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Princess Diana’s Yacht Adventures: The Famous Boats She and Dodi Fayed Vacationed On

By Katherine McLaughlin

In the summer of 1997, Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana’s yacht adventures were the infatuation of the tabloids, paparazzi, and public like no other. The pair were captured sailing around the Mediterranean in July, first with both of their families, then again, just them, at the end of the month, spurring nonstop controversy and speculation. Weeks later the couple was killed in a tragic car accident, prompting even greater interest in the brief but impactful relationship. Nearly 30 years later, understanding just what happened on the high seas remains a notable point of interest for many invested in the Royal Family.

The momentous vacation was recreated in season six of Netflix’s The Crown and recounted in Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare . While conversations about the trip often recount what the couple did – and what Diana wore – it’s worth revisiting the stunning vessels where all the escapades took place. Below, AD surveys the two superyachts Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed used during their prominent summer together.

Jonikal, now known as Isabell Princess of the Sea

The sensationalised couple most famously spent time on Jonikal , a 208-foot superyacht. At the time, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi’s father, owned the boat. Reportedly, he originally invited Diana to the yacht in an attempt to play matchmaker between his son and Prince William 's mother, the People’s Princess.

Princess Diana sunbathes on an orange couch aboard Jonikal .

Those who watch The Crown will be unsurprised to learn that the interiors of Jonikal , which has since been renamed Isabell Princess Of The Sea by a new owner, are just as lavish as those depicted in the look-alike on the show. Inside, the ship boasts nine staterooms, a formal dining room, bar, office space, swim platform, sun deck, and Jacuzzi. Designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s, coffered ceilings and dark wood paneling draw inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900s.

In his memoir, Prince Harry remembers his experience on the yacht as idyllic. “There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday,” he writes. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

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After the original trip with her children, Princess Diana’s yacht adventures on the Jonikal continued as she returned to the boat a second time with just the younger Fayed. According to Vanity Fair , Fayed catered to all of Di’s preferences, even letting her pick the music that played. Reportedly, she opted for tunes by George Michael, Frank Sinatra, and the English Patient soundtrack.

By Nick Mafi

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A now famous image of Princess Diana on Jonikal ’s passarelle

Nearby, a brigade of press boats captured a number of photos of Princess Diana on the yacht, formally immortalising the vessel. Most famously, Princess Diana was captured sitting alone on the vessel’s passerelle in a now iconic image. According to Boat International , the yacht most recently sold in 2023.

As Robb Report describes it, Cujo, a 65-foot military-style superyacht was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. In 1997, Fayed reportedly used this smaller vessel to woo the princess.

Princess Diana and Prince William on Dodi Fayed’s yacht

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew.

Cujo was already halfway underwater when rescuers arrived.

The boat sank quickly after the distress call was made.

However, the boat’s story came to a dramatic end last summer, when it sunk off the coast of France, as reported by The Independent . According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call at around 12:30 local time on July 29, 2023. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull.

At one point, the vessel was among the fastest in the world.

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard, other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage, Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel.

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What Really Happened During Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed’s Vacation?

The Crown depicts her jaunts on Mohamed Al-Fayed’s yacht, the Jonikal, where her romance with Dodi kicked off.

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Diana was invited by Mohamed, a friend and businessman, to vacation in Saint-Tropez with her sons in July 1997. The Harrods owner would also goad his own son to join, too. The invitation came at a good time, after a few rough blows for Diana: Prince Charles was throwing a lavish birthday party for Camilla Parker Bowles at Highgrove, the house he and Diana once shared. And she had just broken up with surgeon Hasnat Khan, due to the media frenzy around their relationship. It was the month before William and Harry would be at Balmoral with their father and the rest of the royals, who no longer accepted her. So off she went, straight to the $20 million yacht that Fayed bought just before the trip to impress her—Tina Brown writes in The Diana Chronicles .

Prince Harry has looked back fondly at that trip, mostly because of the quality time they spent with their mom. “Actually, we’d been with Mummy weeks earlier when she first met him [Dodi], in St. Tropez,” he writes in her memoir Spare , per Today . “We were having a grand time, just the three of us, staying at some old gent’s villa.

“There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday. Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

But the cameras followed her, like they always did. The Crown depicts photographers sailing out toward the Jonikal to snap images of the princess sunbathing and swimming in her one-piece. It also shows her approaching the boats filled with paparazzi to forge a deal: She’ll pose for them for a few shots if they’ll leave her and her kids alone.

Part of this is true. The New York Times reported in 1997 that Diana was quite cooperative with the press, at least during the first trip in July: “Three times, on separate occasions, she went out to the sea front and jumped off a small pier into the water, with photographers around her. Then, after leaving for 10 days with Mr. Fayed on the boat trip during which the photographs of the embracing couple were taken, she returned.”

“It was clear enough to all of us that she wanted to show the British establishment she was free,” Frederic Garcia, who photographed Diana on the trip, told the paper at the time. But her and the Al-Fayeds’ exasperation with the media grew after helicopters flew over the boat, according to the NYT .

Perhaps her openness to being photographed was her response to Camilla’s birthday party. “She just wanted to make the people at Balmoral as angry as possible,” her friend, art collector Lord Palumbo, told Brown. Now it wasn’t just a revenge dress; it was a revenge photo shoot with revenge swimsuits on a revenge vacation.

Brown even writes that the biggest photos from the trip, of the princess kissing a shirtless Dodi on the boat, “were the direct result of tips from Diana herself.” After they were published, she called photographer Jason Fraser, who “was in cahoots” with Mario Brenna, who shot the images, to ask why the pictures were so grainy. But she wasn’t the only one working with the press. Mohamed also had a publicist tip gossip columns on her and Dodi’s whereabouts and frame their getaway as a sensational romance, according to Brown.

Meanwhile, Dodi was juggling this burgeoning love story with another one. He was already engaged when he first joined Diana on the boat at his father’s behest in July. His fiancée was Kelly Fisher , an American actress and model, and their wedding was scheduled for the following month, on August 9, 1997. He had even left Fisher in Paris to board the Jonikal in St. Tropez. She joined later but, just as it’s shown in The Crown , she was relegated to a different Al-Fayed boat, where Dodi would visit her at night, Brown writes. Fisher soon caught on. In August, she sued Dodi for breach of contract, and was represented by high-profile lawyer Gloria Allred. But she withdrew the suit after his death.

