Explosive book about 'unlawfull killing' of Diana and Dodi pulled on Mohamed Al-Fayed's request

For nearly two decades Mohamed Al-Fayed has maintained that the Paris crash that robbed Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's of their lives was not an accident, but a diabolical murder plot by the Royal family to prevent the mother of the future king of England marrying a Muslim.

The 88-year-old former Harrods owner believed there was a cover up so much that he supported Michael Cole's book which intended to offer an intriguing new insight into the tragic romance between his oldest child and the Princess of Wales and promised explosive revelations about their deaths.

In a dramatic turn of events, publisher Biteback was forced to pull the book after Fayed, who is worth an estimated $1.88bn (£1.3bn), intervened to prevent its publication following an "abrupt change of mind".

Diana And Dodi: The Truth was due to be published on 31st August 2017, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed's deaths.

Biteback said in a statement: "We have to announce with disappointment and consternation that our author Michael Cole has decided to cancel publication of his book Diana and Dodi.

"Up until this week Mr Fayed (Michael Cole's former employer) was aware and supportive of the book, even supplying photos and, more recently, saying that he planned to order copies for himself.

"Unfortunately, he has now had an abrupt change of mind and asked Michael not to go ahead with the book. Sadly, therefore, we will not now be publishing Diana and Dodi."

Dodi Fayed, a film producer and jet setter, started dating the Princess of Wales in 1997, although they had been friends for ten years. Their highly-publicised romance was her first since divorcing Prince Charles and made headlines across the globe − mainly because he was an Egyptian Muslim.

At the height of Mohamed Al-Fayed's campaign against the Royals, he bribed politicians and funded a £2m documentary - which never aired - claiming that the Duke of Edinburgh had a connection to Nazi Germany.

Cole, who previously worked for Fayed and had unparalleled access to sources, said the move was out of "great respect" for Fayed and his family and didn't want them to have to revisit the "terrible events of 20 years ago when Mohamed's eldest son, Dodi, and their dear family friend, Diana, Princess of Wales, were unlawfully killed in the Alma Tunnel in Paris."

He added: "Knowing how acutely the family continues to feel the loss of Dodi and the Princess, I have now decided that the best and most appropriate thing I could do to honour the memory of Diana and Dodi would be to continue to share the Fayed family's grief, borne in silent dignity for the past 20 years."

Earlier in August, a close friend of the Fayeds told the Sun: "Mohamed remains confident that information will emerge confirming his belief that Dodi and Diana were deliberately killed by the security services."