#Fay Roberts | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ljaylmaoo · 5 months ago

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Unexpected

Hook x fem!la bouff!reader

UNEDITED

request: hello! i rarely do any requests but i was wondering if you could write a hook x fem reader where reader is charlotte la bouff's daughter (or if you want to make the timelines match up then charlottes sister) and she's rich and her and hook are secretly dating. thx!! 💕

summary: you and Hook have been secretly dating for the past six months but what happens when your sister Charlotte and best friend Bridget set you up on a date with someone who isn't him?

genre: fluff, a bit of angst?, and more fluff

warnings: mature in terms of language, mention of sex (not much), making out, kisses, argument, dirty joke made by Hook, i think that's it

a/n: sorry it took so long to get this out anon! life can sometimes be a pain in the butt lol, I fixed up a few things in this because i didn't like the way it was going but haven't actually read through it so if there's any errors i apologize. i may fix this up later when i have the time because i feel I could’ve done better but right now i'm just trying to finish the requests i got over the time of writing this. i hope you all enjoy :)

word count: 4.7k

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“I’m sorry, you two did what?”

You stared at the two bubbly girls who stood in front of you who buzzed with excitement, an almost horrified expression plastered across your face, "we set you up on a blind date for tomorrow during lunch!" Your sister Charlotte repeated proudly as Bridget squealed from excitement beside her. Charlotte has always been obsessed with the idea of love and fairytales. Everything about it she has always adored since you were kids, 'The Frog Prince' being her favourite story growing up which had sparked her dream of finding her true love, preferably a prince, and marrying them one day and wanting the same for you. She was in love with love. Bridget was similar but really only wanted what was best for her loved ones. It wasn't just about love for her, she wanted everyone to succeed in any aspect of life, and as of right now for you, it was love.

Now the reason why the two decided to set you up themselves is because you never showed any interest in love and made it known that you didn't really care for it. Every time the topic came up with the two, you would simply go quiet or try to change the subject if it was directed to you as it always seemed to make you uncomfortable. You "despised" it. Or so they thought.

You gave them a disgusted look, "what! Why?" Bridget giggled, "well, we thought we would help you out. We know you're not the biggest fan of relationships and love.." she trailed off, "but maybe if this goes well, you'll see that it isn't as bad as much as you think!" She said with a hopeful tone, Charlotte nodding in agreement. You rolled your eyes and raised your voice a little, "no way!" making Bridgets smile falter slightly. You felt bad for your rude attitude towards them as you knew they only did this out of the goodness of their hearts and you knew where they were coming from.

You didn't actually "hate" love as much as you made it seem. In fact, you were already in a loving relationship of six months with none other than the James Hook, the pretty brunette pirate who was also a VK. But they didn't know that. No one knew about you and James. They couldn't. You and James established that in the very beginning of your relationship, reason being that James was a VK and you and your sister had a bit of a reputation for being rich and your father being well known for being the "most powerful" man of New Orleans. His friends would also give him a hard time if they found out he went for a "good kid" and one of Bridget's friends of all people.

"Come on, y/n! It's just one little lunch date!" Bridget begged you, her energetic voice going up an octave as she pleaded while the two trailed behind you down the corridor of the dormitory, their pleading eyes piercing through the back of your head, "yeah Y/n! What's the worst that could happen? I mean who knows? Maybe you'll enjoy it!" You scoffed, not daring to look at them, "and if I don't?" Your sister grabbed your arm and turned you to face them, stopping you from entering your dorm, "well, I guess you won't know unless you give it a chance." She said softly, "Please y/n.. we just want to show you that it isn't as bad as you think and that there's nothing to be scared of. Love is a beautiful thing that everyone should be able to experience at least once in their life. It's okay to be afraid, but it's not okay to let that fear get in the way of you having the chance to experience that for yourself. I get that you may not be ready for the whole seriousness of it but please at least give it a try just this once? Who knows, maybe you'll find your happily ever after. And if it doesn't work out then we will never bother you again about the topic. Promise." She swore while delicately placing her hand over her heart.

