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Boat of the Week: Meet ‘Cujo,’ the 80-Foot Yacht Where Late Movie Producer Dodi Al-Fayed Once Wooed Princess Diana

The couple spent some of their final summer cruising around saint-tropez aboard this fast, military-looking yacht., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories, this speedy 70-foot power catamaran is designed to cut through rough waters.

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For a few brief weeks back in the summer of 1997, Cujo was the most famous boat in the world.

Not because of her intimidating military lines, or blistering 40-knot performance. It’s because Diana, Princess of Wales, hung out aboard in Saint-Tropez with the boat’s owner, and romantic partner Dodi Al-Fayed.

Countless paparazzi shots show the once future Queen of England on Cujo‘s narrow sidedecks, soaking up the Mediterranean sun. By the end of August that year, both Diana and Dodi would be dead after that fatal car wreck in Paris.

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Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Fayed spent some of their final summer cruising around Saint-Tropez aboard Cujo .  Courtesy Patrick Bar-Nice Matin/AP Images

Yet this rakish 80-footer was a headliner long before Diana stepped on board. Her first owner was Austrian Johnny Von Neumann, an entrepreneur, playboy and passionate sports-car racer who became the largest Porsche-VW distributor in the US.

In 1972, Von Neumann commissioned the Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat with one goal: It had to go fast—faster than any other motoryacht on the water. To deliver, the shipyard installed twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesels delivering a combined 2,700 horsepower.

Flat out, Cujo —said to be an ancient Indian word meaning “unstoppable force”—could easily top 40 knots, or 46 mph. Von Neumann blasted up and down the Cote d’Azur for a few years before ordering an even faster Baglietto—this time with jet turbine power. He sold Cujo to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who, at the time, was reckoned to be the richest man in the world.

The fast, military exterior gives way to an almost old-fashioned cockpit with wood cabinets and leather seats.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

Khashoggi eventually passed the boat on to his nephew Dodi Al-Fayed, who immediately sent her to the CARM shipyard in Lavagna, Italy, for a full refit.

Back in Saint-Tropez, and moored in her reserved spot on the town’s main quay outside the famed Le Sénéquier restaurant, Fayed would invite many of his Hollywood friends for a cruise. During the summers, everyone from Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis and one-time girlfriend, Brooke Shields, were seen aboard.

Following Dodi and Diana’s death, Cujo quickly fell into disrepair. Decommissioned in 1999, she was hauled out at the CARM yard and spent several years in storage.

The main salon is smaller than many contemporary 80-foot motoryachts, but few other boats its size have the same 40-knots-plus top end.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

The boat was eventually rescued by Dodi’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed, who spent over $1 million bringing her back to life. Part of the work included uprating those massive diesels to deliver 1,650 hp each.

Now fast forward to February last year. After two summers of cruising Cujo around Sardinia and Italy’s Amalfi coast, Moody decided to sell. Strangely, he entered the boat in the Retromobile classic car auction in Paris.

That’s where well-known British car collector, buyer, seller and restorer Simon Kidston appeared. Kidston had spied Cujo in the Retromobile auction catalog, read that it was being sold by his old school-friend Fayed, and decided to bid.

The 1972 Baglietto has innovative features like the amidships helm and social area, and two sunbeds on the foredeck.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

“On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun,” Kidston tells Robb Report .

“The bidding opened at just 150,000 Euros—that’s around $165,000. My colleague bid 160,000 Euros,” says Kidston. “Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement, tinged with terror.”

Unfortunately, just as Simon took delivery of Cujo at Lavagna, where she was moored, Europe was starting to lock down with the coronavirus pandemic.

The internal helm station is outfitted with modern electronics, but in a nod to its historic past, the wheel is definitely old school.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

But he did get to take her out during a video shoot in and around Portofino  for his YouTube channel Kidston Productions, where the boat meets up with Simon’s own ’70s Lamborghini Miura supercar. Entitled A Portofino Affair, the footage of Cujo at speed is breathtaking.

“She has immense presence,” said Kidston. “No boat of its size commands that kind of attention when she comes into a harbor.” Especially an Italian harbor when nervous local boat owners think she’s with the financial police.

“As you’d expect, those engines have tons and tons of performance,” Kidston adds. “We’ve seen 41 knots. But they have a very different sound than I was expecting; instead of a roar from the exhausts, there’s this amazing whistle from the turbos.”

The diesel engines were upgraded from the original 2,700 to 3,300 horsepower.  Courtesy Simon Kidston

While Kidston and his family had planned to cruise the Med this summer, the car enthusiast received an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“A young member of a prominent Italian business family—he’s 30 years old—had seen Cujo in Lavagna, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale,” he says. “He took delivery last week, just in time for his birthday.”

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Inside The Yacht Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed Toured the Mediterranean On

The princess and her paramour vacationed on the yacht shortly before their tragic deaths in 1997.

Just a month before their passing, Diana and Dodi—joined for part of the trip by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry—traveled the South of France aboard a superyacht. Then named the Jonikal (it has subsequently been called the Sokar , and the Bash ), the yacht was owned by Dodi's father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed , when Diana traveled on it. Following the 1997 car crash that led to the couple's deaths, Mohamed attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions before ultimately parting with it in 2014.

