Hotel Princess Diana left moments before she died and French bolthole Duke of Windsor moved to after he abdicated are searched by French police in Fayed trafficking probe

The hotel that Princess Diana left moments before she died has been searched over allegations of human trafficking and rape by the late tycoon Mohamed Al Fayed.

The Ritz Paris was among three properties searched by French authorities last month.

British investigators joined French forces for the raids and a number of arrests were made.

The former Harrods London and Fulham Football Club owner died in 2023, aged 94.

Since his death, hundreds of women and girls have alleged that they were sexually abused by him and Salah Al Fayed, who died in 2010. 

Claims first emerged against Al Fayed in a 2024 BBC documentary that included allegations of rape and sexual abuse.

French prosecutors have begun a preliminary investigation into suspected 'charges of human trafficking committed in an organised gang, aggravated pimping committed in an organised gang and rape' allegedly linked to the tycoon. 

Investigators also searched the bolthole used by King Edward VIII after he abdicated.

Homes owned by former Harrods London and Fulham Football Club owner Mohamed Al Fayed have been raided by French authorities

CCTV footage of Princess Diana at the Ritz hotel in Paris just moments before her death in 1997

For 30 years, the ex-King and his wife Wallis Simpson lived at Villa Windsor in Paris, waiting in vain for the call to return to the land he once ruled.

The property was taken over by Al Fayed following their deaths, as he built his business and property empire.

This included the Paris Ritz Hotel, where in 1997 Princess Diana stepped out of the doors and into the car belonging to Al Fayed's son Dodi to travel the short distance across the French capital to his apartment on the Champs-Elysees.

Moments later Dodi's driver, Henri Paul, lost control of the car and smashed into a pillar, causing one of the most shocking royal tragedies in history.

The third property searched was the Villa Sainte-Thérèse in Saint-Tropez, the lavish love nest on the French Riviera where Dodi Al Fayed wooed Diana on her final holiday.

A statement from the prosecutors' office said: 'At this stage of the procedure, several victims have been interviewed by French investigators and the investigations are taking place in conjunction with the British authorities.

'In this context, searches and findings were carried out in mid-October 2026, in particular in the Ritz hotel in the first arrondissement of Paris, as well as at the Villa Sainte-Thérèse in Saint-Tropez, former property of Mohamed Al Fayed, and at the Villa Windsor in Paris 16th, in the presence of British investigators.'

Several defendants were placed in police custody and digital equipment was seized during the searches. Investigations are continuing under the direction of the Paris prosecutor's office.

For 30 years, ex-King Edward and his wife Wallis Simpson lived at Villa Windsor in Paris

Castle St Therese, Parc de St Tropez, the lavish love nest on the French Riviera where Dodi Al Fayed wooed Diana on her final holiday

Campaigners have called for UK police investigating claims against Al Fayed to carry out their own searches.

Co-chairs of the group Jen Mills and Lindsay Mason, both former personal assistants to Mohamed Al Fayed, said: 'We want to see the same thoroughness applied to every property where survivors say they were taken or abused, including here in Britain.

'The searches in Paris and Saint-Tropez must be the beginning, not the end.'

They added: 'Survivors have waited far too long, and what matters now is whether these investigations finally deliver answers, accountability and justice.'

They added: 'For decades, survivors have described how young women were recruited and moved between Fayed's properties, in Britain and overseas.

'We have never believed this was about one man acting alone. Fayed is dead, but many of those who helped him are not, and his death must never become their protection.'

The survivor advocacy group No One Above also believes 'this was a network, not one man'.

A spokesman said: 'The French authorities have put this in the hands of their specialist trafficking unit and their organised crime prosecutors, and are investigating it as trafficking by an organised gang.'

The Metropolitan Police described the investigation into those who may have facilitated Al Fayed's offending as 'one of the largest and most complex the Met is currently undertaking'.

Seven people have been questioned under caution so far, including four women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s, and three men in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

A police spokesman said: 'Seven suspects have so far been interviewed under caution on suspicion of offences including aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault, assisting the commission of sexual offences, and human trafficking for sexual exploitation.

'Detectives have additionally submitted a full evidential file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision relating to a further suspect, who is alleged of committing two indecent assaults on two women in London.

'To date, 169 victims have now come forward. We will continue to assess victim testimonies for evidence of human trafficking. Where evidence is found, and where we have the victim's consent to do so, we will make further referrals to the Home Office via the National Referral Mechanism.'