi, the son of Mohamed al-Fayed, in 1997 but little did she know Mohamed already had a royal connection. The Egyptian businessman took out a 50-year lease of the home of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor after they died in 1996. Royal commentators Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito revealed he extensively refurbished the villa in Paris and called it “Villa Windsor”.

Speaking on the Royally Obsessed podcast, Ms Bowie: “Apparently Mohamed al-Fayed, as in the dad of Dodi al-Fayed, bought the home of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in 1996 after their passing.

“He has a 50-year lease on the 14-room property and turned it into a private museum.”

Ms Fiorito added: “That is wild. Strange connections.”

Ms Bowie continued: “Obviously 10 years later with Princess Diana and the relationship they all had.

“But what I did also find out it’s not open to the public.

“You can roam the park that it’s located at and if you have the right connections you can actually go in.

“Apparently he’s maintained so that really nothing has changed.

“It almost feels like they’re still living there.

“He referred to it in the New York Times article as a mausoleum.”

The revelations comes as a royal expert explained on Channel 5 documentary, Charles and Camilla: King and Queen in waiting that Camilla couldn’t look like she was trying to walk in Diana’s shoes.

This left Camilla having to tread carefully as to not try and replace Diana.

Journalist Daisy McAndrew told the Channel 5 documentary: “All senior members of the Royal Family have their favourite charities.

DON’T MISS

Queen health scare: Royal duties stopped as Monarch must stay away [ANALYSIS]
Camilla ‘terrified’ of public backlash as Duchess fears being booed [INSIGHT]
Kate’s daughter Princess Charlotte labelled ‘irresponsible’ in attack [VIDEO]

“The charities that they support, the issue they’re most passionate about.

“In Camilla’s case it was very difficult for her because so many causes that we understand she actually did care about were associated with Diana.

“She had to be so careful not to tread on Diana’s image or Diana’s favourite subjects or charities.

“It would of course looked like she was trying to walk in Diana’s shoes. That was a very difficult line to tread.”

Source: Read Full Article