In 2022, it was announced that the 208-foot yacht, which saw the beloved royal's last vacation, would be going up for sale. According to Boat International , the vessel sold in June of 2023 following a €9 million refit.

The ship, which was first launched in 1990, reportedly has nine staterooms to hold up to 12 guests with amenities including a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Though the ultimate sale price for the vessel has not been revealed, the asking price was reportedly €15,500,000.

Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.

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The Crown: Five insights into the yachts featured in series six

On 16 November, the first volume of series six of The Crown was released on Netflix. Not only has it stirred up controversy regarding its depiction of recent historical events, but the series has also sparked the public's interest in the infamous yachts associated with the royal family's timeline.

The final instalment of The Crown features two ladies and two yachts, all of which are indelibly linked to Dodi Al-Fayed. It captures the simmering romance between Princess Diana and Dodi – a film producer and son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed – as well as Dodi's fiancée, Kelly Fisher. In the drama, the Princess of Wales is whisked away to the former Harrods owner's villa (and superyacht) in the south of France, where she enjoys a summer on the continent with sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1997.

The series shows the group on what was Mohamed Al-Fayed's yacht, the 63.8-metre Codecasa which was known as Jonikal (later Bash, now Isabell Princess of the Seas ) . Understandably, with the People's Princess aboard, the yacht was heavily photographed by the paparazzi – leading to the creation of that iconic Princess Diana yacht photo. The camera also pans to a smaller yacht we can assume is the 20-metre Baglietto Cujo , a yacht the Al-Fayed's spent a lot of time on and which sadly sank earlier this year.

Wondering what happened to Jonikal ? If the series was filmed on the original boat? Where the set location was? BOAT answers all your yacht-related questions surrounding the latest series.

That Princess Diana yacht picture

There are many iconic images of Princess Diana – not least the shot of her in the "revenge dress" – but up there are the images of her sporting a range of low-backed swimsuits from her summer in St. Tropez. Perhaps the most memorable is Princess Diana sitting on the diving board of Jonikal. The series recreates the moment her photo was captured, legs swaying above the oscillating sea, toes pointed ballerina-esque. It also draws on her plea to the paparazzi to give her boys some privacy as she meets them mid-sea on her tender, stealing the show in her leopard-print swimsuit.

The whereabouts of Jonikal today

The yacht carries great significance knowing Dodi and Princess Diana were pictured there just weeks before their fatal car accident. It belonged to Dodi's father and, during the series, Princess Diana and Dodi are portrayed sharing intimate moments on board: her, looking up from the piano she is playing, doe-eyed; him, opening up about his engagement and the struggles with his father. There is also the scene where they have an ice cube fight between decks; the scene where Dodi's siblings and Princess Diana's children jump off the diving board; where the pair share what would've been an intimate kiss, had the photographer on his motor yacht not snapped it.

It was successful telecoms entrepreneur Bassim Haidar who later bought the yacht in 2021. The fact that it’s the former Jonikal is a source of pride for Haidar, who told BOAT : "I really loved Lady Diana. Whenever anyone comes on board I always show them where the famous picture was taken." The yacht was sold in August this year.

The yacht the series was filmed on, Titania 

The Crown was not filmed on Isabell Princess of the Seas (ex- Jonikal ), but rather on the 72-metre Lurssen superyacht Titania . The yacht, which was delivered in 2006, is owned by British businessman John Caudwell. Back in 2021, Caudwell commented on the news via his social media accounts, stating that he "cannot confirm or deny any filming secrets" but hinted that viewers should "keep your eyes peeled towards the end of season five and start of season six."

The refit in 2012 amped up her charter facilities – adding a second owner’s cabin on the upper deck, a gym on the sundeck and an extension to the stern to accommodate a beach club (which can be spotted in the series) with a full water park that floats off the stern.

The other yacht (and the other woman)

Jonikal is not the only yacht to have featured in The Crown series six, filmed in Mallorca. At one point, the camera also pans to another yacht the Al-Fayed's spent a lot of time on, the 20-metre Cujo. The drama shows Dodi's fiancée at the time, Fisher, getting escorted by tender past the yacht Dodi and Princess Diana are on ( Jonikal ), and instead shuttled away to what Fisher refers to as "the smaller yacht". 

In August this year, the real-life Cujo sunk around 35 kilometres off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France.

Other yachts featured in the series

Christina O had 122-metre shoes to fill in season five, playing Alexander – the converted cruise ship where Princess Diana and Charles celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary . Delivered in 1965 by German shipyard Lubecker Flender Werke , the superyacht hosted the royals and their sons princes William and Harry a year before the couple separated.

A replica of the Royal Yacht Britannia also starred in the fifth Netflix series. Britannia was used as Queen Elizabeth II’s royal yacht from 1954 to 1997, hosting up to 250 guests at a time while being operated by 21 officers and 250 crew from the Royal Navy. It was decommissioned as a cost-cutting measure by the UK government in 1997.

The second part of The Crown will premiere on Netflix from 14 December.

