Following denial that it was for sale, Harrods was sold to Qatar Holdings, the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar for £1.5 billion in May 2010. A fortnight previously, chairman of Harrods since 1985, Mohamed Al-Fayed, had stated that "People approach us from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar. Fair enough.
2010 - Mohamed Al Fayed sells Harrods for a reported £1.5bn to the Qatar Investment Authority. A Channel 4 Dispatches programme in which a number of women were going to make allegations was cancelled.
Al-Fayed later said that he decided to sell Harrods following the difficulty in getting his dividend approved by the trustee of the Harrods pension fund. Fayed said "I'm here every day, I can't take my profit because I have to take a permission of those bloody idiots...
What was Dodi Fayed's net worth at the time of his death?
Fayed controlled far-flung enterprises in oil, shipping, banking and real estate, including the palatial Ritz Hotel in Paris and, for 25 years, the storied London retail emporium Harrods. Forbes estimated his net worth at $2 billion this year, ranking his wealth as 1,516th in the world.
A solemn-faced Mohamed Al Fayed arrived at the Abbey with his wife and was cheered in by the waiting crowds. Mr Al Fayed's son Dodi, the Princess's close friend, died in the fatal car crash with her.
Harrods is to be stripped of the 44-year-old royal warrant granted by the Duke of Edinburgh - a month after he was accused by the store's owner, Mohamed Al Fayed, of masterminding a secret service plot to murder his son and Diana, Princess of Wales.
In 2010 the Gulf state of Qatar bought luxury department store Harrods for £1.5bn, via its sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority. It should have been the jewel in the Qatari crown. However, Harrods now faces serious sexual abuse allegations over the actions of its former boss, Mohamed Al Fayed.
So, what went wrong? Most recently, the store's status has been tarnished by the allegations of sexual abuse against its former chairman, Mohamed Al-Fayed, that has seen hundreds of women come forward and detail their abusive experiences at the hands of the store's former owner.
Diana, Princess of Wales out shopping at Harrods in London, during her first pregnancy, 1982. The memorial to Princess Diana and Dodi Fayad is seen in Harrods department store December 18, 2003 in London.
What is the most expensive item to buy at Harrods?
The document lists the 15 most expensive items ever sold at Harrods, the luxury department store in London. These include a $165 million yacht, a $1 million advent calendar filled with luxury goods, and a $790,000 crystal bathtub carved from a single piece of Amazonian rock crystal.
When the House of Fraser was relisted on the stock exchange, the Harrods business was split off to remain privately held in 1994. The present-day legal entity, the Harrods Group, was established by the Fayed brothers in 2006. It was sold to the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, in 2010.
Born in Alexandria, Egypt, the son of a school inspector, Fayed rose from selling lemonade and sewing machines to working for the Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, advising the Sultan of Brunei and launching his own shipping business.
Why couldn't Mohamed al Fayed get British citizenship?
The Department of Trade and Industry's report on the row, in 1990, concluded that the Fayeds had lied about their background and their wealth. The feud with Rowland ended in 1993 with a reconciliation in Harrods food hall but it probably contributed to Al Fayed being refused British citizenship.
Reports in the British press say Camilla had little desire to attend the ceremony from the very start, but was persuaded by her husband that, as his wife and stepmother to his sons, she should be at his side. But a negative public backlash changed her mind, some British newspapers reported.
"Sophie decided it would be too upsetting for the crowd if she went." According to Smith, the palace source explained, "She's well aware that she looks like Princess Diana from a distance and made her decision in a caring and thoughtful way. The Royal Family fully supported."
Diana's body was clothed in a black long-sleeved, three-quarter length woollen cocktail dress designed by Catherine Walker which she had chosen some weeks before, a pair of black pantyhose, and a pair of black shoes.
Diana's haunting last words to him were: "My God, what's happened?" and heartbreakingly shortly after, she experienced a cardiac arrest as reported by the Mirror. In a previous interview with The Sun, Mr Gourmelon recounted: "I massaged her heart and a few seconds later she started breathing again.
Eligible Rewards members (Bronze Tier and above) can claim one complimentary tea or coffee per day at Harrods Knightsbridge by presenting their Rewards card at Harrods Café (Lower Ground Floor). Available on selected items only.
1 Passant Guardant by Clive Christian – $7600 per ml/ $228,000 per bottle (30ml) Priced at $228,000, Clive Christian No. 1 Passant Guardant is the world's priciest cologne, commemorating the Salon de Parfum boutique at Harrods. It's the sole bottle allowed to feature Queen Victoria's crown, a Maison trademark.