You stared into your sister's eyes taking in every word she said. You felt bad that you had been lying to them about hating love. You did in fact know the way it felt and yes, it truly was an amazing feeling. You just couldn't let them know your truth on why you've been so opposed to their sweet intentions of doing this for you. It's just lunch, right? They don't expect you to be anything special with this unknown person they've set you up with? After giving it a bit of thought, you decided to agree to their request.

You sighed, "fine. I'll do it." The two girls jumped in excitement, clapping their hands together, "but I'm only doing it so you'll stop bothering me about it." The two girls giggled, "I knew we could convince her!" Bridget beamed, Charlotte picking her up and spinning her around as she squealed, "I know! Now come on, we have some more planning to do! See ya tomorrow, sis!" She yelled as she and Bridget ran hand in hand back down the hall giggling as you watched. You shook your head and couldn't help but smile, letting out a small laugh, you loved making your friends happy.

You opened the door and proceeded inside your dorm, "a date, huh?" You stopped in your tracks and jumped as you heard the voice of your boyfriend and quickly glanced up to see James sitting up on the edge of your bed, "Jesus! How long have you been in here? School literally just ended" he laughed, "I had a free period" he replied, a vicious smirk growing, "Merlin had to deal with an emergency and cancelled class." You sighed, "oh no, what did you do this time?" You crossed your arms giving him a disapproving look, he stood up and strutted over to you, "oh don't worry love, it wasn't me this time." He caressed your face, "Morgs and Hades casted a levitation spell on the books in the library." He chuckled as he recalled, you shook your head and sighed, "and then..?" You waited for him to continue earning a confused look from him, "what?" You walked past him and over to your desk beside your bed, "I find it hard to believe that's all you guys did." You stated while placing your homework on your desk as he waited for you to continue, "it was obviously just a distraction." You finished

Hook cautiously wandered up to you with a slow pace, "okay, so maybe Mali and Uli might've also sprinkled something in the cookie batter for tomorrows dessert.." you raised your eyebrows, "I suggest you don't eat any.." he nervously laughed while sitting on your bed beside you, "but me personally no, I didn't do anything this time darling, promise." He took your hand and pulled you down to sit on the bed with him, "now, tell me about this date your sister and friend set up for you." He said in an almost disgusted tone. He always had trouble with hiding his judgmental facial expressions and tone of voice. You sighed, "James, it's just lunch."

"Yeah, but with another guy? Absolutely not." He declared while rolling his eyes at the thought of you being with anyone other than him. You turned to face him fully, "look I know how it sounds, but I only said yes to it because I knew they wouldn't stop begging me until I said yes." He shook his head, "nope, I'm sorry but I cannot let you go out with a boring goody good twat." You raised your eyebrows at his choice of words, and at the fact that he thinks he had the right to control you, it made you upset. "What gives you the right to be able to control what I do?" You sat up straighter on the bed as you stared at him in confusion, anger visible on your now furrowed brows "I'm sorry but I have no choice, James. They don't know that I'm already in a relationship with you and they can't. No one can. We both know that."

James was now upset, jealousy turning to anger as it pulsed through his veins, "yes I know that, obviously." He retorted in a rude tone, "I just don't understand why you still decided to agree to go on this date when you're already in a relationship. What? Just so you can make your annoying little friend and bratty sister happy?" You took a deep breath in anger and stood up, "okay, woah! First of all, you do not get to call Bridget and Charlotte names." You crossed your arms, "I know your hot headed and rather cruel friend group have a very strong disliking towards my friends because they aren't as miserable as them and actually enjoy life. But you do not get to call Bridget annoying or Charlotte a brat just because you're jealous at the fact that I have to go to lunch with someone I don't know and frankly, I don't even want to go on in the first place." James scoffed, "jealous? Me? Oh darling, never." He laughed. Obviously he was jealous, but he had a tendency to hide his insecurities with believable arrogance that even sometimes he started to believe himself.