In Spare , Harry remembered thinking Dodi was “cheeky” but overall was content with the relationship: “As long as Mummy’s happy, I told Willy, who said, he felt the same.” But Brown reported in her 2007 book that Prince William grew concerned. He told friends it was weird that they were on vacation with what seemed like a “substitute family.” When photos of Diana and Dodi on the boat were published, William complained to her that the boys at school would mock him for it.

After doing significant charity work in Bosnia with land mine victims, Diana reconvened with Dodi on the Jonikal in August. “The fact that she came back for a second visit so soon really shows her loneliness more than it does a passion for Dodi,” Dominick Dunne reported for Vanity Fair in 2008. But the privacy—or whatever amount of it that they had—might have appealed to her. “A splendid yacht. A helicopter. A private plane. Guards to keep the paparazzi at bay. She probably knew that she was being used by a social climber for his and his son’s advancement in London society, but in high society it was a fair deal. Each benefited.”

Dodi and Diana’s romance would be short-lived, but he showered her with gifts during their six-week relationship, including a pearl bracelet and diamond wristwatch, according to Vanity Fair . With him, the princess felt “so taken care of,” her confidant Lady Elsa Bowker told Brown. And on top of that, he was a “sympathetic, unthreatening listener,” wrote Tom Bower, author of Mohamed Al-Fayed’s unauthorized biography.

But their relationship probably wasn’t going to be a lasting one. According to Brown, Diana suspected Dodi might propose to her, but told a friend that the ring would go “firmly on the fourth finger of my right hand,” meaning she would not have accepted. Her sister Sarah McCorquodale later testified, “I just did not think the relationship had much longer to go.”

It’s been believed that the romance was even orchestrated by Mohamed himself. According to Bower, the older Al-Fayed would check in on Dodi and Diana during the trip (which is also portrayed in The Crown this season). McCorquodale also told the court that Diana “thought the boat was being bugged by Mr Al-Fayed Senior.”

On that second trip in August, Diana and Dodi were photographed together in the South of France and Sardinia, before heading to Paris for their tragic final days. There, they would be chased by cameras again for the last time.

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Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed Spent Their Final Vacation On

A look at the vessel that saw the beloved royal’s last vacation.

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 a-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 tells 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.

Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture. She has previously written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, and Citywire.

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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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Party Yacht Where Princess Diana Spent Her Final Vacation Sinks in France

By Kase Wickman

One more artifact from the late Princess Diana’s life is no more: The Cujo , the superyacht where she and boyfriend Dodi Fayed spent many sunny days, including their final summer vacation before they both died in a car crash in August 1997, has sunk in the French Riviera, according to French authorities .

Seven passengers were rescued from the boat on the afternoon of July 29 after it struck an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer and struck a leak that would prove to be the end of its voyages. By the time the Antibes Nautical Brigade, part of the French military’s Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, responded to the distress call about 45 minutes later, all seven passengers had been evacuated to a life raft and the ship had started sinking.

The yacht was 20 meters long, and originally launched in 1972. According to BOAT International , Austrian Jon von Neumann, who introduced the Porsche brand to the United States, originally commissioned the boat and asked that it be built to break speed records.

After Neumann, the Cujo was owned by the family of Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi , before coming into Fayed’s care, according to the New York Post . In addition to Diana, Fayed hosted celebrities like Brooke Shields, Bruce Willis , and Clint Eastwood on the yacht in the late ‘90s. According to the Robb Report, later owner Simon Kidston sold the boat to “a young member of a prominent Italian business family” in 2021.

Paparazzi swarmed Diana and Fayed’s summer 1997 adventures onboard the Cujo and the Jonikal , another yacht on which the couple spent time sailing in St. Tropez, including just days before their death. They were hot gossip, with Diana having finalized her divorce from then-prince Charles less than a year before. At the tail end of season five of The Crown on Netflix, Diana is invited to vacation asea with Fayed with her children, Prince Harry and Prince William , a trip that did happen in real life.

Harry recounted the July 1997 jaunt in his memoir, Spare . “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote. 

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The Harrowing Symbolism Behind the Famous Diving Board Photo of Princess Diana

By Elise Taylor

On October 9, Netflix announced the first half of the sixth season of The Crown on Twitter by sharing a single image: Elizabeth Debicki, sitting on a diving board in a turquoise swimsuit, with her back to the camera as she stares out into the sea. With over 2.6 million views, it’s a visual that resonated with many—and not just because of the Netflix marketing department’s graphic design skills.

There are tens of thousands of photos of Princess Diana in existence. A handful of them, including the royal in front of the Taj Mahal and wearing the little black “revenge dress,” are considered iconic. There is, however, perhaps only one of those legendary images that could be considered harrowing.

On August 24, 1997—a week before her tragic death in Paris—paparazzi captured Princess Diana sitting on the diving board upon Mohamed Al Fayed’s private yacht “Jonikal” off the coast of Portofino. What was intended to be a private vacation quickly turned into a media circus after the British tabloids published her kissing Fayed’s son, Dodi, on board. Bids for those photos went up to £500,000. Although Diana always had a de-facto bounty on her head, it was now at an eye-watering and dangerous sum—especially as rumors that the Princess was pregnant, or engaged, began to swirl.

As a result, paparazzi swarmed her the entire trip, desperate to capture the Princess and her new love interest. One of those photos? Diana, solo, on a diving board. Even far off shore, she could be tracked down by a camera lens—and, therefore, never alone.

The Crown's Elizabeth Debicki in the poster for the show’s final season. 

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Once she arrived in Paris, an accessible and busy metropolis, this clamor to take her photograph reached a fever pitch. On August 31, while being chased by paparazzi on motorbikes, the car Diana was being driven in by an intoxicated driver crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel. According to witness testimony, paparazzi continued to take photos as the couple lay dying.

Over two decades after her death, the haunting photo of her on the diving board is still seared into our consciousness: a symbol of  Diana’s glamor, her isolation, and the relentless pursuit of her likeliness. It was used for the 2013 poster of the biopic Diana, starring Naomi Watts, and inspired SZA’s cover art for her album SOS. “I just loved how isolated she felt, and that was what I wanted to convey the most,” the musician told Hot 97 . Now, Peter Morgan and The Crown are just the latest to have harnessed its emotional power.

While it’s unclear how much the photo will play a role in the upcoming season, the show will cover Diana’s final days—bringing the tragic story of the final weeks of Diana’s life front and center once again.

