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Princess Diana’s Former Yacht That She Vacationed on with Boyfriend Dodi Fayed Sinks in France

All seven passengers were rescued after the superyacht, dubbed Cujo, sank beneath the Mediterranean Sea on July 29

Natalia Senanayake is an Editorial Assistant, Lifestyle at PEOPLE. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Best Image/BACKGRID; Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Princess Diana ’s former yacht that she enjoyed her last summer vacation on before her death has sunk off the coast of France, according to The Independent . 

The boat, dubbed Cujo , was frequented by the late princess and her boyfriend at the time, Dodi Fayed , in the summer of 1997 before they both died in a car crash in late August that year. 

All seven passengers on board were rescued in time before the vessel sank below the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, July 29. An officer said that the “ship was sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, The Independent reports. 

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on their official Facebook page . They state the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France. 

When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking and the cabins had begun to flood. The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore. 

Princess Diana and Fayed enjoyed spending time together aboard the 20-meter superyacht that first launched in 1972, especially around the Italian Riviera, according to Boat International . 

The pair first met at a polo match in 1986 in which Fayed was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles . Diana and Fayed didn’t connect romantically until nearly 10 years later when Fayed’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited her and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France.  

Before Diana’s romance with the film producer began to develop, the Prince and Princess of Wales had finalized their divorce in August 1996. Diana announced that she agreed to her husband's request for divorce earlier that year in February. 

A representative of the princess released a statement at the time: "The Princess of Wales has agreed to Prince Charles's request for a divorce. The Princess will continue to be involved in all decisions relating to the children and will remain at Kensington Palace with offices in St. James's Palace . The Princess of Wales will retain the title and be known as Diana, Princess of Wales."

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Diana died at the age of 36 after going into cardiac arrest from internal injuries she sustained during a high-speed car crash in Paris, France . Dodi and the car’s driver, Henri Paul, were killed instantly in the fatal accident. 

Reports indicate the car was traveling at 121 mph in a narrow tunnel along the Seine River in an effort to escape paparazzi tailing them on motorcycles. It was also reported that Paul was legally drunk when the crash occurred.

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Party Yacht Where Princess Diana Spent Her Final Vacation Sinks in France

One more artifact from the late Princess Diana’s life is no more: The Cujo , the superyacht where she and boyfriend Dodi Fayed spent many sunny days, including their final summer vacation before they both died in a car crash in August 1997, has sunk in the French Riviera, according to French authorities .

Seven passengers were rescued from the boat on the afternoon of July 29 after it struck an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer and struck a leak that would prove to be the end of its voyages. By the time the Antibes Nautical Brigade, part of the French military’s Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, responded to the distress call about 45 minutes later, all seven passengers had been evacuated to a life raft and the ship had started sinking.

The yacht was 20 meters long, and originally launched in 1972. According to BOAT International , Austrian Jon von Neumann, who introduced the Porsche brand to the United States, originally commissioned the boat and asked that it be built to break speed records.

After Neumann, the Cujo was owned by the family of Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi , before coming into Fayed’s care, according to the New York Post . In addition to Diana, Fayed hosted celebrities like Brooke Shields, Bruce Willis , and Clint Eastwood on the yacht in the late ‘90s. According to the Robb Report, later owner Simon Kidston sold the boat to “a young member of a prominent Italian business family” in 2021.

Paparazzi swarmed Diana and Fayed’s summer 1997 adventures onboard the Cujo and the Jonikal , another yacht on which the couple spent time sailing in St. Tropez, including just days before their death. They were hot gossip, with Diana having finalized her divorce from then-prince Charles less than a year before. At the tail end of season five of The Crown on Netflix, Diana is invited to vacation asea with Fayed with her children, Prince Harry and Prince William , a trip that did happen in real life.

Harry recounted the July 1997 jaunt in his memoir, Spare . “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote. 

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Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, which made front-page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Diana was entertained on board a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, went down in 2500m (8200ft) of water.

Thursday 3 August 2023 17:00, UK

A motor yacht used by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France before they died in a Paris car crash has sunk.

The 19m (62ft) Cujo went down 21 miles (35km) off Beaulieu-sur-Mer after sending out a mayday call last Saturday.

The seven people on board the luxury vessel, which was taking on water, were rescued by teams from Antibes before it sank to the bottom of the Mediterranean at a depth of 2500m (8200ft).