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The Famous Superyacht on Which Dodi Fayed Courted Princess Diana in the Summer of 1997 Sinks to the Bottom of the Mediterranean Sea

If you were around that summer 26 years ago, you remember this vessel well from the hordes of photos taken of it with the Princess of Wales aboard.

Last August 31 was the 25-year anniversary of the deaths of Princess Diana , Dodi Fayed, and Henri Paul, who passed away as a result of a Parisian car accident in the early morning hours of that day in 1997. (Diana’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was severely injured but survived the crash.) The summer of 1997 will come to the forefront once more in the forthcoming season six of Netflix’s The Crown , due to debut later this year, and we will no doubt see scenes of Diana and Dodi from their final summer together aboard the superyacht Cujo—a vessel that has made headlines this week.

The Cujo sinking on July 29, 2023

In an unexpected twist to the story, 26 years after Diana and Dodi enjoyed its comforts, Cujo sunk to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea on July 29, with seven passengers aboard. (All seven are safe and unharmed, thankfully.) People reports that the yacht—of which thousands upon thousands of paparazzi photos were taken in the summer of 1997, as the press tried to figure out the relationship between Diana and Dodi—was “sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, according to an officer. “The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” an officer said, per The Independent . “Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on its Facebook page, where it was disclosed that the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, People reports. “When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking, and the cabins had begun to flood,” the outlet writes. “The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore.”

Princess Diana that final summer aboard Fayed's boat

After first meeting at a polo match in 1986—in which Dodi was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles —Diana and Dodi reconnected romantically over a decade later after Dodi’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited the princess and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France. Diana and Dodi developed a connection aboard the 20-meter superyacht, as the world watched and wondered through paparazzi photos taken of them at the time. Dodi himself owned the Cujo and had spent around £1 million refitting the boat “and wooed Diana on board, as the world’s media looked on,” The Independent reports.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry on the Fayed boat

Princess Diana waves at bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who would be the sole survivor in the crash that took her life not long after this photo was taken

We’ll never know what would have come from the seemingly budding romance, as the two were killed riding side by side together through a tunnel in Paris—Dodi instantly in the tunnel, and Diana later at the hospital. The car in which they were riding was traveling at 121 mph in order to escape the aforementioned paparazzi chasing them on motorcycles—trailing them this time on land rather than, as they had all summer, at sea. The chase, plus driver Paul’s intoxication, led to the triple fatal crash and the end to any happiness Diana and Dodi might have shared together—the beginnings of which are now resting at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

Cujo—frequently moored off St. Tropez—saw other celebrity guests including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis. After Dodi’s death, Cujo fell into disrepair and was decommissioned two years later in 1999. It spent years in storage before being restored by new owners.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of  Podcast Royal , a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts  I’d Rather Be Reading , which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more. 

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Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

T he Crown’s sixth season debuts this week on Netflix, chronicling the final weeks before Princess Diana’s untimely death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Amid the heart-wrenching moments that are sure to unfold, there’s one backdrop that will be a refreshing departure from the stately, windowless halls of the queen’s palatial residences : the multimillion-dollar super yacht that Princess Diana spent aboard touring St. Tropez just days before her death.

It was hot gossip, this adventure that the princess took abroad after having finalized her divorce from then Prince Charles less than a year before—something that was hinted at at the end of season 5 of The Crown as Queen Elizabeth is pressed to endorse a vacation at sea with Fayed and her grandchildren, Prince Harry and Prince William. Diana was famously photographed sitting on the passerelle of this boat. Years later, in real life, Harry described the trip in his memoir, Spare , with fond recollection. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote.

While the series was filmed on a lookalike super yacht in Mallorca , the real boat was equally lavish. The 208-foot ship was commissioned by Dodi’s father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, who brought on naval architect Vincenzo Ruggiero to design it in the late 1980s. It was built by Italian shipyard Codecasa and launched in 1990. The steel and aluminum super yacht boasted nine staterooms that altogether accommodate up to 18 people, in addition to a crew of 26. Amenities included a Jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Mohamed had named the yacht Jonikal (it has subsequently been called Sokar and is currently called Bash ) .

Shortly after Diana’s and Dodi’s deaths, Mohamed gave the interior a redesign by H2 Yacht Design and a refit that included extending the hull. He attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions, ultimately parting with it in 2014 to an anonymous buyer. The new owner carried out further work, including machinery upgrades, a repaint, and fresh teak decks. In 2021, the yacht came into the hands of Bassim Haidar , the founder of Intercomm and GMT, who gave it a further $9.7 million refit after a reported bridge deck fire—and its current name Bash . It’s now back to turn-key condition after an 18-month remodel completed in April 2023 by marine engineering and management company Capax and boat interior company Bobic Yacht Interiors . It features a beauty salon, massage area, high-tech gym, and a spacious main salon.

In May, Robb Report reported that Bash is available for charter in the Mediterranean starting at $278,000 per week, plus expenses. In June, Haidar listed Bash for $16.8 million, according to Boat International .

There was a second motor yacht named Cujo, which Diana and Fayed also took earlier that summer. It was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, who commissioned the Italian Baglietto shipyard to build the world's fastest motor yacht. She was given two 18-cylinder engines that allowed it to go as fast as 42 knots. Fayed had bought the boat from his cousin, Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. In August, the Mediterranean Sea reclaimed Cujo, as the 62-foot artifact of Diana’s life hit an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on July 29 and sprang a leak, Vanity Fair reported. The seven people on board were rescued by teams from Antibes and safely returned to shore.