You groaned in frustration, "yes, Hook! Jealous." You snapped back, "sometimes, actually no, most times you can be so arrogant and full of yourself it gets to be quite annoying." He stood up, your eyes following his figure as he proceeded to yell at you for "having the audacity to shit talk his friends". Your argument went back and forth for a good few minutes. Both taking shots at each other's friends and personalities until finally Hook stopped you when you got in his face about to drag on the argument, his hands rested on your arms as he sighed, "love" he started, the nickname instantly and involuntarily calming you down, your face resting as you waited for him to continue, "lets stop arguing shall we?" He took your hands in his, "this isn't healthy for us. Letting someone we both don't even know get in between us." You looked up into his brown doe eyes before getting pulled into a hug by him, "I'm sorry for getting angry at you. I just don't like the thought of you being with someone else." You eased into his arms, relaxing your tensed body, "I know, I don't like the thought of it either, but I'm doing it for my sister and B." The two of you made up, talking everything out that then lead to a heated make out session with you straddling his lap, hands tangled in his swept back hair as he held the small of your back with his hook and his hand up your shirt.

You both came to a halt at the sound of a knock at your door, fear in your eyes as you heard the sound of Charlotte and Bridget's voices from the other side calling your name, James instantly took his hand out from under your shirt and you jumped off his lap pulling him to hide behind the door. You quickly fixed yourself up before opening the door, "hey, what's up?" You said trying your best to sound as casual as possible, exhaling heavily. Charlotte eyed you with suspicion, "uh, why did you take so long to open the door?" You tilted your head, "yeah, and why are you so out of breath?" Bridget added, you quickly glanced at Hook who was trying his best to stay quiet, "I was in the middle cleaning my room." You lied, "ookay, well we just wanted to ask you about dessert because someone here decided to use all of her flour for the cupcake batches she made last night." Charlotte explained while glaring at Bridget, "hey! I'm sorry! I was working on a new recipe!" She turned to you who was simply staring at them, "it includes flamingo feathers" she explained, you only nodding in faux interest. "It doesn't mean you had to go and use up a whole bag of flour!" Charlotte replied. You sighed, looking over at James who was just as bored as you, listening to them bicker back and forth which was keeping you two from your previous activities. You rolled your eyes, "guys, guys, okay, guys.." You repeated, trying but failing to interrupt their argument, "you guys!" You finally raised your voice, gaining their attention, "what was it that you wanted to ask? I would love to get back to cleaning my room preferably sometime this week." you said sarcastically, the two girls snapping out of it, "oh, right. We were wondering if you were alright with the cookies from the cafeteria for dessert." You looked over at Hook who rapidly shook his head and mouthed the word 'no' reminding you about what they had done to the batter.

"Y/n?" You looked back over at them in panic, "uh, I don't like the cookies from there." You said, "too dry." Hook silently sighed in relief, "you're right. What about brownies then?" You shrugged, "yeah I'm fine with that." They smiled, "okay brownies it is then" You smiled back at them, "okay well now that that's settled, I need to get back to cleaning, I'll see you guys tomorrow?" They nodded and turned, "okay, bye Y/n/n!" You waved and closed your door exhaling. "god I thought they'd never leave" Hook admitted, fixing his hair. You turned to him letting out a small laugh, "sorry about that" coming closer to him, his hands finding their way back to your waist. The two of you enjoyed the thrill of sneaking around, finding the risk of people finding out about your relationship almost exhilarating. You cupped his face and continued kissing him.