They were safely returned to shore.

The area was monitored for pollution as the boat sank with 7,000 litres of diesel in its tanks.

Cujo made front page news around the world back in the summer of 1997 when Al-Fayed entertained Diana onboard, a year after her divorce from Prince Charles, which was finalised in August 1996.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by al Fayed's billionaire father Mohamed.

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It had previously been named Jonikal.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann who told the Italian Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines giving her a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and he sold her on to his cousin, al Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, a famous celebrity hangout on the French Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis.

Following the death of Diana and Al-Fayed in central Paris on 31 August 1997, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

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The Famous Superyacht on Which Dodi Fayed Courted Princess Diana in the Summer of 1997 Sinks to the Bottom of the Mediterranean Sea

If you were around that summer 26 years ago, you remember this vessel well from the hordes of photos taken of it with the Princess of Wales aboard.

Last August 31 was the 25-year anniversary of the deaths of Princess Diana , Dodi Fayed, and Henri Paul, who passed away as a result of a Parisian car accident in the early morning hours of that day in 1997. (Diana’s bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones was severely injured but survived the crash.) The summer of 1997 will come to the forefront once more in the forthcoming season six of Netflix’s The Crown , due to debut later this year, and we will no doubt see scenes of Diana and Dodi from their final summer together aboard the superyacht Cujo—a vessel that has made headlines this week.

The Cujo sinking on July 29, 2023

In an unexpected twist to the story, 26 years after Diana and Dodi enjoyed its comforts, Cujo sunk to the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea on July 29, with seven passengers aboard. (All seven are safe and unharmed, thankfully.) People reports that the yacht—of which thousands upon thousands of paparazzi photos were taken in the summer of 1997, as the press tried to figure out the relationship between Diana and Dodi—was “sinking due to a leak” after it allegedly hit an unidentified object on the French Riviera, according to an officer. “The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” an officer said, per The Independent . “Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a branch of the French military, released a statement addressing the incident on its Facebook page, where it was disclosed that the Antibes Nautical Brigade first responded to a distress call at 12:30 p.m. local time for a yacht located 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France, People reports. “When they arrived at the scene 45 minutes later, the ship was already sinking, and the cabins had begun to flood,” the outlet writes. “The seven passengers were already transferred to a life raft and examined for injuries before being taken back to shore.”

Princess Diana that final summer aboard Fayed's boat

After first meeting at a polo match in 1986—in which Dodi was playing against Diana’s then-husband, Prince Charles —Diana and Dodi reconnected romantically over a decade later after Dodi’s father, Mohamed al Fayed, invited the princess and her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry , to vacation at their villa in St. Tropez, France. Diana and Dodi developed a connection aboard the 20-meter superyacht, as the world watched and wondered through paparazzi photos taken of them at the time. Dodi himself owned the Cujo and had spent around £1 million refitting the boat “and wooed Diana on board, as the world’s media looked on,” The Independent reports.

Princess Diana and Prince Harry on the Fayed boat

Princess Diana waves at bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who would be the sole survivor in the crash that took her life not long after this photo was taken

We’ll never know what would have come from the seemingly budding romance, as the two were killed riding side by side together through a tunnel in Paris—Dodi instantly in the tunnel, and Diana later at the hospital. The car in which they were riding was traveling at 121 mph in order to escape the aforementioned paparazzi chasing them on motorcycles—trailing them this time on land rather than, as they had all summer, at sea. The chase, plus driver Paul’s intoxication, led to the triple fatal crash and the end to any happiness Diana and Dodi might have shared together—the beginnings of which are now resting at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

Cujo—frequently moored off St. Tropez—saw other celebrity guests including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis. After Dodi’s death, Cujo fell into disrepair and was decommissioned two years later in 1999. It spent years in storage before being restored by new owners.

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Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed ‘Love Boat’ Sinks to the Bottom of the Sea

The yacht that propelled Diana and Dodi’s relationship into the headlines—and arguably set in motion the sequence of events that led to her death—has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Royalist Correspondent

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It was once an iconic part of the Princess Diana story, but the yacht on which Diana spent her final summer partying with Dodi Fayed now lies at the bottom of the Mediterranean.

The boat, Cujo , sank after apparently hitting a mystery object off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer in the South of France, the Times of London reported.

