The Yacht on Which Princess Diana Spent Her Last Vacation Sank
The yacht on which Princess Diana, alongside billionaire Dodi Al-Fayed, spent her final vacation, tragically sank in the Mediterranean Sea.
Named Cujo, the yacht was once owned by Egyptian billionaire Dodi Al-Fayed. It sank approximately 35 km off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, on July 29, as reported by Metro.
Alpes-Maritimes police reported on Facebook that sailors responded to an emergency call at 12:30 from a vessel carrying seven individuals. A rescue ship arrived within about 45 minutes, discovering the yacht's bow partially submerged and its cabins already flooded. Seven passengers, including the owner, were aboard a life raft.
Rescue boats were swiftly dispatched from Antibes. Rescuers left the scene towing passengers, while observing the yacht slowly descending. Among those saved was the last owner—an anonymous Italian who owns a residence on the French Riviera.
The Yacht On Which Princess Diana Spent Her Last Vacation
The British publication highlights that photos of Diana and Dodi in white shorts on board the Cujo yacht graced the front page in August 1997. The Princess and the son of billionaire Mohammed Fayed started their relationship after he accompanied Prince William and Prince Harry on a family vacation to St Tropez.
Tragedy struck a few weeks later when Diana - the late Princess of Hearts - and Dodi died in a car accident in Paris, while attempting to elude pursuing paparazzi.
Constructed in Italy in 1972 for wealthy car dealer John von Neumann, the Cujo yacht aimed to be the world's fastest. The vessel then exchanged hands among some of the world's wealthiest: Van Neumann sold the yacht to Adnan Khashoggi's son, the richest arms dealer globally, who subsequently sold it to his cousin Dodi.
Nevertheless, following Al-Fayed's demise, Cujo was decommissioned and stored for years before being auctioned for $250,000 in 2020.