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The next morning you were doing your make up before school when James swiftly snuck into your dorm, slamming the door shut behind him. You looked over at him, a look of distress evident on his face as he had his back rested up against the door. "You okay, love?" You questioned, "no!" He cried, you got up and walked closer to him, "why? Whats wrong?" You asked genuinely concerned. He ran up to you and pulled you into his arms, squeezing you tightly as he buried his head into the crook of your neck, "the thought that you have a date with someone else today has been killing me!" He whined. You couldn't help but giggle at his clinginess and jealousy, it was rare for him not to mask it, there has been times like this before but it has never gotten this severe as you've never had to go on a date with someone other than him. You hugged him just as tight, "oh James, it's okay" you smiled, "how about tonight after curfew we can go to the garden and have a date of our own? A real one." You suggested. He slowly lifted his head off your shoulder and looked at you, "but what if he treats you better? What if you actually do end up falling in love with him and you'd want to be with him instead of me?" He rambled on, speaking the thoughts that had been invading his head all night and morning aloud. "Hey, hey, that's not gonna happen. I promise! No one can or will ever replace you my love." You kissed him softly, "plus no one's as handsome or attractive as you." He grinned, "yeah, I know" You playfully rolled your eyes, "exactly, I don't even have to tell you that cause you already know it's true." He continued smiling, "you don't, but I just like hearing it come out of that pretty mouth of yours." You scoffed and shook your head, "and yet I question why your ego's so big." You pulled away and went to sit back down at your vanity with him following behind, "well I'd probably say it's because the way you scream my name in bed like you did last ni-" you smacked his chest chest, "oh my god, shut up James." You scolded before sitting down on the chair, he only shrugged, "I'm just saying that I'd be surprised if everyone on your floor still don't know we're together after that." You glared at him and picked up your blush and brush and began applying it to your face with light strokes.

He watched you in admiration with a soft smile, "god you're gorgeous darling" he quietly his thoughts out loud again this time in a whisper. You looked up at him in the mirror and met his gaze, a shy smile creeping up, "you're so sweet" he gently cupped the side of your face and placed a kiss on your forehead from above, "I'll see you after school, yeah?" You nodded and gave him one more peck on the lips, "of course." He walked back to the door, "okay, I love you." You smiled, "I love you too."

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You were on your way to class with Bridget and Charlotte, the two telling you about how much they think you'd enjoy the date and that you had nothing to be afraid of when Uliana had come up to you guys, purposely bumping into Bridget as she harshly shoved her causing her to fall, "oops, sorry! Didn't see you there." She giggled evilly. "Hey watch it inky!" You immediately stood up for your pink haired friend while Charlotte helped her up. The VK's all stopped and turned back to you, you looked over at your boyfriend who had a dreaded look on his face, "excuse me?" Uliana stepped closer, Bridget and Charlotte taking a step back behind you in fear, you sighed in annoyance, "I said to watch where you're going." Bridget hiding closer behind you with a squeak while peaking over your shoulder. Uliana glanced at her friends and let out a laugh, "I'm sorry, princess. It's not my fault she's so invisible." She stated, Morgie, Maleficent and Hades looking at you with the same hatred in their eyes as her while Hook was simply watching in silence. "Says the one who has to wear platform boots to not look like a seven year old that I personally find to be a bit tacky." Hook and Charlotte stifled a laugh from escaping their mouths at the insult as you continued, "If you would like some fashion advice, I'd be happy to help" you smiled a painfully fake smile, Uliana stepped closer stopping just inches from your face, the rest of them following, "you keep talking and you'll regret it, so I suggest you watch your mouth and get to class." She hissed, you crossed your arms and stood up straighter, "oh yeah? And what if I don't?" There was a worried look on Hooks face as he was ready to intervene but as Uliana was about to reply she was cut off by the bell causing him and your friends to sigh in relief. You gave her and the group one last smile, "maybe next time. See ya" you shrugged before pushing Bridget and Charlotte away from the group who were still standing in the same spot watching as you strolled down the hall untouched, winking at your boyfriend before turning around.