Now resting in a watery grave some 7,000 feet beneath the surface, Cujo was once a byword for glamor when it was the floating playground of the film producer and playboy Dodi Fayed, the son of the billionaire Harrods owner Mohammed Fayed.

It was on board Cujo, off the coast of St. Tropez in the summer of 1997, that Dodi and Diana were first photographed together. The pictures on board sparked tabloid rumors that they were a couple, which built into “love boat” hysteria as the summer progressed.

“St. Trop” was swiftly swarmed by an army of paparazzi photographers and at the end of August, the couple decamped to the Fayed-owned Ritz hotel in Paris. The paps followed and it was from here that the couple set off on their fateful last journey in a speeding car driven by a drunk chauffeur, which then crashed in an underpass , killing Diana, Dodi, and their driver, Henri Paul.

The Times reports on the boat’s “long and glamorous history” saying that it was built in Italy in 1972 (long before Stephen King would give the same name to a monstrous St. Bernard in one of his novels) for a millionaire Porsche dealer who declared he wanted the world’s fastest yacht. Cujo, which could do 40 knots per hour as a result, was subsequently sold to the son of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, reputedly the world’s richest man at the time. He then sold it to his cousin, Dodi Fayed.

Fayed hosted glamorous guests such as Brooke Shields, Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, and Bruce Willis on the boat, but, after his death, the Times reports, the yacht fell into disrepair.

It then sold at auction to its current owner, a wealthy Italian, for $250,000, in 2020. The owner was at the helm when the boat sank, the Times said, citing French media reports which also suggested the boat had “regular maintenance problems.”

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Yacht used by Princess Diana and lover Dodi Fayed on final summer holiday sinks

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident off the coast of france, article bookmarked.

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The world-famous celebrity yacht used by Princess Diana on her final summer holiday in France has sunk to the bottom of the sea.

Cujo, once also a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the Mediterranean waves after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the boat ended up at a depth of almost 2500m around 18 nautical miles off the coast.

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,” said one officer. “His ship was sinking due to a leak.

“Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.

“Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

All of those on board, including the Cujo‘s Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore uninjured.

Reports about Cujo - an Indian word that means ‘Unstoppable Force’ - dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana’s boyfriend, Dodi Al-Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1m refitting the boat, and wooed Diana on board, as the world’s media looked on.

This was shortly before the couple died in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Al-Fayed’s father, retail billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy’s Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world’s fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world’s richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi Al-Fayed.

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, the most famous celebrity hotspot on the Riviera, with celebrity guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

Following the death of Princess Diana and Mr Al-Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair.

She was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Famous yacht used by Princess Diana in her final summer sinks to bottom of the sea

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A yacht on which Diana, Princess of Wales , spent part of her final summer alive has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to the Egyptian film titan Dodi Al Fayed , sank on Monday about 35km off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France , on July 29.

Alpes-Maritimes police said on Facebook Monday that maritime officers responded to a distress call at 12:30pm of a 19-foot boat with seven people on board.

A rescue boat pulled up about 45 minutes later to find the yacht’s bow partially submerged with ‘cabins of the yacht already flooded’.

The seven passengers, including the ship’s owner, were floating safely nearby in a life raft, the departmental force added.

‘Only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,’ Alpes-Maritimes police said, using the French word for local police officers.

‘The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,’ said one officer. ‘His ship was sinking due to a leak.

‘Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull.

‘Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking’.

Rescuers left the scene about 18 nautical miles off the coast with the passengers in tow, watching as the vessel ‘slowly darkened’ and sank 8,200, the force said.

Those rescued included the motor yacht’s latest owner, an Italian man with a home on the French Riveria.

In breezy white shorts, photographs of Diana and Dodi aboard the Cujo hit propelled the couple into the headlines in August 1997.

Diana and Dodi, the son of the billionaire Harrods owner Mohammed Fayed, started dating after she took Prince William and Prince Harry to St Tropez to vacation with his family.

Cujo had for years been the playboy’s floating playground for extravagant parties.

After the trip, Diana penned the producer a letter thanking him.

‘This comes with all the love in the world and as always a million heartfelt thanks for bringing such joy into this chick’s life,’ the letter read, according to the  Associated Press .

But only weeks later, both would be killed in a Paris car crash after a high-speed chase  fleeing from paparazzi pursuing them in cars and motorcycles after a date.

