The Crown is returning for its sixth and final season very soon and Netflix recently shared some brand new photos showing actors Elizabeth Debicki and Khalid Abdalla reprising their roles as the late Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed.
The royal drama covered the beginnings of the relationship between Diana and Dodi following the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles in season five, but season six is set to delve deeper into their time together before it was tragically cut short. In 1997, the late royal, 36, was travelling through Paris with the Egyptian film producer, 42, when they were both killed in a horrific car crash. Ahead of the new season returning, find out more about the couple and how they met below…
How did Princess Diana meet Dodi Al-Fayed?
Diana first met Dodi in 1986 when he was playing polo against her then-husband Prince Charles. In 1992, she and the first-in-line to the throne separated, before officially divorcing in 1996.
Then, in the summer of 1997, Dodi’s billionaire father Mohamed Al-Fayed - then owner of Harrods - invited the princess and her young sons Prince William and Prince Harry, aged 15 and 13 years old respectively, to holiday on his yacht in the south of France. During this trip, according to Town & Country, she is believed to have become closer to Dodi.
At the 2008 inquest into the princess’ death, heart surgeon Hasnat Khan revealed that she had ended their two-year relationship after this holiday - but had denied that there was anyone else. However, he later heard reports of her burgeoning relationship with new boyfriend Dodi and she returned to Mohamed's yacht again later that summer without her children.
© Tim GrahamThe new couple were subsequently famously pictured kissing while sailing off the coast of Portofino in Italy. They had only spent a handful of days together in total when they made their ill-fated trip to Paris, where they stayed at the Ritz which was also owned by his father.
Who was Dodi Al-Fayed?
Dodi was the eldest of Mohamed’s five children and his mother Samira Khashoggi, was the businessman’s first wife. He attended the prestigious Swiss school Le Rosey then the military academy Sandhurst in the UK, and grew up between Paris, the Riviera and Cairo.
After serving as a junior officer in the London-based United Arab Emirates air force he moved into the film industry where he helped produce films such as Chariots of Fire (1981) and The Scarlet Letter (1995). Before Diana, he is reported to have dated a number of famous women including Julia Roberts, Brooke Shields, Winona Ryder and Nancy Sinatra.
© Aaron RapoportWho is playing Dodi Al-Fayed in The Crown?
The actor playing Dodi Al-Fayed in The Crown in Khalid Abdalla whom viewers were first introduced in season five of the Netflix series. The 42-year-old is an actor and activist who first found fame in the film world after starring in the BAFTA-winning movie United 93.
© NetflixBorn in Glasgow to Egyptian parents, Khalid studied English at Cambridge where he engrossed himself in the drama scene and won an award at the National Student Drama Festival.
As well as United 93, Khalid is known for his role in The Kite Runner and Green Zone alongside Matt Damon.
What will season six of The Crown be about?
Netflix has shared some insight into what viewers can expect to see on screen in the final ten episodes, which will be released in two parts. Part one, consisting of four episodes, will land on the streaming platform on 16 November. The remaining six episodes will be released on 14 December.
A brief synopsis explains that part one will focus on Dodi and Diana's relationship before the fateful car crash, while part two, will look at the Golden Jubilee, the marriage of Charles and Camilla and Prince Willim and Kate's blossoming relationship while studying at St. Andrew's University.
We've broken down 5 major moments that will appear in season six, here.