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Lunch had finally come around and you were on your way to the courtyard where your date was going to be when you were pulled into a dark, empty classroom causing you to squeal. Your mouth was then covered when you were placed up against the wall out of sight. It was Hook who had an unreadable expression on his face, he slowly took his hand off your mouth and you instantly started talking, "what are you doing?!" You whisper yelled, he shushed you as he peeked around the door waiting for the last bit of people to disappear into the cafeteria. You crossed your arms impatiently as he finally turned to you, "why did you have to go and choose a fight with Uli?!" He began, you let out a breathless scoff, "what the hell do you mean by "choose a fight"? She was the one who started it! I was only standing up for B." He sighed, "yeah? Well now she's been non stop talking about you about how she wants to quite literally kill you." You raised your eyebrows, "her words, not mine." He corrected. You shrugged unbothered, "if it means she's gonna stop bothering Bridget, I'm fine with that." He shook his head, "love, I just want you to be careful. You know how much of a bitch she can be, and she has no limits whatsoever. So please, I'm just looking out for you." You took in his words, sighing and nodding and stopped when you heard Bridget and Charlotte talking in the hallway, "where is she? She said she'd be here." You made eye contact with him while you listened to their conversation, "do you think she bailed?" The other sighed, "I wouldn't put it past her." After hearing that, without thinking, you instantly walked out of the classroom and into the hall, you saw the worried expressions wash away as they relaxed, "oh thank goodness you're here. Uh, what were you doing with him?" You tilted your head in confusion and turned to see Hook who seemed to have walked out right after you, you looked back at them, "was he picking on you?" Bridget asked, the worried expression found its way back to her face. You nodded, "yeah, it was just a bunch of empty threats though. I'm fine." You said simply, "y/n, you should be more carefu-" she cut herself off, "you know what never mind, you have a date to get to!" The two started pulling you towards the courtyard, "it's all set up, you're gonna love it!" They explained.

When you entered the courtyard, you saw people scattered around the area, talking and going about their daily lives as always. You then spotted a table with a little cloth over it and a picnic basket and candle on top. You found it cute that your friends did all this just for you. You then looked at the guy sitting there and instantly recognized him as one of the defenders on the tourney team. You took a deep shaky breath, all the guys on the team were assholes and tools. But you decided to trust their better judgement and walked over to him. He looked up at you and stood up, "hey, I'm Daniel." He stuck his hand out to greet you, you smiled, "y/n. Nice to meet you." The two of you sat down, "so how'd B and Charlotte convince you to do this?" You laughed, he smiled, "they didn't have to, they just told me there would be free food and I couldn't turn that down." You both laughed. So far so good.

Hook observed from afar, leaning up against a tree, jealousy and anger bubbled within as he watched as you forced a laugh out while the guy talked. He didn't like how the guy didn't let you talk or how obnoxious he was. Though it wasn't a real date, or so you claimed, he still hated to see someone treat you so poorly. He could see the forced smile on your face, trying your best to act interested in what he was saying. Hook knew you better than anyone, including your own sister, so he knew you were bored and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. "Hey J, whatcha up to?" Morgie came up from behind him causing him to jump a little, Morgie followed his eye line and smiled, "nothing, just observing.." he said with a disgusted tone which was thankfully perceived as being disgusted by you and not jealousy. Morgie simply nodded, "well, Uli told me to come find you, she has a plan she wanted to share." Hook nodded, not taking his eyes off you, "okay, I'll..." he trailed off when he saw the guy stand up and gave you his hand to take and watched intently as he leaned in with you slowly backing away, "fuck that." he instantly ran up to you, yanking you away and pulling you into a kiss instead causing you to gasp. You pulled away, "what are you-" you stared into his eyes and immediately kissed him again laying your hands on his chest. His soft lips on yours as he pulled you closer, deepening the kiss. You heard audible gasps from Bridget and Charlotte and some whispering from others, Daniel was about to protest but understood what was happening and walked off. You broke the kiss and stared into his eyes, "I love you." You whispered while brushing his hair back that covered his face, he smiled, "I love you too."

