Al Fayed unveils statue of Diana and Dodi

Sep 3, 2005, 20:05 GMT

A bronze statue of the late Princess of Wales and her lover Dodi Fayed has been unveiled at London store Harrods.

Dodi's father, Harrods boss Mohammed Al Fayed, proudly claimed the sculpture was a "fitting tribute" to the couple, who were tragically killed in a Paris car crash eight years ago.

He branded the Princess Diana memorial fountain in London's Hyde Park a "sewer".

Al Fayed said: "This is a statue to stay here forever. Until now nothing has been done to preserve her memory and legacy. She was an amazing woman who brought joy to the whole world.

"As we approach the eighth anniversary of Diana and Dodi's untimely death and in the absence of any further official memorial for these two victims - apart from the much criticised sewer in Hyde Park - I wanted to keep their spirits alive with a further gesture."

The life-sized sculpture, which shows Diana and Dodi gazing lovingly into each other's eyes as they release an albatross into the sky, has been entitled 'Innocent Victims'.

Al Fayed explained: "I have named the sculpture 'Innocent Victims', because for eight years I have fought to prove that my son and Princess Diana were murdered."

Sculptor Bill Mitchell, who is a friend of the Fayed family, recently said of the statue: "The affection in which Princess Diana is still held is remarkable, but I knew Dodi and, far from being the playboy he was portrayed as, he was a charming, hard-working film producer who had made his own way in life."

Copyright 2005 BANG Media International