Princess Diana yesterday began her third holiday with her new boyfriend, Mr Dodi al-Fayed. Newspapers said Princess Diana (36) left for the south of France on Thursday with the 42-year-old playboy heir to the Harrods department store fortune.
It is her fourth summer holiday in six weeks. She has just returned from a trip to the Greek islands with her friend, Lady Monckton, who runs the London branch of Tiffany's jewellers.
Until now it was the Duchess of York, better known as Fergie, who most impressed royal watchers with the number of holidays she managed to fit into her schedule.
But Princess Diana's own love of holidays has been closely monitored ever since she was spotted embracing Mr al-Fayed on a Mediterranean cruise earlier this month.
British tabloids said the princess and Mr al-Fayed would be once again holidaying on board the al-Fayed family yacht, Jonikal, which they dubbed the "love boat".
The Sun said: "The trip shows that Dodi's relationship with Di is very much on."
There had been speculation that the relationship might have suffered from allegations by one of Mr al-Fayed's former girlfriends, the US model Ms Kelly Fisher, that she had been engaged to marry him until he fell for Princess Diana.
The Mirror quoted "close friends" as saying that the couple were laughing off Ms Fisher's claims.
"They want to show that they are together and very happy," one friend said. "Diana is still loyal to Dodi. She is standing by him every step of the way."
Princess Diana was also said to be keen to meet Karin al-Fayed, the other son of the Harrods tycoon, Mr Mohamed al-Fayed. The 14-year-old has been deaf since he contracted meningitis.
Meanwhile, the woman who replaced Princess Diana in the affections of Prince Charles, Ms Camilla Parker Bowles, is reported to be on holiday in Spain.
While Princess Diana and Mr al-Fayed flew to Nice aboard a Harrods Gulf Stream jet, Ms Parker Bowles was said to have booked a cheap charter flight to Malaga.
British newspapers have also published the star-studded invitation list for a charity party to be hosted by Ms Parker Bowles on behalf of the National Osteoporosis Society next month.
Among those invited are the former Pakistan cricket hero Imran Khan, and his wife, Jemima. That invitation is expected to annoy Princess Diana, who is a friend of the couple.
Other guests are expected to include Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Eric Clapton.