"Y/n!" You jumped at the sound of Charlotte's angered voice and looked to the two, her face filled with confused frustration and Bridget beside her with a surprised look, "uh, yeah..?" You said nervously, "I can't believe this." You sighed, ready for the long rant on how it was unacceptable for you to be with a VK. "Look, I'm sorry but.." Charlotte shook her head, "I can't believe you didn't tell us!" Bridget's face lit up, "yeah! Oh my gosh! Y/n, I'm so proud of you!" She enveloped you in a strong warm hug as she spun you around. “How long have you been together?” You chuckled nervously, “uh, about six months” the two girls jaws dropped in shock. After a few moments Bridget spoke up, "now that I think of it, it was so obvious I'm surprised we never put the pieces together!" You frowned, "what do you mean, obvious?" She crossed her arms with a grin, "well, he never picked on you like ever. He only ever listened to you when you would tell them to stop picking on us and today, he had a cute concerned look on his face when you stood up for me!" She thought about it and she lowered her voice, "oh my gosh... were you guys... in the classroom?!" You both shook your heads violently, "no, no, no. We weren't. I swear!" You defended. She looked over at Hook and back over at you, "okay, but does he treat you, you know? Good?" You smiled and looked over at him, "yes, he's a sweetheart actually" Bridget tilted her head in adoration of you two. "really? He's a sweetheart?" Charlotte spoke up in a surprised tone while pointing and looking him up and down, him returning the look to her, "yes, I know. Shocking." You snorted causing him to roll his eyes and the girls giggle. You looked behind the girls and met eyes with Morgie who was with the rest of the VKs who were looking at you with a glare, then the thought hit you. You turned to James, "oh... what about your friends?" He followed to where you were looking and sighed, "I'll deal with them later. I'm just happy we can finally stop hiding." You both smiled at each other lovingly and he gave you a light kiss on the forehead. "Me too."

Charlotte and Bridget being able to see you be in love made them feel like proud parents, ecstatic about the fact that their sister and best friend had possibly found her happily ever after.

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xtruss · 1 year ago

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Mohamed al-Fayed, Tycoon Whose Son Died With Diana, Is Dead At 94

An Egyptian businessman, he built an empire of trophy properties in London, Paris and elsewhere, but it was all overshadowed by a fatal car crash that stunned the world.

— By Robert D. McFadden | September 1, 2023

Mohamed al-Fayed in 2003 outside the Court of Session in Edinburgh, where a judge was asked to consider whether the car crash that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, and his son Dodi, was caused deliberately. Credit...David Cheskin/Press Association, via Associated Press

Mohamed al-Fayed, the Egyptian business tycoon whose empire of trophy properties and influence in Europe and the Middle East was overshadowed by the 1997 Paris car crash that killed his eldest son, Dodi, and Diana, the Princess of Wales, died on Wednesday. He was 94.

His death was confirmed on Friday in a statement by the Fulham Football Club in Britain, of which Mr. Fayed was a former owner. It did not say where he died.

The patriarch of a family that rose from humble origins to fabled riches, Mr. 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.

In a sense, Mr. Fayed was a citizen of the world. He had homes in London, Paris, New York, Geneva, St. Tropez and other locales; a fleet of 40 ships based in Genoa, Italy, and in Cairo; and businesses that reached from the Persian Gulf to North Africa, Europe and the Americas. He held Egyptian citizenship but rarely if ever returned to his native land.

Mr. Fayed lived and worked mostly in Britain, where for a half-century he was a quintessential outsider, scorned by the establishment in a society still embedded with old-boy networks. He clashed repeatedly with the government and business rivals over his property acquisitions and attempts to influence members of Parliament. He campaigned noisily for British citizenship, but his applications were repeatedly denied.

“It’s the colonial, imperial fantasy,” Mr. Fayed told The New York Times in 1995. “Anyone who comes from a colony, as Egypt was before, they think he’s nothing. So you prove you’re better than they are. You do things that are the talk of the town. And they think, ‘How can he? He’s only an Egyptian.’”