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Princess Diana’s Yacht Saga: Revisiting the Boats She Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

By Katherine McLaughlin

In the summer of 1997, Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana’s yacht adventures were the infatuation of the tabloids, paparazzi, and public like no other. The pair were captured sailing around the Mediterranean in July, first with both of their families, then again, just them, at the end of the month, spurring nonstop controversy and speculation. Weeks later the couple was killed in a tragic car accident, prompting even greater interest in the brief but impactful relationship. Nearly 30 years later, understanding just what happened on the high seas remains a notable point of interest for many invested in the Royal Family.

The momentous vacation was recently recreated in season six of Netflix’s The Crown and recounted in Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare . While conversations about the trip often recount what the couple did—and what Diana wore—it’s worth revisiting the stunning vessels where all the escapades took place. Below, AD surveys the two superyachts Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed used during their prominent summer together.

Jonikal, now known as Isabell Princess of the Sea

The sensationalized couple most famously spent time on Jonikal , a 208-foot superyacht. At the time, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi’s father, owned the boat. Reportedly, he originally invited Diana to the yacht in an attempt to play matchmaker between the People’s Princess and his son.

Princess Diana sunbathes on an orange couch aboard Jonikal .

Those who watch The Crown will be unsurprised to learn that the interiors of Jonikal , which has since been renamed Isabell Princess Of The Sea by a new owner, are just as lavish as those depicted in the look-alike on the show. Inside, the ship boasts nine staterooms, a formal dining room, bar, office space, swim platform, sun deck, and Jacuzzi. Designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s, coffered ceilings and dark wood paneling draw inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900s.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry on a jet ski near St. Tropez

In his memoir, Prince Harry remembers his experience on the yacht as idyllic. “There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday,” he writes. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

After the original trip with her children, the princess returned to the boat a second time with just the younger Fayed. According to Vanity Fair , Fayed catered to all of Di’s preferences, even letting her pick the music that played. Reportedly, she opted for tunes by George Michael, Frank Sinatra, and the English Patient soundtrack.

A now famous image of Princess Diana on Jonikal ’s passarelle

By Nick Mafi

By Joyce Chen

By Mayer Rus

Nearby, a brigade of press boats captured a number of photos of Princess Diana on the yacht, formally immortalizing the vessel. Most famously, Princess Diana was captured sitting alone on the vessel’s passerelle in a now iconic image. According to Boat International , the yacht most recently sold in 2023.

As Robb Report describes it, Cujo, a 65-foot military-style superyacht was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. In 1997, Fayed reportedly used this smaller vessel to woo the princess.

Princess Diana and Prince William on Dodi Fayed’s yacht

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew.

Cujo was already halfway underwater when rescuers arrived.

The boat sank quickly after the distress call was made.

However, the boat’s story came to a dramatic end last summer, when it sunk off the coast of France, as reported by The Independent . According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call at around 12:30 local time on July 29, 2023. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull.

At one point, the vessel was among the fastest in the world.

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard, other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage, Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel.

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By Erika Owen

Princess Diana’s Yacht Saga: Revisiting the Boats She Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

I n the summer of 1997, Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana’s yacht adventures were the infatuation of the tabloids, paparazzi, and public like no other. The pair were captured sailing around the Mediterranean in July, first with both of their families, then again, just them, at the end of the month, spurring nonstop controversy and speculation. Weeks later the couple was killed in a tragic car accident, prompting even greater interest in the brief but impactful relationship. Nearly 30 years later, understanding just what happened on the high seas remains a notable point of interest for many invested in the Royal Family.

The momentous vacation was recently recreated in season six of Netflix’s The Crown and recounted in Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare . While conversations about the trip often recount what the couple did—and what Diana wore—it’s worth revisiting the stunning vessels where all the escapades took place. Below, AD surveys the two superyachts Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed used during their prominent summer together.

Jonikal, now known as Isabell Princess of the Sea

The sensationalized couple most famously spent time on Jonikal , a 208-foot superyacht. At the time, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi’s father, owned the boat. Reportedly, he originally invited Diana to the yacht in an attempt to play matchmaker between the People’s Princess and his son.

Those who watch The Crown will be unsurprised to learn that the interiors of Jonikal , which has since been renamed Isabell Princess Of The Sea by a new owner, are just as lavish as those depicted in the look-alike on the show. Inside, the ship boasts nine staterooms, a formal dining room, bar, office space, swim platform, sun deck, and Jacuzzi. Designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s, coffered ceilings and dark wood paneling draw inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900s.

In his memoir, Prince Harry remembers his experience on the yacht as idyllic. “There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday,” he writes. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

After the original trip with her children, the princess returned to the boat a second time with just the younger Fayed. According to Vanity Fair , Fayed catered to all of Di’s preferences, even letting her pick the music that played. Reportedly, she opted for tunes by George Michael, Frank Sinatra, and the English Patient soundtrack.

Nearby, a brigade of press boats captured a number of photos of Princess Diana on the yacht, formally immortalizing the vessel. Most famously, Princess Diana was captured sitting alone on the vessel’s passerelle in a now iconic image. According to Boat International , the yacht most recently sold in 2023.

As Robb Report describes it, Cujo, a 65-foot military-style superyacht was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. In 1997, Fayed reportedly used this smaller vessel to woo the princess.

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew.

However, the boat’s story came to a dramatic end last summer, when it sunk off the coast of France, as reported by The Independent . According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call at around 12:30 local time on July 29, 2023. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull.

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard, other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage, Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel.

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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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Here Are The Real Photos Of Diana On Vacation That Inspired Those Scenes In The Crown

The Princess of Wales did indeed have a little chat with paparazzi on a boat.

The sixth and final season of The Crown got off to an emotional start by depicting Princess Diana’s final weeks before her death in August 1997. At the time, Princess Diana was newly dating Dodi Fayed, son of Harrod’s owner Mohamed Al-Fayed and famously spent time on Al-Fayed’s yacht in the south of France that summer with 12-year-old Prince Harry and 15-year-old Prince William. She was being constantly followed by the paparazzi, and is seen confronting photographers in The Crown in an effort to get them to leave her sons alone so they could enjoy their holiday. Which, according to photos taken of the princess at the time, appears to be at least somewhat based on a real event.