An imitation of Jonikal will feature in The Crown season 6, a set that was intended to visually illuminate the tension between Diana and the royal family. “Diana’s south of France adventure was bright and lovely pastel colors, and her world even in Kensington Palace is optimistic and warm, compared to the queen’s residence at Balmoral, which is very static, with gloomy light and drab colors,” set decorator Alison Harvey told ELLE DECOR.

Filming on the yacht off the island of Mallorca (a St. Tropez stand-in) required many moving parts with few do-overs. “We brought in the drapes, the artwork, many furnishings,” Harvey explains. “Everything was set in the early ’90s, so we thought hard about the colors and textures that we brought in.” Harvey’s team had just half a day to dress the yacht, and then it was off to sea. “There was no getting on or off after that,” Harvey says, adding that they were “subsumed by the logistics of what we had to achieve and the time we had to do it.”

However painstaking the process, the yacht scenes will offer an intriguing context—though largely fictitious—for the iconic photographs that exist of those final weeks leading up to Diana’s death.

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See Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana Shared With Dodi Fayed

Since her untimely death in August of 1997, Princess Diana’s last summer spent with Dodi Al-Fayed has been described in various ways: a passionate love affair, a fake publicity stunt, a temporary fling, a rouse to infuriate another suiter, or the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Although the stories change, the setting remains: a summer tour through the Mediterranean aboard a multi-million dollar superyacht. Later this year, nearly 25 years to the day, the 208-foot vessel will launch for sale again. 

The yacht is full of glossy and dark wood paneling. 

Originally named Jonikal , then Sokar , and most recently Bash , the luxury vessel was first owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and father of Dodi Al-Fayed. During the fateful summer, Al-Fayed hosted Princess Di and her two sons aboard the Jonikal . After the couple’s tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed attempted to sell the yacht numerous times before it was finally bought in 2014. It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who is selling it just over a year later as he reportedly has plans to upgrade to a larger vessel. “She is in the yard being refitted, and will be launched for sale in September,” said John Wood, director at Seawood Yachts. 

Coffered ceilings add a dramatic, yet timeless feel. 

Bash , as the yacht is currently named, was designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s and built by the superyacht building firm Codecasa before launching in 1990. The vessel can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms in addition to rooms for 26 crew members. Among many notable features, Bash includes a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, a formal dining room, main saloon, a bar, and office space. Full of dark wood paneling and coffered ceilings, the interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style of the early 1900s. 

The vessel includes nine staterooms in addition to plenty of space for the crew. 

Powered by Wärtsilä engines, the yacht has a cruising speed of 15 knots and top speeds of 20 knots. Even though an exact price hasn’t been advertised just yet, the last time the boat was sold, it was listed for $10,000,000. 

The super yacht Princess Diana shared with Dodi Fayed is up for sale – see inside

Since her untimely death in August of 1997, Princess Diana ’s last summer spent with Dodi Al-Fayed has been described in various ways: a passionate love affair, a fake publicity stunt, a temporary fling, a rouse to infuriate another suitor, or the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Although the stories change, the setting remains: a summer tour through the Mediterranean aboard a multi-million dollar super yacht. Later this year, nearly 25 years to the day, the 208-foot vessel will launch for sale again. 

The yacht is full of glossy and dark wood paneling. 

Originally named Jonikal , then Sokar , and most recently Bash , the luxury vessel was first owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and father of Dodi Al-Fayed. During the fateful summer, Al-Fayed hosted Princess Di and her two sons aboard the Jonikal . After the couple’s tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed attempted to sell the yacht numerous times before it was finally bought in 2014. It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who is selling it just over a year later as he reportedly has plans to upgrade to a larger vessel. “She is in the yard being refitted, and will be launched for sale in September,” said John Wood, director at Seawood Yachts. 

May we suggest: Inside Althorp, Princess Diana's childhood home

Coffered ceilings add a dramatic, yet timeless feel. 

Bash , as the yacht is currently named, was designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s and built by the superyacht building firm Codecasa before launching in 1990. The vessel can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms in addition to rooms for 26 crew members. Among many notable features, Bash includes a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, a formal dining room, main saloon, a bar, and office space. Full of dark wood paneling and coffered ceilings, the interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style of the early 1900s. 

May we suggest: Examining Princess Diana's interiors style

The vessel includes nine staterooms in addition to plenty of space for the crew. 

Powered by Wärtsilä engines, the yacht has a cruising speed of 15 knots and top speeds of 20 knots. Even though an exact price hasn’t been advertised just yet, the last time the boat was sold, it was listed for $10,000,000. 