Mr. Fayed at a party at the venerable London department store Harrods in 1989. His takeover of the store in 1985 struck many Britons as akin to buying Big Ben. Credit...Fairchild Archive/WWD, via Penske Media, via Getty Images

He reveled in the trappings of a British aristocrat. He bought a castle in Scotland and sometimes wore a kilt; snapped up a popular British football club; cultivated Conservative prime ministers and members of Parliament; sponsored the Royal Horse Show at Windsor; and tried unsuccessfully to salvage Punch, the moribund satirical magazine that had lampooned the British establishment for 150 years.

His takeover of the venerable Harrods in 1985 struck many Britons as shameless brass, something akin to buying Big Ben. A year later, as if securing a jewel in the crown of British heritage, Mr. Fayed signed a 50-year lease on the 19th-century villa in Paris that had been the home of the former King Edward VIII of Britain and Wallis Warfield Simpson, the divorced American woman for whom he abdicated his throne in 1936.

But Mr. Fayed’s triumph as an Anglophile was the made-for-tabloids romance between his eldest son, Emad, known as Dodi, and the Princess of Wales, who had recently been divorced from Prince Charles (now King Charles III) and alienated from the royal family. It began in the summer of 1997, when Mr. Fayed invited Diana and her sons to spend some time at his home on the French Riviera and on one of his yachts. Dodi was there too.

The Egyptian-born nephew of the Saudi billionaire arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, Dodi was a notorious playboy who gave lavish parties, financed films, dated beautiful women and was once briefly married. He and Diana had been acquainted, but by many accounts they fell in love on the Mediterranean sojourn. As their romance bloomed, the British press pounced. Paparazzi hounded the couple everywhere they went.

A cameraman filmed the site of the car accident in Paris that killed Diana, Princess of Wales, and Mr. Fayed’s eldest son, Dodi al-Fayed, in 1997. Mr. Fayed declared that they had been murdered by “people who did not want Diana and Dodi to be together.”Credit...Jacques Demarthon/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

In the early hours of Aug. 31, 1997, a Mercedes-Benz carrying Diana and Dodi and driven by Henri Paul, a Fayed security agent who was drunk and traveling at a high speed trying to elude carloads of pursuing paparazzi, slammed head-on into a concrete pillar in a tunnel in Paris. All three were killed.

Controversy exploded over the cause of the crash and the implications of the affair. Some tabloids suggested that an immigrant had been an unfit suitor for a princess. But friends said that the couple had planned to marry, and that the Fayed family had offered Diana and her sons a warmth that contrasted with the way Britain’s royal family had shunned her after the divorce.

As rumors and conspiracy theories swirled, Mr. Fayed declared that the two had been murdered by “people who did not want Diana and Dodi to be together.” He said they had been engaged to marry and maintained that they had called him an hour before the crash to tell him that she was pregnant. Buckingham Palace and the princess’s family denounced his remarks as malicious fantasy.

The deaths inspired waves of books, articles and investigations of conspiracy theories, as well as a period of soul-searching among Britons, who resented the royal family’s standoffish behavior and were caught up in displays of mass grief. In 2006, the British police ruled the crash an accident.

And in 2008, a British coroner’s jury rejected all conspiracy theories involving the royal family, British intelligence services and others. It attributed the deaths to “gross negligence” by the driver and the pursuing paparazzi. It also said a French pathologist had found that Diana was not pregnant.

Mr. Fayed called the verdict biased, but he and his lawyers did not pursue the matter further. “I’ve had enough,” he told Britain’s ITV News. “I’m leaving this to God to get my revenge.”

Mr Al Fayed, with his wife Heini, at the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. Diana, Princess of Wales, 36, Dies in a Crash in Paris. August 31, 1997.