Season 6, Part 1 of The Crown saw Princess Diana (played by Elizabeth Debicki) vacationing off the coast of Saint-Tropez with her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William (played by Fflyn Edwards and Rufus Kampa, respectively), on Al-Fayed’s yacht. If The Crown is to be believed, Prince William in particular was struggling to have a good time on his holiday because of the constant presence of the paparazzi. And so, Princess Diana decided to throw on a swimsuit and jet over to the photographers to pose for some shots in an effort to get them to leave.

The Crown’s version...

“Enjoying your holiday?” a member of the paparazzi asks Princess Diana in The Crown when she is seen approaching them on a boat, and she replies. “Yes, we’re having a lovely time, apart from one little thing, you lot. Seriously, how long are we going to have the pleasure of your company? The attention is starting to freak out the boys.”

She offered the paparazzi a “surprise” if they would leave her sons alone as they snapped photos of her. And while we don’t know if the real Princess Diana offered them a surprise, she absolutely did confront them that summer.

How it looked in real life...

A year after Princess Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris, journalist and biographer Sally Bedell Smith wrote about the royal’s relationship with the paparazzi for Vanity Fair — in particular, that fateful summer in the south of France. “On a holiday in July 1997 with her boyfriend Dodi Fayed and his family in Saint-Tropez,” Bedell Smith wrote at the time, “she first eluded paparazzi by crawling along a balcony and hiding behind a towel, then surprised a contingent of British tabloid reporters and photographers ... by addressing them from her motorboat in a fetching leopard-print bathing suit. ‘You will have a big surprise coming soon, the next thing I do,’ she teased, and implied that she was thinking of living abroad.”

This wasn’t the only moment that the Netflix series recreated from Princess Diana’s holiday that last summer. Princess Diana was also seen in a super colorful swim suit, hanging out on the beach with her sons. A scene The Crown pulled off perfectly.

In real life, most of the photos from that moment were taken with Princess Diana spending time with her sons on the yacht, even wrapping her son Prince Harry up in a big hug while wearing the iconic swimsuit.

Princess Diana was also photographed sitting on the diving board of Al-Fayed’s yacht, all alone in a bright blue bathing suit. Looking, some might say, quite lonely.

Like the series showed, Princess Diana in 1997 was also seen wearing a bright blue one-piece swimsuit, staring off into space.

While The Crown has certainly done an impeccable job of recreating real-life photos of moments from the lives of royals, it’s important to remember that these are dramatized and fictionalized versions of real events. No matter how spot-on they might look to us.

This article was originally published on November 20, 2023

• Entertainment

How One Photo Immortalized Princess Diana’s Loneliness

O f the many photos of Diana, Princess of Wales , one image has become iconic for capturing the unnerving loneliness she experienced during her life. The photo shows Diana in a candid moment alone, sitting on the end of a diving board.

It's a picture that helped define the essence of the People's Princess—a glamorous outsider, the patron saint of isolation, a public figure who struggled to protect her personal life. It should come as no surprise that when Netflix announced Season 6 of The Crown , the first installment of which debuted on Nov. 16, the streamer shared the news by recreating the famed image of the princess, reimagining it with actor Elizabeth Debicki: Her back is to the camera, her chin protectively tucked into her shoulder in Diana's signature habit, her loneliness in full view even as so much as her is obscured.

Read more: 25 Years After Princess Diana's Death, She's Still Shaping the Royal Family

The Crown is hardly the first to pay homage to the photo—from the promotional poster for the 2013 Naomi Watts-fronted film Diana to the invitation to the Off-White Spring/Summer 2018 fashion show , which was inspired by Princess Diana, the diving board photo has been reproduced, reappropriated, and referenced, looming large in the collective imagination, a tangible visual for the melancholy of Diana's life. Most recently, the musical artist SZA recreated the photo for the album artwork for her album, SOS , a decision she said she was drawn to because of "isolated" the princess appeared.

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"Originally I was supposed to be on top of a shipping barge, but in the references that I pulled for that, I pulled the Diana reference,” SZA said in an interview with Hot 97 . “Because I just loved how isolated she felt, and that was what I wanted to convey the most.”

SZA confirms theory that Princess Diana inspired her ‘SOS’ album cover. pic.twitter.com/61biLn7JXm — Pop Base (@PopBase) December 7, 2022

The image would be striking for its composition alone. Diana, clad in a turquoise one-piece bathing suit, perches, almost precariously, on the edge of the diving board of Mohamed al-Fayed 's private yacht, with seemingly nothing but sea surrounding her. That the photo is a long shot taken by a paparazzo, six days ahead of her death, in the throes of a media maelstrom that had erupted after tabloid pictures were published of her kissing al-Fayed's son, Dodi, reads in retrospect like ominous foreshadowing.

Read more : How Princess Diana Changed Lives by Discussing Her Mental Health

And while there's no shortage of photos that illustrate how alone the princess often felt in royal life— her awkward Balmoral engagement photo with an aloof Charles , the shot of her wearing her black sheep sweater to a polo match , the infamous picture of her solo visit to the Taj Mahal —the image of Diana sitting solo on the diving board has become one of the most iconic images because it highlights the bittersweet isolation of Diana's life—a woman who could never be alone, but was no stranger to being lonely.

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Yacht used by Princess Diana and lover Dodi Fayed on final summer holiday sinks

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident off the coast of france, article bookmarked.

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The world-famous celebrity yacht used by Princess Diana on her final summer holiday in France has sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Cujo, once also a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the Mediterranean waves after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 2500m around 18 nautical miles off the coast.

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” said one officer. “His ship was sinking due to a leak.

“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.”

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All of those on board, including the Cujo‘s Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore uninjured.

Reports about Cujo - an Indian word that means ‘Unstoppable Force’ - dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1m refitting the boat, and wooed Diana on board, as the world’s media looked on.

This was shortly before the couple died in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Al-Fayed’s father, retail billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.

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

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world’s richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi Al-Fayed.

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

Following the death of Princess Diana and Mr Al-Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair.

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

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A Timeline of Princess Diana's Last Summer

Here's a look back at how the Princess of Wales spent her final weeks before she died in August 1997.

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Following reports of Diana's relationships with Hasnat Khan and Dodi Al-Fayed, this media buzz reached new heights during the summer of 1997. From her charity work to a Mediterranean getaway with her new friend Dodi, here's how the "People's Princess" spent her final weeks.

