Princess Diana and Her Lover Living Happily Ever After in Harrods
Aug. 26, 2005 — -- Some call it corny. Others call it ghastly. And some will no doubt find it magnificent. But whatever it may be, the life-size statue of Princess Diana and her companion Emad "Dodi" Fayed will soon be among the pricey food and clothing displays at London's Harrods department store.
Dodi's father Mohamed al Fayed -- the multimillionaire owner of Harrods -- had tried years ago to erect a 10-foot-high memorial to the couple, but public reaction had foiled his plans.
Now, on the eighth anniversary of the tragic car crash that killed Lady Di and her boyfriend in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, al Fayed unveiled the bronze statue he had commissioned.
But given the Egyptian-born tycoon's wealth and power, why the heck does the bronzed rendition of the lovers look nothing like them?
Al Fayed said the statue would allow people to honor the couple's memory with "warmth and love." Noble wishes indeed, but does it really belong in a store alongside cosmetics and ties? Sounds like Dodi's dad found a novel way to drive traffic in his ritzy shopping mecca.
Diana was renowned for her style and grace, and she photographed extremely well. (And there are plenty of photos out there.) So why did sculptor Bill Mitchell -- a longtime Fayed friend -- portray the tall blonde like a desperate housewife wannabe?
Wearing a low-cut nightie, the tall, glamorous Di all of a sudden has inherited an angular nose and a boyish look. Gone is the sweet smile and the sultry, slightly drooping eyelids. All we've got is her signature short haircut.
Entitled "Innocent Victims," the bronze statue has Diana gazing into Dodi's eyes as they hold hands and release a bird. Compared to his real-life self, Dodi's bronze likeness has lost weight and gained hair. The sculptor has also reconfigured Dodi and dressed him in an unbuttoned shirt revealing his bare chest.
Have the tweed-wearing Harrods shoppers gone casual?
"Attention shoppers, crazy European weather means drought in the South, floods in the East and a "stranded on an island" look in London's poshest store."
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