Earl Spencer Claims Mohamed Al-Fayed Groped Princess Diana, Made Suggestive Remark

Earl Spencer has claimed in his memoir, "Swan Song," that Mohamed Al-Fayed, the late owner of Harrods and father of Diana's partner Dodi, groped Princess Diana and made a lewd remark early in their romance. Spencer alleges that Diana recounted the incident to him with "revulsion," stating that Al-Fayed squeezed her buttocks and joked about Egyptian customs where a father-in-law supposedly has the first night with a son's new partner.

According to Spencer, Diana found Al-Fayed to be "ghastly" and believed he used his friendship with her stepmother, Raine, Countess Spencer, to facilitate her relationship with Dodi. Raine Spencer had taken on a role on Al-Fayed's board at Harrods in the 1990s, a move Spencer suggests was part of Al-Fayed's plan to introduce Dodi to Diana.

Spencer writes that Diana laughed when recounting the incident, but it alerted her to Al-Fayed's true nature. The memoir also touches upon Spencer's regret for not mentioning Dodi Fayed by name in his eulogy for Diana, although he included a nod to him in an early draft, acknowledging Dodi for making Diana happy in her final weeks.

Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, spent years after Diana and Dodi's deaths in a 1997 Paris car crash claiming the Royal Family had ordered their deaths. He has since faced accusations of sexual abuse, trafficking, and rape involving hundreds of women.

Spencer's memoir asserts that Al-Fayed has been "proven to have been a voracious sexual predator." The claims come as Harrods faces scrutiny over its compensation scheme for survivors of alleged abuse by Al-Fayed. KP Law, representing over 275 survivors, suggests the compensation claims could total as much as £150 million, significantly more than the £51.8 million Harrods has set aside.

Survivors have described the redress scheme as an "insult" and a "disgrace," citing a one-year limit for claims and offers that do not adequately acknowledge their experiences. Cheska Hill-Wood, who began working at Harrods at 19 in 1993, stated that abuse began almost immediately. Jen Mills, another survivor, reported working for Al-Fayed for five years under threat of never working in London again if she left.

More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct against Al-Fayed and associates, spanning from 1977 to 2014, have been made. The Metropolitan Police's Operation Cornpoppy is investigating potential facilitators of Al-Fayed's crimes. Harrods has stated it supports survivors and continues to cooperate with the police investigation, having provided compensation and support to 113 survivors through its redress scheme, which is now closed to new applications.