As Britain mourned, the Cujo fell into disrepair. It was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, a high-powered car dealer and socialist keen to own the world’s fastest yacht.

The yacht was then passed around by some of the world’s wealthiest figures: Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world’s richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi.

Yet Cujo was decommissioned following Dodi’s death and spent years in storage before a new owner in 2020 won it at auction for $250,000 and brought it back to sea.

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Yacht used in Princess Diana's iconic last holiday with Dodi sinks after hitting object in French Riviera

3 August 2023, 13:49 | Updated: 3 August 2023, 14:12

By Chay Quinn

The yacht used by Princess Diana and Dodi-al-Fayed in their final summer has sunk after hitting an object on the French Riviera.

Cujo, which is an Indian word meaning "Unstoppable Force", sank 35 miles off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France on July 29 - after a distress call was heeded at 12.30pm local time.

The yacht was made famous after hosting Dodi and Diana just months before their tragic deaths in a Paris car crash on August 30, 1997.

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The couple had been holidaying in the Italian Riviera when a photographer caught them relaxing on board - causing a media storm over the relationship - after her divorce with the now-King Charles.

When the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes arrived at the scene of the collision 45 minutes after the distress call was made, the bow of the ship was already partially submerged.

The authorities say that the 20-metre-long Baglietto yacht had most likely struck an object with its hull and then began taking on water.

Cabins had already flooded and all seven passengers had been safely evacuated on a life raft.

Cujo sank to a depth of 762 metres with around 7,000 litres of fuel on board.

The Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes said in a statement: “On Saturday, July 29, 2023 at 12:30, the crew of the Antibes Nautibes Nautical Brigade were engaged following a distress call on the VHF network, on a yacht in trouble 35 kilometers off the coast of Beaulieu/Mer.

They responded to a “Serious and urgent situation with at the engine level. The 19-foot boat has 7 people on board.

“After 45 minutes of navigation, the BNC arrives at the site where a sailboat was already present. The distressed yacht was already starting to sink from the front and the 7 shipwrecked are just next to it in a life raft.

“The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes.

“The BNC remains in the area, in conjunction with CROSSMED to monitor visible surface pollution, as the yacht sank with nearly 7,000 liters of diesel in its tanks."

The yacht was originally owned by John von Neumann, who brought the Porsche brand to the United States, and after being mothballed following Diana and Dodi's deaths it was briefly owned by an arms dealer.

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Superyacht where Princess Diana enjoyed her last holiday sinks to bottom of Mediterranean

Cujo, the yacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed spent their last holiday in August 1997, sunk in the Mediterranean over the weekend. According to reports, it was holed after hitting an object

• 17:46, 3 Aug 2023
• Updated 18:02, 3 Aug 2023

The superyacht where Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed spent their last ever summer holiday before their deaths has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Mr Al-Fayed, was reportedly holed after hitting an object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera on Saturday. Seven people who were on board were rescued uninjured after getting into an inflatable dinghy, but the yacht sank, ending up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres.

The yacht's latest owner was an Italian man with a home on the French Riviera who was driving it when the incident happened. According to French media reports, he tried to pump out the water but failed, and even after a tugboat was dispatched to the scene, Cujo could not be stopped from sinking.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm and when a rescue boat arrived 45 minutes later, it found the yacht's bow partially submerged, with some cabins already flooded. One officer said: "The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday. His ship was sinking due to a leak.

"Rescue boats were sent from Antibes, and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn't stop the boat sinking."

Cujo, an Indian word that means "Unstoppable Force", made headlines in 1997 when it was owned by Diana's boyfriend. He had spent around £1million refitting it and before the couple died in a car crash in Paris, they were pictured on the yacht in St Tropez. That same summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, which was then owned by Al-Fayed's father, Mohamed.

The yacht - previously called Jonikal - was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann, who had told Baglietto Shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest yacht. The makers fitted Cujo with two 18-cylinder engines which allowed it to have a top speed of 40 knots. The businessman kept it for a few years and then sold it to the son of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi who then sold it to his cousin, Mr Al-Fayed.

When Mr Al-Fayed moored the yacht off St Tropez in the 1990s, he invited celebrities including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis on board. After Diana and her boyfriend died, the yacht fell into disrepair before being restored by a family member who spent £688,000 (€800,000), according to Nice Matin . In 2020, it was put up for auction and was bought by a wealthy Italian family for £164,000 (€190,720).