May 22, 1997

In May, Diana visited Lahore to help raise money for a cancer clinic set up by her close friend and Pakistani cricket star Imran Khan. At the time of the trip, there was speculation surrounding the princess' on-and-off romance with heart surgeon Hasnat Khan. Three years after her death, Imran said that his private conversations with the Princess during this visit left him in no doubt of her feelings for the doctor. "She had been involved with him for two years and she had wanted to marry him," Imran said in the television documentary Diana: Her Last Love . "It was clear that she was very deeply in love with Dr. Hasnat and I just don't think she could have got over it that quickly."

RELATED: 8 Things to Know About Hasnat Khan, Princess Diana's "Mr. Wonderful"

June 3, 1997

Diana was always passionate about dance, and after her divorce, the English National Ballet was the only non-humanitarian charity she chose to dedicate her time to. Her support and presence at fundraising galas helped to raise thousands of pounds for the company, and in June 1997, the princess met with members of the cast of Swan Lake at Royal Albert Hal l in London. She wore a turquoise Jacques Azagury dress to the event, which went on to become one of her most famous looks .

RELATED: 24 Photos That Show What Princess Diana Was Like Before Royal Life

June 18, 1997

At what would be their last meeting, Diana and Mother Teresa walked hand-in-hand through the streets of the Bronx in New York City. Reports at the time said Mother Teresa, who was in seriously poor health, blessed the princess during her 40-minute visit, which followed Diana's meeting at the White House with Hillary Clinton. On September 5 that same year, 87-year-old Mother Teresa died in Kolkata, India .

RELATED: A Look Back at Princess Diana's Life and Legacy

June 22, 1997

Later in June, Diana returned to New York to attend a gala party and launch an auction of some of her most iconic dresses with Christie's. The New York Times reported that the sale of 79 cocktail and evening dresses belonging to the princess brought in $3.25 million for the charities she supported. The sought-after designs included Victor Edelstein's ink blue velvet gown that Diana wore when she danced at the White House with John Travolta. It sold for $222,500.

June 30, 1997

Diana graced the July cover of Vanity Fair magazine only a month before her tragic death. The issue focused on how the she was coping with the divorce and attempting to rebuild her life after Prince Charles . The photographs taken by Mario Testino turned out to be the last official portraits taken of the princess. " Photographing Diana, Princess of Wales for Vanity Fair in 1997 was one of the most memorable days of my career," Testino has said .

RELATED: 15 Ways Princess Diana Broke Protocol

July 1, 1997

On her 36th birthday, the Princess attended the 100th anniversary celebration of the Tate Gallery in London. Dressed in a black gown by Jacques Azagury , she was the guest of honor at the celebrity-filled event. According to author Tina Brown, the special day was a memorable one for the princess. "She received 90 bouquets of flowers, and Harry gathered a group of classmates to sing 'Happy Birthday' to her over the telephone," Brown wrote in The Diana Chronicles . RELATED: 25 Princess Diana Quotes That Honor the "People's Princess"

July 17, 1997

In July 1997, Diana was seen on holiday in St. Tropez in the South of France. According to The Daily Express , the princess was visiting Dodi Al-Fayed, the son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed. During the trip, she stayed in the family's 30-bedroom villa, Castle St. Therese, with her sons, William and Harry. She is said to have grown close to Dodi here, and she stayed in the villa several times throughout the summer before the pair died in Paris.

July 22, 1997

After her holiday, Princess Diana joined celebrities including Elton John and Naomi Campbell at a memorial service in Milan for her friend fashion designer Gianni Versace . The Italian brand was a go-to label for the princess, who wore the label's glamorous gowns for many of her public appearances.

August 10, 1997

In August, Diana traveled to Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, where she continued to draw attention to the fight against landmines during a three-day visit. At the time, the BBC described the trip as "entirely private." She visited the homes of landmine victims and met with local disability groups and rehabilitation specialists. Prior to her departure, the British tabloids were full of speculation about Diana's friendship with Dodi.

Late August 1997

At the end of the summer, it was reported that Diana was on a cruise of the Mediterranean on Dodi's luxury yacht. They traveled from the South of France to Sardinia before flying to Paris on Saturday, August 30.

RELATED: 10 Ways Prince Harry Is Strikingly Similar to Princess Diana

August 30–31, 1997

Following their time in Sardinia, Diana and Dodi traveled to Paris together. After a dinner at the Ritz Hotel that evening, they left in a limousine and were pursued by photographers on motorbikes. The chase led to tragedy in an underpass in the French capital. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Diana, Dodi, and their chauffeur Henri Paul were killed when their car crashed in Pont de l'Alma tunnel.

September 6, 1997

Six days after her death, Diana was laid to rest at her family estate in Althorp , England. Her funeral at Westminster Abbey was watched or listened to by an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide, and around 1 million people lined the streets of London to pay their last respects. Outside her home at Kensington Palace, a carpet of floral tributes stretched out into Kensington Gardens. Two decades later, a memorial garden opened at the princess' former home , where her son William, the Duke of Cambridge; his wife, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge; and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, now live.

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This Old Photo of Princess Diana Is Going Viral—and the Reason Is Particularly Poignant

It's sort of staggering to realize we're approaching the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's death on August 31, 1997. That may be the reason it caught us off guard when our social media feeds were suddenly populated with a striking—and poignant—image of Diana, snapped exactly one week before she passed away, following a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris.

The image shows Diana, sitting on a diving board attached to the edge of Mohamed Al Fayed's private yacht called the 'Jonikal' while on vacation with her new beau, Dodi Al Fayed, in the South of France.

Her feet are dangling over the edge as a lone seagull swoops overhead—the only sign of life around the Princess of Wales as she sits solo, taking in the view.

For royal watchers, many compared the image to another iconic shot where Diana was pictured looking contemplative and seated alone. In 1992, mere months before she and Prince Charles were to formally announce their separation, the pair traveled to India on a royal tour. But while Charles was away at another meeting, Diana appeared in front of the Taj Mahal—an eternal monument of a husband's love—all by herself.

Back to the Jonikal: What stands out about that shot, beyond the context of what was to come in a week's time, is Diana's serenity. She appears to have a look of inner calm. In those final days, had Diana, a woman tortured by the tabloids and pictured here in a rare moment of solitude—ironically, caught by a camera—found her bliss?

A picture is worth a thousand words, of course, and we'll never know what Diana was thinking out there on the diving board. What we do know is that she was fresh off a visit from her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and approaching the one-year anniversary of her divorce from Prince Charles.

