Earl Spencer Regrets Omitting Dodi Fayed's Name from Princess Diana's Funeral Eulogy
In his memoir, Charles Spencer reflects on his famous eulogy and his sister's final relationship.
Earl Spencer has expressed regret over removing Dodi Fayed's name from his eulogy at Princess Diana's funeral. In his recently published memoir, "Swan Song: Diana, My Sister," Spencer wrote that he had included a mention of Dodi in an earlier draft of the speech but ultimately decided to omit it.
Spencer described Dodi Fayed as someone who was "kind to Diana" and noted that the final images of the couple before their fatal car crash in Paris depicted a "gentle playfulness." However, he also speculated that Diana's relationship with Fayed in the summer of 1997 may have been partly motivated by a desire to make another suitor jealous.
Charles Spencer's eulogy, delivered at his sister's funeral, was later recognized as one of the most significant speeches of the 20th century. In it, he characterized Diana as "the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty," and a "symbol of selfless humanity" worldwide. The speech, however, made no direct mention of Dodi Fayed, who was romantically involved with Diana at the time of their deaths.
Spencer stated in his book that he had heard Fayed was a "nice man who was good to Diana." He now believes it was an error to remove his name from the eulogy, even if he doubts they would have married. He suggested that Diana's relationship with Fayed might have been an attempt to provoke jealousy in another individual she cared for deeply, likely referring to heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
The memoir also touches upon Diana's reported negative feelings towards Dodi's father, Mohamed Fayed. According to Spencer, Diana recounted an incident where Mohamed Fayed made an inappropriate advance, remarking on Egyptian customs regarding fathers-in-law. Mohamed Fayed, who owned Harrods and Fulham FC, died in 2023 at the age of 94 and has since faced numerous accusations of sexual misconduct from women.
Harrods has reportedly set aside over £50 million to address compensation claims related to these accusations.