In recent years, Cujo was moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer. But a local person told Nice Matin that it "regularly encountered maintenance problems." According to French newspaper Le Figaro , Cujo contained 7,000 litres of petrol but authorities said they found "little pollution" nearby. The maritime prefecture said: "It's never good news for the environment, but the forecast is that the heat and the swells will allow the gasoline to evaporate and churn."

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Breaking news, princess diana and dodi’s ‘love boat’ is now at the bottom of the ocean.

Over 20 years after Princess Diana’s tragic death, the scene of one of her final photos has now met its own demise.

A yacht that Princess Diana used as her so-called “love boat” with Dodi Al-Fayed has sunk. 

Called Cujo, the yacht reportedly developed a hole after it struck an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, according to the Times of London . 

Cujo’s owner is an Italian with a home on the Riviera.

Seven people were on board at the time of the accident, but they were rescued and unharmed.

The yacht sank and is at the bottom of the Mediterranean. 

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a mayday,” local police said , according to the Daily Mail. “His ship was sinking due to a leak. Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn’t stop the boat sinking.”

Cujo became famous in 1997 when Diana was photographed on board with her millionaire film producer boyfriend, Fayed – just a few weeks before their fatal car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997. 

The couple’s photos on the luxury boat were their first pictures together. Those photos sparked the tabloid furor around Diana and Fayed.

A photo of Diana on the boat was one of the final images taken before her death at 36.

According to the Times of London, the yacht was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, a businessman who made his fortune selling Porsche and Volkswagen cars. After von Neumann, Cujo was then owned by the son of arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, before it ended up in the hands of his cousin, Fayed. 

Fayed moored the yacht off St-Tropez, where he hosted the rich and famous – such as Brooke Shields , Clint Eastwood, and Diana. 

After Fayed’s death, the yacht fell into disrepair and sold at auction to its current owner for $250,000 in 2020. 

French reports imply that Cujo was not in good condition at the time it sank, and regularly had maintenance problems. 

Diana’s death will controversially be depicted in the sixth and final season of Netflix’s hit royal drama, “The Crown.” Khalid Abdalla will play Fayed . The season premiere is slated for sometime this fall.

Prince William and Kate Middleton’s first meeting and early days will also be depicted.

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Incredible 80ft superyacht Cujo used by Princess Diana in her final summer with Dodi Fayed sinks after crash in Med

• Juliana Cruz Lima
• Published : 5:37 ET, Aug 3 2023
• Updated : 8:37 ET, Aug 3 2023

THE yacht used by Princess Diana during her last summer has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Cujo, which once belonged to Dodi Al-Fayed, was reportedly holed after hitting an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera.

All seven passengers were rescued uninjured and safely evacuated on a life raft.

But the 80ft boat ended up at a depth of at least 2,430 metres despite salvage attempts.

Cujo's latest owner was at the helm when the accident happened on July 29.

The Italian , who owns a home in the French Riviera, tried and failed to pump out the water, local media reports.

A second attempt was made by a tugboat dispatched to the scene, to no avail.

Emergency services were called at around 12.30pm, and 45 minutes later, a rescue boat arrived at the scene to find the yacht's bow partially submerged with some cabins already flooded.

The superyacht hit the headlines in the summer of 1997, when the Princess of Wales was photographed aboard with Al-Fayed.

Weeks later, on August 31, the pair died in a crash in Paris when their car hit a pillar in the Alma tunnel while fleeing paparazzi.

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After their death, Cujo fell into disrepair before it was restored by a member of the late owner’s family at a cost of €800,000 (£689,000).

The motor yacht had been moored in the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer but was no longer in pristine condition.

“It had regular maintenance problems,” local paper Nice Matin reported.

Le Figaro also reported it had had 7,000 litres of fuel on board, but added that there was little risk of significant pollution.

In 2020, the superyacht was auctioned and bought by a wealthy Italian family for £171,000.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, a businessman who had made a fortune selling Porsche and Volkswagen cars in the US .

Von Neumann told Italy’s Baglietto yard that he wanted the world’s fastest yacht, which was achieved with two diesel turbo engines delivering a top speed of 40 knots.

The businessman kept it for a few years before selling it to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the arms dealer said in the 1980s to be the world’s richest man. He in turn sold it to Al-Fayed, his cousin.