More great royal stories from House & Garden

• Everything we know about the royal family's taste in interiors
• A look at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's country house, Anmer Hall
• All of Princess Diana's homes
• Inside Highgrove House , Prince Charles' Cotswolds home (and its very unusual feature)
• All the houses that Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge has lived in
• Adelaide Cottage: All we know about Prince William and Kate Middleton's new Windsor Castle home

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Princess Diana’s Former Yacht That She Vacationed on with Boyfriend Dodi Fayed Sinks in France

All seven passengers were rescued after the superyacht, dubbed Cujo, sank beneath the Mediterranean Sea on July 29

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Best Image/BACKGRID; Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Princess Diana ’s former yacht that she enjoyed her last summer vacation on before her death has sunk off the coast of France, according to The Independent . 

The boat, dubbed Cujo , was frequented by the late princess and her boyfriend at the time, Dodi Fayed , in the summer of 1997 before they both died in a car crash in late August that year. 

All seven passengers on board were rescued in time before the vessel sank below the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, July 29. An officer said that the “ship was sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, The Independent reports. 

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on their official Facebook page . They state the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France. 

When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking and the cabins had begun to flood. The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore. 

Princess Diana and Fayed enjoyed spending time together aboard the 20-meter superyacht that first launched in 1972, especially around the Italian Riviera, according to Boat International . 

The pair first met at a polo match in 1986 in which Fayed was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles . Diana and Fayed didn’t connect romantically until nearly 10 years later when Fayed’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited her and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France.  

Before Diana’s romance with the film producer began to develop, the Prince and Princess of Wales had finalized their divorce in August 1996. Diana announced that she agreed to her husband's request for divorce earlier that year in February. 

A representative of the princess released a statement at the time: "The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles's request for a divorce. The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James's Palace . The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales."

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Diana died at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest from internal injuries she sustained during a high-speed car crash in Paris, France . Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, were killed instantly in the fatal accident. 

Reports indicate the car was traveling at 121 mph in a narrow tunnel along the Seine River in an effort to escape paparazzi tailing them on motorcycles. It was also reported that Paul was legally drunk when the crash occurred.

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Princess Diana's tragic death will be explored in a new docuseries, Who Killed Diana?

Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales at a gala reception and preview of her dresses auction at Christie's in London

No royal tragedy has captured the public 's hearts and minds quite like the shocking death of Princess Diana , who was killed in a car crash in Paris alongside Dodi Al Fayed in August 1997.

It is little surprise, then, that a new, three-part series about the events leading up to that awful moment is currently in the works. Who Killed Diana? will be produced by EverWonder Studio, which is teaming up with Empress Films on the project – the same company behind hit Netflix documentaries Depp vs. Heard and The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe .

The series will reportedly explore the circumstances surrounding Diana's death, featuring rare – and in some cases, exclusive – interviews with a handful of key sources, who are allegedly connected to the accident. According to Deadline , ‘it will cast new light on the case that has captured the world’s attention for decades’.

Princess Diana captured the hearts and minds of the public, and her untimely death has long been a point of interest

Who Killed Diana? will be the first of a broader franchise between EverWonder and Empress, as the two studios collaborate on a collection of documentaries focused on the shocking deaths of iconic figures. Each series will focus on one individual, hoping to uncover new information while examining the human and historical context.

‘Exploring legendary women through investigative journalistic documentaries is a passion of mine,’ says Emma Cooper, award-winning film-maker and founder of Empress. ‘Just as we did with  The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe , we’ve taken a story the world thought it knew and uncovered hidden truths. I am committed to approaching this beloved and iconic woman’s story with fresh perspectives, new voices, and previously untold information.’

Princess Diana in 1988, during her visit to the Footscray Park in suburb of Melbourne

Jon Adler, head of talent and content development at EverWonder, said that the two companies both ‘set a high bar for covering perplexing events through unprecedented access and premium storytelling,’ adding that the new franchise would aim to ‘actively drive’ cases forward with ‘new voices and fresh insight’.

The events surrounding Princess Diana's death have long been subject to scrutiny and discussion. What we know is that the Princess arrived in Paris with Dodi Al Fayed, her boyfriend, after 10 days together aboard Mohamed Al Fayed's yacht , which was sailing just off the coast of Sardinia. The pair touched down in France on 30 August, with Diana due to fly home to London just 24 hours later to greet her sons, who were returning from a summer holiday at Balmoral.

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in the French Riviera resort of St Tropez on 22 Aug 1997

The couple arrived in the city of love at around 3pm, and went from the airport to Villa Windsor , the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's former home that Mohammed Al Fayed had purchased. From there, they went to the Ritz, which was also owned by the Fayed family.

Diana and Dodi had planned to have dinner at Chez Benoit, a bistro in Rue Saint-Martin, but abandoned this idea due to paparazzi attention, and ended up returning to the Ritz, dining in the Imperial Suite. Shortly after midnight, the two left to head to Dodi's apartment on Rue Arsène Houssaye and – although they had attempted to distract photographers with a decoy car – they were followed by paparazzi.

Sam McKnight, who was the Princess' personal hairstylist for seven years, has said that some performances were ‘hard to watch’ – and one just had terrible wigs

At around 12.25am, the car entered the Pont de l'Alma tunnel at high speeds in an attempt to avoid the pursuing photographers. As Associated Press reports, ‘seconds after the car enters the tunnel in the left westbound lane, it goes out of control, striking the 13th concrete pillar dividing the tunnel, rolls over and rebounds into the right wall. It then spins around. When the car stops, it is facing east – the direction it came from.’