Mohamed al-Fayed was born Mohamed Abdel Moneim Fayed in Alexandria, Egypt, on Jan. 27, 1929, one of five children of a primary-school teacher, Aly Aly Fayed. Details about his early life are murky.

His accounts of growing up in a prosperous merchant family were discounted by British investigators. He sold sewing machines and joined his two younger brothers, Ali and Salah, in a shipping business. In the early 1950s, Adnan Khashoggi set the brothers up in a venture that exported Egyptian furniture to Saudi Arabia. It flourished.

In 1954, Mr. Fayed married Mr. Khashoggi’s sister, Samira. Dodi was their only child. They were divorced in 1956. In 1985, he married Heini Wathén, a Finn. They had four children, all born in Britain: Jasmine, Karim, Camilla and Omar.

Information on survivors was not immediately available.

The Fayed shipping interests profited handsomely from an oil boom in the Persian Gulf in the 1960s. Acting as middlemen for British construction companies and gulf rulers, they helped develop the port of Dubai, the Dubai Trade Center and other properties in what is now the United Arab Emirates.

Mohammed Al Fayed stands in front of the east stand of Craven Cottage, home of Fulham. Photograph: Kieran Doherty/Reuters

Mr. Fayed at the Craven Cottage stadium in London in 2012 before an English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Sunderland. Mr. Fayed was Fulham’s owner and club chairman. Credit...Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Mr. Fayed, who made all his family’s major investment and financial decisions, moved to London in the mid-1960s. He added “al-” to his surname, implying aristocratic origins. After buying the Scottish castle, he expanded its estate to 65,000 acres; after acquiring the Fulham Football Club, he built it into a top team in a nation infatuated with the sport. (He sold the team in 2013 to a Pakistani American businessman.) A heavy contributor to the Conservative Party, he nurtured relationships with members of Parliament and Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

In 1979, the Fayed brothers bought the fading Ritz Hotel in Paris for under $30 million and, with a 10-year, $250 million renovation, turned it into one of the world’s most luxurious hotels. Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed dined in the Imperial Suite before their fatal crash.

In 1984-85, in their greatest commercial coup in Britain, the Fayeds paid $840 million for the House of Fraser, the parent company of Harrods and scores of other stores, and invested $300 million more to refurbish the chain’s flagship, in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge section.

After the sale of Harrods to Qatar in 2010 Mr Al Fayed stayed on as honorary chairman for six months

Mohamed Al Fayed in the Harrods food halls. Photograph: Mark Richards/Daily Mail/Shutterstock

Prodded by a business rival, the government investigated the Harrods deal and in 1990 concluded that the Fayed brothers had “dishonestly misrepresented” themselves as descendants of an old landowning and shipbuilding family. The government report said the money for Harrods had probably come from the Sultan of Brunei. The sultan denied it, and Mr. Fayed, who was not accused of wrongdoing, called the report a smear.

In investigative reports by the press and the police, Mr. Fayed was accused by many women of unwanted sexual advances, job-related sexual harassment of female employees at Harrods, and even sexual assault involving teenage girls. He denied the allegations and, although he was questioned by the authorities in Britain, he was never prosecuted on such charges.

Mr. Fayed was bitter about being stymied in his quest for British citizenship, although all his children by his second wife held that status. As he noted, he had lived in Britain for decades, paid millions in taxes, employed thousands of people and, through his enterprises, contributed mightily to the economy.

Mohamed Al Fayed leaves the High Court in London, after giving evidence at the inquest into the death of his son, Dodi, and Diana, Princess of Wales. Photograph: Lewis Whyld/PA

“They could not accept that an Egyptian could own Harrods, so they threw mud at me,” he told reporters. He sold Harrods in 2010 to Qatar Holding, the sovereign wealth fund of the Emirate of Qatar, for more than $2 billion, and announced his retirement.

— Robert D. McFadden is a Senior Writer on the Obituaries Desk and the Winner of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for spot news reporting. He joined The New York Times in May 1961 and is also the Co-Author of Two Books.

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