In the 1990s, Cujo became a star-studded yacht, as Al-Fayed invited the likes of Brooke Shields, Clint Eastwood , Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

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EXCLUSIVE Pictured: Inside luxury 80ft motor-yacht 'Cujo' used by Diana and Dodi on their last summer holiday before their tragic deaths - as vessel sinks in the French Riviera after 'hitting object'

• Luxury vessel has plunged 8,200ft to the bottom of the Mediterranean
• Cujo sank some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, near Nice, on Saturday
• It was once owned by Prince Diana's millionaire boyfriend, Dodi Fayed

By Miriam Kuepper and Perkin Amalaraj

Published: 14:47 EDT, 3 August 2023 | Updated: 07:40 EDT, 4 August 2023

View comments

A picture shows the interior of a luxury motor-yacht which has been enjoyed by Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed on their final summer holiday in the South of France days before their deaths in August 1997. 

Cujo, once a favourite of Hollywood superstars, disappeared below the waves of the Mediterranean after hitting an unidentified object some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera, on Saturday.

Seven people on board were rescued following the accident, but the 80ft-long boat ended up at a depth of almost 8,200ft (2,500m), local police said.

'The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday,' said one officer. 'His ship was sinking due to a leak. Rescue boats were sent from Antibes and, after making sure everyone was safe, gendarmes detected a significant water leak at the level of the starboard front hull. Her owner had activated the pumps and kept the engines running, but this didn't stop the boat sinking.'

Salvage launches also arrived, but could not save the boat.

The main salon of the Cujo (pictured in 2021 while Simon Kidston owned the vessel), the yacht Diana and Dodi were on during their last summer holiday before their deaths

Cujo, a yacht once owned by Princess Diana's millionaire boyfriend Dodi Fayed, is seen sinking off Beaulieu-sur-Mer near Nice

Princess Diana on Cujo's deck as it comes into port in St Tropez in August 1997

The Princess on Cujo, where she spent her final summer holiday before she was killed in a car crash in Paris

Diana with Dodi Fayed during their holiday in the Mediterranean off the South of France

The boat disappears below the waves before coming to rest 8.200ft below the surface

Millionaire Dodi Fayed reportedly spent £1million to refit the boat after he bought it

Cujo disappeared below the waves of the Mediterranean on Saturday after hitting an unidentified object some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera

All those on board, including Cujo's Italian owner, were placed in a rescue boat, and taken back to shore without injury.

Reports about Cujo – an Indian word that means 'Unstoppable Force' – dominated the media in August 1997, when it was owned by Diana's boyfriend, Dodi Fayed.

The multi-millionaire film producer had spent some £1million refitting the boat, and wooed Diana on board as the world's media looked on.

Just days later the couple were killed in a car crash in central Paris caused by their drunk driver.

That summer, Diana was also photographed on Sokar, the yacht then owned by Dodi's father, retail billionaire Mohamed al-Fayed, which was previously named Jonikal.

The pair were seen kissing and embracing on the deck less than a year after Diana and Prince Charles agreed their divorce. 

Diana, Princess of Wales, right, and her companion Dodi Fayed, walk on a pontoon in the French Riviera resort of St Tropez having just disembarked from Cujo on August 22, 1997

Princess Diana on Jonikal, which was owned by Dodi's father, Mohamed al-Fayed

The Princess on board Jonikal, which was later renamed Sokar

Diana, then 36, was spotted strutting on the deck, making the most of the Mediterranean sun and her new romance.

A snap of the royal gazing into the distance from the yacht's diving board was one of the last pictures ever taken of Diana.

Cujo was built in Italy in 1972 for businessman John von Neumann after he told Italy's Baglietto shipyard that he wanted the world's fastest motor yacht.

She was fitted with two 18-cylinder engines that ensured she had a top speed of 42 knots.

Van Neumann then sold the boat to the son of Adnan Khashoggi, the world's richest arms dealer, and he sold her on to his cousin, Dodi Fayed.

Dodi Fayed and Diana are seen together aboard Dodi's father's yacht in St Tropez less than a year after Diana and Prince Charles had settled their divorce

The couple being ferried in a speedboat in the waters off St Tropez in July 1997

Cujo was frequently moored off St Tropez, the most famous celebrity hotspot on the Riviera, with guests including Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis and Bruce Willis on board.