Dodi was pronounced dead at the scene, as was the driver, Henri Paul – whom autopsy reports would later reveal was over the alcohol limit. ‘My God, what’s happened?’ Diana said, according to Sergeant Xavier Gourmelon, a firefighter on the scene. When Diana was extracted from the wreckage of the car, she went into cardiac arrest. First responders performed CPR and she, along with her bodyguard, Trevor Rees-Jones, was taken to the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where surgeons attempted to restart her heart.

Flowers and mourners arrived in their thousands outside Kensington Palace in the days following the funeral of Princess Diana in early September, 1997

Sadly, the Princess was declared dead at around 4am on 31 August, aged 36 years old. Later that day, the then Prince Charles flew to Paris with Diana's sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes to bring her body home.

In 2004, Operation Paget was launched in order to investigate the circumstances that led to Diana's death. ‘Every single aspect of conspiracy theories and the like will be looked at by my team and the coroner,’ said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens.

The personal tribute to Prince Harry’s late mother was visible behind the Duke as he made an appearance for Travalyst this week

The extensive investigation involved a dozen experienced police officers, took years to complete and cost millions, according to The New York Times . The report, which was made public in December 2006, ultimately concluded that Princess Diana’s death was an accident, and maintained that there was no validity to the various conspiracy theories that had surfaced over the years.

Despite the investigation's conclusive findings, the tragic deaths of Diana and Dodi continue to captivate public interest, nearly thirty years later. There are not yet details of when or where Who Killed Diana? will air, but this forthcoming documentary will almost certainly be a must-watch.

Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, which made front-page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Diana was entertained on board a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, went down in 2500m (8200ft) of water.

Thursday 3 August 2023 17:00, UK

A motor yacht used by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France before they died in a Paris car crash has sunk.

The 19m (62ft) Cujo went down 21 miles (35km) off Beaulieu-sur-Mer after sending out a mayday call last Saturday.

The seven people on board the luxury vessel, which was taking on water, were rescued by teams from Antibes before it sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean at a depth of 2500m (8200ft).

They were safely returned to shore.

The area was monitored for pollution as the boat sank with 7,000 litres of diesel in its tanks.

Cujo made front page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Al-Fayed entertained Diana onboard, a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, which was finalised in August 1996.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by al Fayed's billionaire father Mohamed.

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It had previously been named Jonikal.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann who told the Italian Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines giving her a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and he sold her on to his cousin, al Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, a famous celebrity hangout on the French Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis.

Following the death of Diana and Al-Fayed in central Paris on 31 August 1997, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

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You can now stay in the spectacular Mediterranean villa featured in The Crown

The lavish Mallorcan pad stood in for Mohamed Al-Fayed’s South of France home in the series premiere

Incidentally, the princess reportedly spent some of her childhood summers at the Yellow Castle , and later returned to Mallorca with Prince Charles. The luxurious residence is one of the most expensive on the island and fortunately for fans, it’s not just the preserve of royalty – it’s now available to book on Airbnb .

The regal retreat, priced at around £7,440 per night, is on a rocky peninsula near Puerto d'Andratx, perfectly positioned for incoming super-yachts. As befits a property fit for a princess, the acreage is immaculate, with statuary around the pool, sea views and lush gardens, plus a shaded terrace for lounging and dining, and a hot tub.

The bright yellow mansion sleeps up to 12 guests across seven bedrooms, and has a cave in the rocks where guests can enjoy spa treatments. It’s within an easy drive of the shops and restaurants along the port, and just 20 minutes by car from the island’s capital, Palma.

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed visited Mohamed Al-Fayed’s villa during the summer of 1997 – the famous images of them on a yacht were taken along the French Riviera coast near the home.

If you’re in search of royal-worthy holiday homes in St Tropez , we've done the digging to bring you some opulent retreats, all of which have Airbnb’s ‘Guest Favourite’ badges, which means they are among the most loved properties available to book on the site...

A villa in Gassin

This four-bedroom villa in the commune of Gassin, just outside St Tropez, is a great choice for digital nomads looking to work from the South of France, since it has especially speedy WiFi. During high season, a nearby five-star hotel can help with the catering, or guests can book the services of a private chef. The house also has an especially dreamy sea-facing terrace and open-air living-room.

A four-bedroom retreat in Ramatuelle

In the sleepy Var village of Ramatuelle, this villa is on a hilltop overlooking Plage de Pampelonne and the surrounding vineyards. The peaceful plot is covered in pine-trees, and is a quiet, natural setting, but one that's conveniently close to all the buzz of St Tropez for when you need it.

Villa Carpe Diem in Grimaud

The mediaeval village of Grimaud is on a hilltop a short drive outside of St Tropez and is one of those destinations that frequently contributes to Francophile reveries of the Riviera. Up to 11 lucky guests can sleep in this five-bedroom stay, which has views of the Med and the surrounding mountains that are best enjoyed from the terrace that opens out from the living-room.

