Princess's `friends' provide a new spin on her love life

Skulking in the shadows of plush London apartment blocks or flying to Bosnia on a high-profile campaign to promote the issue …

Skulking in the shadows of plush London apartment blocks or flying to Bosnia on a high-profile campaign to promote the issue of land mines. It's all in a day's work for Princess Diana who, it seems, never fails to provoke anything less than intense scrutiny of her to-ing and fro-ing across the world.

Now it appears a new spin has been provided by "friends" and "acquaintances" to explain the princess's night-time and daytime activities. It seems Diana has found a new love.

Statements of this nature are often viewed with cynicism, but in the case of Princess Diana any titbit or photograph is seized upon by the British press and dissected until there is nothing left. However, this time the source of the information has come from the "horse's mouth", or close enough.

Perhaps anticipating the publication of photographs of his son, Dodi, and Princess Diana enjoying their romance on board a £15 million cruiser in Corsica, the owner of Harrods, Mr Mohamed al-Fayed, immediately gave the relationship "my blessing".

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He spoke warmly of the woman who 24 hours earlier had been photographed dashing into his son's London apartment with her head down, attempting to avoid the press on the pavement.

"She is a lovely girl, and he is my son and I love him very much. They seem to enjoy each other's company a lot and it makes me happy to see them both so happy."

Is this the "big surprise" that Princess Diana teased the newspapers with during her last holiday? The bookmaker William Hill certainly seems to think so. It has dropped the odds against Princess Diana marrying before the year 2000 from 6/4 to evens.

Although Diana's office quickly denied the rumour that she might leave Britain after the "big surprise" episode last month, the question remains whether Dodi Fayed is the reason behind the skulduggery.

The press is having a ball. With Dodi's yachts and Hollywood connections, headlines such as "The Princess and the Playboy" are only to be expected. His friends have spoken of a "classic son of a very rich and powerful man".

Others have said: "He'll shower a girl with presents and talk all sorts of nonsense". If that is what Princess Diana is used to, that's what she will find in Dodi al-Fayed, they said.

However, a sour note has been struck by an acquaintance of Mr Mohamed al-Fayed, who has been quoted in the British press as saying: "I can see absolutely why you would like Mohamed al-Fayed if you were a little desperate."

The bizarre comment continues: "He does avuncular almost to the point of absurdity. He's quite a small man but with a large presence. If you had no friends - and I suspect Diana probably doesn't - you could see why he would be a great guy to be on your side."

Whether, as one commentator put it, Mr Mohamed al-Fayed is the ideal royal father-in-law remains to be seen.

Some of Princess Diana's recent activities have been criticised for lack of forethought. And linking her name with Mr Mohamed al-Fayed, who was treated with suspicion by the previous govern ment - it refused his application for a British passport - will ensure Princess Diana's picture remains on the front pages if nothing else.