How ‘The Crown’ Season 5 Changed the Introduction of the Al-Fayed Family
Season 6 of The Crown will reportedly be the last one of the show. It will cover the events in the late-1990s to early 2000s, including Princess Diana’s death in 1997. Viewers likely will also see her dating Dodi Al-Fayed.
The fifth season depicted the Al-Fayed family, who had a couple of encounters with Diana. As with other notable people, the show does not get everything right. For example, the Netflix series changed how it introduced the wealthy Egyptian family.
The Al-Fayed family in real life
In real life, the Al-Fayed family was an affluent Egyptian family living in England. According to Britannica, Mohamed Al-Fayed made his wealth by operating a shipping business. He also advised the sultan of Brunei for a time before moving to England in the 1970s.
Mohamed bought multiple holdings after moving to England, notably the Ritz Hotel and Harrods. He built his wealth over the years but had a complicated relationship with the British establishment. The country would deny his attempts to become a citizen, which reportedly caused him frustration.
Nevertheless, he and his family would remain highly influential in England. They would even become entangled with the royal family after meeting Princess Diana. They met Diana at a polo match in 1986 and continued to see her during the 1990s.
In 1997, Mohamed invited Diana and her sons to his yacht for the holidays. Al-Fayed’s oldest son, Dodi, soon grew close to her, which developed into a romantic relationship. After Dodi and Diana’s deaths, Mohamed accused the royal family of being responsible.
How ‘The Crown’ depicted the Al-Fayed family
The Crown depicts Mohamed Al-Fayed as a billionaire tycoon with close ties to the royal family throughout the 1990s. However, the show does have some differences compared to the real-life family. According to WatchMojo, the Netflix series introduced Mohamed as a royalist.
The season depicts Mohamed as someone who wants to join the inner circle of British high society. In contrast to his beliefs in the show, an episode shows his father disliking the British monarchy. Still, it does not deter him from wanting to meet them. The show’s version of Mohamed purchases Harrods in an attempt to get close to Queen Elizabeth.
Of course, Mohamed allegedly had some hostility toward the monarchy due to a denied citizenship in reality. Despite this, Mohamed did take a liking to Princess Diana, as seen in the series. The show sort of sets up the encounter at the polo game as a “meet-cute.”
In reality, Diana was there to support her husband’s match. Furthermore, Dodi was engaged to someone else at the time. So, The Crown did get some things right and others wrong regarding the Al-Fayed family.
Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed’s relationship
At the 1986 polo game, Dodi Al-Fayed was there to play opposite Prince Charles. He and Diana reportedly met then, but a romance would not ensue until years later. Before they got together, Diana had an affair with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. Their relationship lasted two years before ending in 1995.
However, not many people may remember Diana’s time with Kahn. The world would forever link her to Dodi, especially after the pictures of them kissing on the yacht. The couple had fallen in love, and Mohamed insisted the two planned to marry. Since their romance had plenty of coverage, The Crown included the storyline.
In Season 5, Diana and Dodi only meet briefly. Nonetheless, the show hints at the two eventually dating. Viewers will have to see how the next season plans to depict their relationship and the following tragedy.