But that's what makes one of the final photos of the Princess of Wales so breathtaking and, ultimately, haunting. A brand-new future was before her and we—the royal voyeurs—can't help but feel contemplative as we stare at this shot. "What could have been?," we will forever wonder.

For more about the royals,  listen to the Royally Obsessed podcast  with co-hosts Rachel Bowie and Roberta Fiorito. Subscribe now or follow us on Instagram  @royallyobsessedpodcast .

The Trailer for HBO's "The Princess," a Doc About Princess Diana's Public Life, Just Dropped (& It's Giving Us Chills)

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Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's iconic love boat is now at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea

• The yacht on which Princess Diana holidayed with Dodi Fayed is now at the bottom of the sea, per The Times .
• The boat, named Cujo, sank after it collided with an unidentified object off the French Riviera.
• Cujo has changed hands multiple times in recent years and was most recently owned by a wealthy Italian family.

The yacht where Princess Diana spent part of her last summer with Dodi Fayed has sunk to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

The boat, named Cujo, sank on July 29 after colliding with an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, The Times reported.

The Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes uploaded a statement onto their Facebook page confirming that they responded to a distress call from a boat that was in trouble about 35 kilometers, or 22 miles, off the coast.

By the time the coast guards arrived at the scene, the yacht was already partially submerged.

"The distressed yacht is already starting to sink from the front and the 7 shipwrecked are just next to it in a life raft," the statement said. "The cabins of the yacht are already flooded, only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck can be retrieved."

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The Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes added that they would remain in the area to monitor pollution because the yacht sank with almost 7,000 liters of diesel in its tanks.

When Insider reached out to the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes for direct confirmation of the boat's identity, the organization told Insider "to search via Google."

Cujo made international headlines in 1997 when Princess Diana was photographed onboard with its then-owner Fayed, per Robb Report .

That summer, Princess Diana was also photographed onboard another yacht owned by Fayed's father, the Jonikal — which was subsequently renamed Sokar, per The Times.

Mere weeks later, the two of them died in a car crash in Paris while trying to escape the paparazzi.

Following their deaths, Cujo fell into disrepair and was decommissioned in 1999, per Robb Report. After a few years in storage, Fayed's cousin, Moody Al-Fayed, spent over $1 million restoring the boat before he sold it to a British car collector Simon Kidston for €160,000, or $175,400.

Kidston subsequently sold the boat to its current owner in 2021, he told Robb Report.

"A young member of a prominent Italian business family—he's 30 years old—had seen Cujoin Lavagna, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale," Kidston told Robb Report.

Watch: The rise and fall of the cruise industry

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Elizabeth Debicki Recreates Princess Diana's 1997 French Riviera Trip for 'The Crown'

The series continues to film season 6 as it prepares to return to Netflix with season 5.

As filming continues on season 6 of The Crown , Elizabeth Debicki was spotted in costume as Diana on her 1997 summer trip to the French Riviera. The Australian actress was even seen wearing an animal print swimsuit nearly identical to the one worn by the late princess . 

The now famous leopard-print swimsuit by Jantzen was originally worn by Diana when she went on a summer boat trip with Dodi al-Fayed. The two were photographed off the coast of Saint-Tropez, France, in July 1997 just one month before both were killed in a tragic car accident in Paris. 

Debicki's latest twinning look should not be confused with another water-filled holiday that saw Diana wearing another, similar animal print swimsuit. That suit, which came complete with a matching sarong, was likely made by Gottex, which was a brand available at the popular luxury department store, Harrods, at the time. 

That trip, which is featured in season 5, saw Diana on holiday with her kids, Princes William and Harry, and other members of her family as they visited Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands in April 1990. 

The looks, however, are just two of many that Debicki and the series have recreated as The Crown moves into the '90s era of the royal family and focuses on the fallout surrounding Diana's marriage and subsequent divorce from Prince Charles. 

"That's the amazing thing about playing these people at this time, because in the journey of The Crown so far out of all the seasons, this is the most visual content we have of the royal family," Debicki said of portraying Diana in the upcoming episodes. "In the ‘90s, everything had started to be filmed and also it was the birth of the 24-hour news cycle so there's just this incredible amount of content that we have access to."

She added, "Diana was the most photographed person in the world at that time. As an actor, you open the portal and this huge tsunami of information comes at you. I happily swam around in it."

In addition to Debicki as Diana, season 5, which premieres on Nov. 9, also stars Dominic West as Charles and Khalid Abdalla as Dodi. 

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Insights into historical images from the yachting world

Whether getting hands-on in sailing regattas, hosting exclusive parties on board some of the world's largest superyachts , or escaping persistent paparazzi in secluded spots, royalty and high society have long been bound to the yachting world. Luckily, many of these moments have been captured on film for historical aficionados to obsess over. BOAT flicks through the yachting archives to dig deeper into the contexts behind four breathtaking photos... 

The prince of sails

Sporty, casual and semi-clothed – this 1979 shot of Great Britain’s then-Prince Charles is not what you’d expect from a monarch who today is most commonly interviewed wearing tweed in country gardens. It was part of an early morning photo shoot on Cottesloe Beach in Perth, Western Australia, designed to pep up the image of a member of the royal family who was already seen as shy, reserved and uncomfortable in the limelight.

Photographer Kent Gavin threw a grenade into the set-up by asking a model, wearing only a bikini, to run up and kiss the prince as he emerged from the water, resulting in perhaps the most famous image of the day. This shot of Charles windsurfing, while certainly less headline-grabbing, is perhaps more revealing of its subject, displaying solid technique and a look of determination.

Sports such as windsurfing, sailing and skiing are often popular with those who have high-pressure jobs, since they are all-consuming, entirely engaging both the body and the mind – no scope for extraneous worries and their physical knock-ons.

Marella Agnelli is today best known as one of Truman Capote’s “Swans” — the coterie of New York socialites ruled by the formidable Vogue fashion editor Babe Paley that the author befriended and immortalised in a scandalous Esquire piece known as La Côte Basque (more recently adapted for television, starring Naomi Watts as Paley). The group epitomied 1960s style and elegance, and Agnelli was perhaps the most elegant of them all. Capote, as reported by his friend Katherine Graham, once said that if Paley and Agnelli “were both in Tiffany’s window, Marella would be more expensive.”

Agnelli was a tastemaker accomplished in photography and fabric design, and she also wrote furiously (for Vogue and books about gardening). She is pictured here in 1962 with fellow Swan Jackie Kennedy in Amalfi, from where the two would board Agneta , the yacht belonging to Marella’s husband, Gianni Agnelli. 

