A remarkable collection of previously private photographs has emerged, offering an intimate window into Princess Diana's final summer holiday with Dodi Fayed just weeks before their tragic deaths. The images, taken during their July 1997 Mediterranean getaway, show the couple in unexpectedly relaxed and joyful moments aboard the Jonikal yacht off the coast of St Tropez.
The series of photographs reveals Diana, then 36, displaying a radiant happiness rarely captured by the relentless paparazzi. In one particularly touching image, she wears Dodi's distinctive blue and white striped dressing gown while tenderly embracing him from behind as he steers the vessel. Another shows the couple sharing a lighthearted moment, with Diana smiling warmly as Dodi gestures animatedly.
The Last Summer of a Princess
These photographs provide compelling evidence of the genuine connection developing between the Princess of Wales and the Egyptian film producer. Unlike the staged royal portraits the public was accustomed to, these candid shots capture unguarded moments of affection and relaxation.
The holiday was hosted by Dodi's father, Mohamed Al-Fayed, who had invited Diana and her sons, Princes William and Harry, to stay at his villa in the South of France. The images show the couple enjoying water sports, sunbathing on deck, and sharing private jokes—a world away from the scrutiny and pressure of their very public lives.
A Poignant Historical Record
These images gain their profound significance from their timing—captured merely six weeks before the fatal car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997. They represent some of the last photographs of Diana alive and seemingly content.
The photographs challenge the narrative of constant media harassment, showing moments of genuine privacy and peace. In several images, Diana appears completely at ease, far from the flashing bulbs and shouting reporters that typically documented her every move.
The Legacy of the Relationship
Mohamed Al-Fayed, who released these photographs from his personal collection, maintained until his passing that the couple were deeply in love and possibly contemplating marriage. He believed they might have even been expecting a child together, though this was never confirmed.
These images now stand as a bittersweet testament to what might have been—a relationship cut short in its earliest days, frozen in time by the camera's lens during what would become Diana's final summer.
The release of these photographs offers royal historians and the public alike new insight into the personal life of the People's Princess during her last weeks, reminding us of the human story behind the global icon.
