His money bought him a level of access, but true membership of the circles in which he mixed was not for sale – or at least not to him. It must have stung.
Mohamed al-Fayed loved Britain more than it loved him back. Whether it was buying famous businesses, accruing the Rolls-Royces and stately homes of the aristocracy, or buttering up the royal family, he did everything he could to make himself a member of the British upper classes.
“[Imagine] you have everything for your son, and maybe feeling that he would get together with Diana. Then within 24 hours you’re burying him and it’s your fault. I don’t think anyone could recover from that. Britain controlled the army, foreign affairs, communications and the Suez Canal. The upper classes spoke English and dressed in Savile Row tailoring. Academics went to British universities and children studied at British-style schools, or – for the very wealthy – to the British schools themselves. In Alexandria, where Fayed grew up – the “Al” came later – to be one of the elite was to be British, with the royal family at the apex.As Fayed was successful in business, he gravitated towards the UK.
When the Department of Trade and Industry reported on the ensuing row with Rowland, they found that Fayed had lied about his wealth. He never escaped rumours of crookedness. But with Harrods, he acquired the most prestigious shop in the world, somewhere the royals were known to frequent. The late Queen had shopped there. Diana had gone when pregnant with Prince William. Owning it was an opportunity to ply favoured customers – like Diana and her family – with gifts.
Harrods wasn’t his only move towards the royals. He sponsored the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which meant opportunities to be photographed alongside Elizabeth II. The episode was fictionalised in an episode ofthat focused entirely on his life. “He went for the really big things, which weren’t so much about money, but about being part of the circle,” says Levin. “He did everything he possibly could, but he didn’t appeal to them.
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