The industrialist and Fiat boss, at one time the richest man in Italy, loved beautiful things ­— and Agneta was certainly ravishing. The classic mahogany yawl designed by Knud Reimers , launched in 1950 and bought by Agnelli in 1959, features silver spruce spars, burgundy sails and a marble fireplace in the owner’s cabin. She provided both performance on the Med regatta racing circuit, and a suitably stylish retreat for the Agnellis and their illustrious guests.

The couple also amassed an impressive art collection, including commissions by Andy Warhol. But the most valuable jewel in Gianni’s life would always be Marella.

The self-made man and the princess

There's a lot to say about Mohamed Al-Fayed, the rags-to-ritches former owner of Harrods, who died in August 2023. By turns bullyish, generous and flamboyant, his "not-quite-cricket" business dealings blocked his reception into English high society – and a much-longed-for British passport (he was born in the slums of Alexandria in Egypt). But he is now perhaps best known for his association with Diana, Princess of Wales, who was girlfriend to his son, Dodi. After the pair were killed in a car crash in Paris, Al-Fayed's deep, bitter grief was plastered all over the front pages of the British tabloids.

The paparazzi image taken in Portofino, among the most famous informal "portraits" of the princess post-divorce, was taken on Al-Fayed's yacht Jonikal , seven days before the car crash in August 1997. She had visited the yacht with her sons just a month earlier, as part of a trip to Saint-Tropez, an experience that Prince Harry described in his 2023 memoir Spare: "Everything about that trip to Saint-Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling."

The 63.8-metre yacht itself was commissioned by Al-Fayed and delivered in 1990. Built by Codecasa , Jonikal was sold not long after the tragedy. She has run through a couple of different owners and names – plus an interior refit by H2 Yacht Design – and was most recently sold by Lebanese telecoms magnate Bassim Haidar (she was asking €15,500,000). It was perhaps a bitter irony for Al-Fayed that the car crash that killed his son was the event that linked him indelibly with the royal family, from whom he at one time craved acceptance. The yacht, now known as Isabelle Princess of the Seas , is a part of that story, but perhaps a happier chapter.

High jinks on the Amazon

Taking a superyacht up the Amazon is a rare thing in 2023, but in 1987 it was practically unheard of. With its swift currents and constantly shifting sandbanks, the river is not for the faint heart. But nothing fazed Malcolm Forbes, the legendary publishing baron who ruled the New York scene during this era, more often than not from his 50-metre yacht, The Highlander . 

"He was many things – boss, bon vivant, raconteur, balloonist, columnist, happiest millionaire, leader of the pack, oyabun, el jefe, mentor, friend, super-this, mega-that; father, grandfather, father-in-law, uncle, cousin and ever the sparkling naughty boy," his son Bob once wrote.

Forbes would regale guests with his hair-raising adventures at glittering parties on board The Highlander. This portrait, taken from the Forbes family archives, shows a typically smiling Forbes in his signature blue blazer and grey flannels posing proudly in front of his beloved boat. Precise details of where and why this portrait have been lost in the mists of time – but look a little closer and there's a clue: a large scrape just above the waterline, most likely caused by tree trunks and root balls slamming into the boat as it pushed its way through the Amazon.

Turns out it wasn't the only time The Highlander battled nature on that expedition – in fact it took some quick thinking from a former king to free the boat's propellers as they later got tangled with some vines.

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Princess Diana's family home prompts fans to share love for 'amazing' new view

The late princess' brother earl spencer is now custodian of the historic estate.

The conservation manager of Althorp House, where Princess Diana lived as a teenager and was laid to rest following her tragic death in 1997 , shared a sweet glimpse of some unexpected wildlife at the weekend. 

Taking to Twitter, Adey Greeno shared an incredible shot of an ibis on the water, dipping its head for some food. "Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)," he captioned the photo, adding: "I was busy watching a cuckoo when I noticed the ibis feeding in the shallows. [email protected]." 

His followers clearly loved the image as they rushed to 'like' it , with one commenting: "I lost count of how many birds species are at Althorp Estate. What an amazing collection of beautiful creatures". 

Adey recently shared a glorious view of some more birds enjoying the beautiful scenery at Oval Lake, close to where the late Princess was laid to rest. The longtime Althorp employee posted an image that showed ducks and geese swimming in the spring sunshine. 

He captioned it: "Ducks and geese on the round oval lake @AlthorpHouse. I saw the first goslings today that have hatched off in the park, they were being led down to the lake by both attentive parent birds." 

Adey shared the sweet glimpse on social media

All About Althorp 

The estate is a grade 1 listed stately home located five miles north west of Northampton, between the villages of Great Brington and Harlestone.

 It's been in the Spencer family for over 500 years and is set on 13,000 acres in Northamptonshire , 550 of which are the house and gardens.

Charles Spencer, Princess Diana's only brother , who recently released a poignant memoir detailing his difficult experience at boarding school , took on the role of custodian when he became the 9th Earl Spencer after his father John died in 1992. 

He has been dedicatedly restoring the property and grounds ever since, and he and his wife Karen like to share updates from the historic house and grounds. 

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Last year, the Countess revealed that they had uncovered the footings for an old boat house underneath the mesmerising water. 

Diana's Althorp 'dream' 

As her brother explained in an interview years later, Princess Diana originally wanted to move back to the property after her divorce from King Charles (then Prince Charles). 

"Diana had a lovely dream that she could live a normal life afterward," he said. "But the one house that she set her heart on in the park [at the family home of Althorp] was three bedrooms and 100 yards from the road. And it was just not possible. 

"The police knew it wouldn’t work. I offered every other property that was suitable on the estate. I really felt it was the right decision for her. But she probably couldn't see it." 

The late royal originally moved to the estate when she was 14 and her younger brother was 11, before moving to her own flat in London and then getting engaged to the future King. 

Diana's other homes

Later, Diana shared Highgrove House near Gloucestershire, and an apartment in Kensington Palace with Charles and their two children. She remained at the Palace following the divorce.

LISTEN: All about Prince Harry's solo return to the UK...

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Princess Diana’s Beloved Cannes Film Festival Dress Paid Homage to Both Princess Grace of Monaco and the South of France

“As with all of Diana’s looks, a lot of thought and preparation had gone into the moment.”