A sleek modern stay in St Maxime

Perfect for a party of eight, this South of France villa is just 300 metres from St Maxime beach. Highlights include the swimming pool, home cinema and the outdoor space, which features a shaded dining area, a summer kitchen with a bar and plancha grill, and an alfresco lounge where you can watch the yachts arriving in the Gulf of St Tropez.

Pool perfection in St Maxime

Also along the coast from St Tropez in St Maxime, this villa has impressive views of the bay and a terrace with a pool for long, lazy summer days. It has space for up to 10 guests, in four bedrooms, two of which have an ensuite bathroom with a bath tub. The house is an hour's drive from Cannes and just a couple of kilometres from the centre of St Maxime.

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Al Fayed's incredible shrinking ships: Former Harrods tycoon relaxes on his 112ft yacht that is barely HALF the size of his £8million 208ft love boat that Diana and Dodi sailed through the Med

• The billionaire businessman appears to have downsized his super yachts compared with those of past years
• He was spotted on a relatively modest boat in St Tropez this weekend, surrounded by super yachts twice the size
• Egyptian tycoon once owned Sokar, one of the largest yachts in the world, where son Dodi wooed Princess Diana

By Elaine O'flynn For Mailonline

Published: 12:27 EDT, 1 August 2015 | Updated: 01:46 EDT, 2 August 2015

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To your average man on the street, billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed's stay on a luxury boat in St Tropez is the height of extravagance.

But as he sails on a vintage vessel this weekend through the Mediterranean, the former Harrods owner's choice of boat is a far cry from those of his business peers and the super yacht he once loaned to Diana, Princess of Wales, and his son Dodi.

The 86-year-old - who is reportedly worth $2billion (£1.3billion) - was photographed looking out to sea and enjoying an ice-cream on the boat while it was moored in the French Riviera.

Scroll down for video 

Luxury: Al Fayed is sunning himself in the French Riveria on board his boat Sakara, measuring 112ft and built in 1913 in America

Downsize: But it pales into insignificance compared with Al Fayed's old yacht, Sokarr, which was one of the largest yachts in the world

Relaxing: Billionaire tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed puts his feet up on the vintage vessel this weekend in St Tropez in the south of France

Iconic: Princess Diana holidayed with Al Fayed's son Dodi on the boat, previously known as Jonikal, and it was where this well-known photo of her was taken as it sailed off the coast of Portofino in Italy

Loved up: Diana, Princess of Wales, pictured with Mohamed Al Fayed's son Dodi cruising in the waters of St Tropez in the months before they were killed - and where Mohamed is currently on holiday

He is travelling on 112ft Sakara, a yacht built in the 1913 by an American shipbuilding firm and used by the Egyptian tycoon for holidays around Europe.

But it is nothing compared to Al Fayed's former yacht Sokar, also known as Jonikal, which he sold last year after it had been on the market for years.

Designed by naval architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s and built in Italy, it measures 208ft - making it one of the largest yachts in the world. 

The Al Fayeds would usually moor the boat in Monaco and it was used extensively by Diana and Dodi in the weeks before they were killed in a car crash in Paris.

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It was where Diana was poignantly pictured taking a few quiet moments on the boat's diving board weeks before she was tragically killed.

Capable of carrying up to 22 staff on board, it has nine guestrooms with space for 12 guests and was the height of luxury for the Al Fayeds and Diana when she would visit. 

Al Fayed had reportedly tried to sell the boat for $40million, but only received $13million from an unknown buyer in 2014.

And this summer he is sailing in a much smaller boat - although with teams of staff to wait on him hand and foot.

Following the leak of a film to The Sun newspaper showing the Queen apparently doing a Nazi salute in 1933, a spokesman for the former Harrods boss denied that it was part of a royal memorabilia lot sold by Al Fayed.

A TALE OF TWO SHIPS: HOW AL FAYED'S BOAT COMPARES WITH HIS FORMER GLORIOUS YACHT

Built: 1913

Power: Sails

Overall length: 34.15m (112ft)  

Gross tonnage: 135 tonnes

Beam: 22.8ft 

Cruising speed: Nine knots, top speed 10 knots 

  SOKAR (JONIKAL) 

Built: 1980s, launched in 1990

Power: Two 3,760 horsepower (2,800 kW) engines 

Overall length: 63.47m 

Gross tonnage: 947 tonnes

Beam: 34.2ft

Cruising speed: 18 knots, top speed 19 knots 

Relaxing: Before setting out to sea again, Al Fayed looks towards the pier of St Tropez in the south of France in the vintage vessel

Petite: The boat, moored in the luxury resort of St Tropez, is eclipsed by the much grander billionaire super yachts surrounding it

Former glory: In comparison Sokar, pictured here of the coat of Dover, had two floors, a grand interior and was double the size of Sakara

Holiday: 86-year-old Al Fayed enjoying an ice cream on board the ship. He is worth an estimated $2billion, after he sold store Harrods

Break in the sun: Al Fayed had tried to sell his old boat for $40million, but last year received £13million for it after it had been on sale for years

Dining: Al Fayed, wearing a patterned shirt, waits to be served by a member of staff as he relaxes on the boat in the French Riveria

Share or comment on this article: Mohamed Al Fayed's relaxes on a yacht HALF of Diana and Dodi's

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The 9 most shocking moments from The Crown season six on Netflix, as the end is in sight

The Crown has entered its sixth and final season , which covers one of the biggest Royal news events in modern history and one of the most earth-shattering celebrity deaths of a generation. It may be well-trodden ground – from 2006's The Queen to 2022's Channel 4 documentary series Investigating Diana : Death in Paris – but The Crown still manages to keep us on the edge of our seat and throw in a few surprises too.