When Prince Charles and Princess Diana attended the 40th Cannes Film Festival in May 1987, they were there for a whirlwind 10-hour visit, one that saw the Prince and Princess of Wales meet and greet and mingle with a bevy of Hollywood’s finest actors and actresses. 

Charles and Diana's trip to Cannes in May 1987 was brief, as the couple were only on the ground for about 10 hours before heading back to London.

There to promote and support the British film industry, after touching down in Nice, France, they toured the British film pavilion, spent some time relaxing on a private yacht, and emerged that evening in full Hollywood glamor to attend a screening of the Bette Davis movie The Whales of August and a gala dinner, where Sir Alec Guinness was the guest of honor. While at the dinner, they were joined by an impressive group of British actors and actresses, and after, hopped on a plane to head directly back to London.

As ever, Diana’s fashion stole the show. Her soft blue Catherine Walker gown—a tulle strapless dress—was accompanied by “a matching chiffon scarf that looped around her neck and billowed out behind her as she walked,” British Vogue describes. (As Newsweek put it, the scarf was dramatically noticed as it kept “catching the breeze that was high on the evening of the film screening.") Diana’s dress, actually, was inspired by what the outlet calls “one of the original icons of the French film festival,” Grace Kelly. Grace—an Academy Award-winning actress—actually met her future husband, Prince Rainier of Monaco, while attending the famed film festival; after meeting in April 1955, the two were married almost exactly a year later, in April 1956. 

This Grace Kelly look from 1955's "To Catch A Thief" served as Diana's inspiration for her 1987 Cannes gown.

In this look, Diana paid homage not just to Grace Kelly (a famous icon of Cannes, and later the Princess of Monaco) but also the South of France.

Diana and her designer, Catherine Walker, were inspired by the blue Edith Head gown that Grace wore in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 film To Catch A Thief , “which, fittingly, was filmed on the French Riviera,” British Vogue writes. Grace’s character Frances Stevens’ “Grecian-style gown was made from two shades of powder blue, with a matching chiffon shawl attached to one of the spaghetti straps,” the outlet continues. “She [Grace] wore no jewelry, in order to keep the focus solely on the drama of the sweeping tulle dress.” The cool shade of blue was chosen purposefully to reflect the icy character of Frances Stevens, as Hitchcock himself explained in a 1962 interview: “I deliberately photographed Grace Kelly ice-cold and I kept cutting to her profile, looking classical, beautiful, and very distant,” he said.

Diana’s decision to wear this gown—which she paired with flat baby blue shoes, aquamarine and diamond chandelier earrings, and a matching bracelet—was very intentional: “As with all of Diana’s looks, a lot of thought and preparation had gone into the moment,” Tatler reports. 

Diana was a genius sartorially, and always put ample thought into her outfit choices, many of them filled with meaning and symbolism.

Catherine Walker, who designed this dress, was a designer frequently employed by the Princess of Wales.

As Marie Claire previously reported, Diana and Grace had met before, in March 1981, soon after Diana’s engagement to Charles was announced, and when she was still Lady Diana Spencer. (Charles and Diana would marry four months later on July 29.) As detailed in J. Randy Taraborrelli’s book Once Upon a Time: Behind the Fairy Tale of Princess Grace and Prince Rainier , Diana burst into tears in front of Grace while she was touching up her makeup in the ladies’ room mirror. Grace, too, had married into a royal family—hers the House of Grimaldi—25 years prior; Diana “also said that she now realized more than ever how unbearable it would be to have so many people jostling for her attention, asking questions, not only of her, but of anyone who knew her,” Taraborrelli wrote. “She foresaw a life totally devoid of privacy. She was frightened. What could she do? She was certainly asking the right woman for advice. Grace had always known how to use her celebrity to her advantage, whereas Diana seemed to shrivel under the spotlight’s glare.”

If in that moment Diana was looking for reassuring words of comfort from Grace, she must have felt disappointed. Grace, then 51, put her arms around 19-year-old Diana and patted her on the shoulder. Grace then put one hand on each of Diana’s cheeks, cupping her face. “Don’t worry, dear,” Grace told Diana with a gentle smile. “You see, it’ll only get worse.”

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Diana and Grace on the night they met in March 1981.

The Prince and Princess of Wales went to Cannes to promote the British film industry.

The next year, in September 1982, Grace was dead following injuries sustained in a car accident at just 52 years old; Diana, eerily, would meet the same fate—dying in a car accident—but she at just 36 years old in August 1997. Long before that, though, Diana attended Grace’s funeral, just three months after giving birth to her first child, Prince William , in June 1982. Diana later told her biographer Andrew Morton that she found Grace to be “wonderful and serene,” but concluded “there was troubled water under her. I saw that.”

For her homage to Grace five years after her death, “Diana wore a pair of earrings with diamond floral studs and pear-shaped aquamarine drops set in a slender diamond frame," The Court Jeweller reports. “She also wore an aquamarine and diamond bracelet on her right wrist.” Both Grace’s and Diana’s gowns “are considered important parts of fashion history,” British Vogue writes, and Diana’s dress was widely praised—with the tribute to Grace not going unnoticed. 

Diana's homage to Grace did not go unnoticed by the media.

The dress was well received, and both Diana and Grace's similar gowns both have a place in fashion history.

Diana apparently liked the gown enough to wear it again, and in relatively short order, wearing it again to the premiere of the 1989 musical Miss Saigon . It was later chosen by Diana to be a part of her 1997 auctioning of 79 of her most iconic dresses with Christie’s auction house, and the dress sold for $70,700 (which amounts to over $100,000 today). The buyer of the dress back in 1997 was the U.S. cable TV station Romance Classics, which, after Diana died, displayed the dress to raise funds for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. From there, the dress was put up for auction again in 2011, at the L.A.-based Julien’s Auction House as part of its Hollywood Legends Memorabilia sale, but wasn’t sold until 2013. It sold for over $132,000, with the proceeds going to a children’s charity, and now forms part of the collection belonging to the Chilean fashion museum, the Museo de la Moda. In 2017, the gown was displayed at Diana’s former home, Kensington Palace , in a special exhibition honoring the 20th anniversary of her death.

Diana apparently liked the dress, as she opted to wear it again two years later; it was also chosen as one of her 79 most iconic dresses as part of her Christie's auction in 1997.

It has been sold a couple of times since 1997 and has been a part of a few exhibitions, including one at Kensington Palace, Diana's former home, in 2017.

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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