It takes viewers from the start of Diana's sun-soaked summer on superyachts, to the stressful final days in Paris before the car crash. The first half of the final series explores what happened between Diana, Dodi, and Mohamed Al-Fayed (turns of there were three people in that potential marriage, too) as well as all of the goings on with The Firm back home. Here are the biggest eyebrow raisers and jaw droppers the latest episodes.

1. Dodi Fayed dated someone at the same time as Diana

When Diana first properly meets her soon-to-be boyfriend Dodi Fayed , the son of Harrods owner Mohamed El-Fayed, he is already engaged to be married to American model Kelly Fisher. Fisher is suspicious of Diana to say least, especially considering how Dodi suddenly abandons her weeks before their wedding to spend time with the Princess of Wales on a yacht in the South of France. Fisher does eventually join them, but she is remanded to a separate yacht – so that Dodi can flirt, basically. All at the behest of... Mohamed Al-Fayed.

2. Mohamed Al-Fayed demanded that Dodi win over Princess Diana

Oh yes. Dodi may have been interested in Diana based on his own free will, but The Crown season six portrays their romance as heavily influenced by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who had long been obsessed with the monarchy and was gunning for a British citizenship. "This is your chance to finally make me proud of you," Mohamed tells his son in episode one as he encourages him to forget about his impending marriage.

3. He asked Dodi for 'progress reports' on whether he and Diana had slept together

The Crown season six shows how Diana and Dodi do indeed hit it off, with some not-so-gentle cajoling courtesy of Mohamed, and eventually choose to return to the yacht together, in secret, without their families. Dodi has not yet plucked up the courage to call it quits with his fiancée, but has managed to successfully woo Diana. Mohamed is thrilled, but wants confirmation they've slept together, and The Crown even claims that he asked the maid on his yacht to give him details. She tells him that Dodi and Diana are staying in the same room, and Mohamed is pleased. Too pleased, arguably.

4. And set up the £250,000 paparazzi shot of them kissing

On this second, more intimate yacht trip, Dodi and Diana were papped kissing on the boat, which was absolutely massive for the British tabloids – the Sunday Mirror allegedly paid £250,000 for first rights to the front page picture. But what's most scandalous is that The Crown leads us to believe that the shot was set up by Mohamed Al-Fayed himself. After hearing that Diana and Dodi are intimate, he calls upon his team to find a talented paparazzo to get the perfect shot, cementing their relationship in the public eye.

5. Charles is shown to stage a retaliation photoshoot with the boys

Back in Britain, most of the scenes involving the Royal Family concern how they want to "respond" to Diana's antics at sea. After the Diana and Dodi kissing picture is released, The Crown portrays Charles as wanting to respond. His team tell him to stage a photoshoot with the boys in response, so his character drags them out onto the moors for some good PR.

6. William and Harry absolutely hated staged photographs as kids

In this season, William and Harry are made uncomfortable by the paparazzi following them and Princess Diana multiple times. At one point, Diana bribes the paps with a picture of her in her leopard print swimsuit so they will leave the family alone for a while, to try and soothe William. As a result, the boys also loathe any staged photoshoots, saying that their friends at school mock them for it – especially when Charles wears his kilt.

7. Diana didn't want to marry Dodi – and turned down his proposal

Much was made of Diana and Dodi's whirlwind romance in the summer of 1997, with many assuming the pair were on the precipice of getting engaged just before they died. But The Crown season six says: nope, don't think so!

Diana seems to find Dodi's romancing to be a little much throughout the season, and when he eventually proposes to her the night they die, she says no. This is helped by the fact that, according the The Crown, William and Harry asked her not to marry him, and she reassures them that she has no intention to do so. The series shows how she denies him gently in their Imperial Suite at the Ritz, and the pair dine and console each other, before getting in the car to head to Dodi's apartment. Sadly, they never reach it.

8. The Queen didn't want to respond to Diana's death

After news breaks of Diana's death , the Royal Family isolate themselves in Balmoral and attempt to deal with the shock. Those alive in 1997 will recall that their silence was not taken well by the British public. In The Crown, Charles urges Queen Elizabeth II to issue a public statement about her death. "I'd rather not be lectured on how to grieve or show emotion," she tells Charles. Queen Elizabeth did eventually make a speech, five days after Diana died, but she was shown to be very reluctant at first.

9. Prince William disappeared for 14 hours after Diana's death

In the days following Princess Diana's death, William and Harry are bereft and remain largely silent. At one point, Prince William disappears into the grounds of Balmoral and doesn't return for 14 hours. Search parties are sent out for him, but he returns on his own, soaked by the rain. Charles asks if he's alright, and he shrugs him off, responding, "Fine." The Crown paints this as one of the factors that influenced the Queen's change of heart in publicly addressing Diana's death.

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