Following the death of Princes Diana and Dodi, Cujo fell into disrepair.

It was decommissioned in 1999, and spent years in storage, before being restored by new owners.

The boat was bought for a song in 2020 by luxury vehicle dealer Simon Kidston. The Mail reported that he paid just £138,000

He claimed to have bought the yacht by accident, telling the luxury magazine Robb Report :  'On the day of the auction, I was tied up with clients so asked a colleague to go down and take a look. I told him that if it was going cheaply, put in a bid for a bit of fun.

The boat was reportedly sold in 2020 to an Italian socialite who had fallen in love with it

Luxury car dealer Simon Kidston claims to have bought it at auction for just £138,000

Simon claimed to have bought the boat for a laugh, telling the Robb Report he bid 'for a bit of fun'

'The bidding opened at just 150,000 euros [£129,500].  My colleague bid 160,000 euros.

'Trouble was, no one else bid. The hammer went down and I had bought a boat. The feeling was a mix of excitement tinged with terror.'

He told the magazine that he sold the historic boat to a young Italian socialist in time for his birthday.

'A young member of a prominent Italian business family - he's 30 years old - had seen Cujo, fallen in love with her and asked if she was for sale. He took delivery just in time for his birthday.'

Share or comment on this article: EXCLUSIVE Pictured: Inside luxury 80ft motor-yacht 'Cujo' used by Diana and Dodi on their last summer holiday before their tragic deaths - as vessel sinks in the French Riviera after 'hitting object'

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Princess Diana’s Yacht Saga: Revisiting the Boats She Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

I n the summer of 1997, Dodi Fayed and Princess Diana’s yacht adventures were the infatuation of the tabloids, paparazzi, and public like no other. The pair were captured sailing around the Mediterranean in July, first with both of their families, then again, just them, at the end of the month, spurring nonstop controversy and speculation. Weeks later the couple was killed in a tragic car accident, prompting even greater interest in the brief but impactful relationship. Nearly 30 years later, understanding just what happened on the high seas remains a notable point of interest for many invested in the Royal Family.

The momentous vacation was recently recreated in season six of Netflix’s The Crown and recounted in Prince Harry’s 2023 memoir, Spare . While conversations about the trip often recount what the couple did—and what Diana wore—it’s worth revisiting the stunning vessels where all the escapades took place. Below, AD surveys the two superyachts Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed used during their prominent summer together.

Jonikal, now known as Isabell Princess of the Sea

The sensationalized couple most famously spent time on Jonikal , a 208-foot superyacht. At the time, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Dodi’s father, owned the boat. Reportedly, he originally invited Diana to the yacht in an attempt to play matchmaker between the People’s Princess and his son.

Those who watch The Crown will be unsurprised to learn that the interiors of Jonikal , which has since been renamed Isabell Princess Of The Sea by a new owner, are just as lavish as those depicted in the look-alike on the show. Inside, the ship boasts nine staterooms, a formal dining room, bar, office space, swim platform, sun deck, and Jacuzzi. Designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s, coffered ceilings and dark wood paneling draw inspiration from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900s.

In his memoir, Prince Harry remembers his experience on the yacht as idyllic. “There was much laughter, horseplay, the norm whenever Mummy and Willy and I were together, though even more so on that holiday,” he writes. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven. The weather was sublime, the food was tasty, Mummy was smiling.”

After the original trip with her children, the princess returned to the boat a second time with just the younger Fayed. According to Vanity Fair , Fayed catered to all of Di’s preferences, even letting her pick the music that played. Reportedly, she opted for tunes by George Michael, Frank Sinatra, and the English Patient soundtrack.

Nearby, a brigade of press boats captured a number of photos of Princess Diana on the yacht, formally immortalizing the vessel. Most famously, Princess Diana was captured sitting alone on the vessel’s passerelle in a now iconic image. According to Boat International , the yacht most recently sold in 2023.

As Robb Report describes it, Cujo, a 65-foot military-style superyacht was once the most famous in the world thanks to her high-profile passengers. In 1997, Fayed reportedly used this smaller vessel to woo the princess.

The impressive yacht was originally launched in 1972, commissioned by its first owner John von Neumann. According to Robb Report, Von Neumann hired Italian shipyard Baglietto to build him a boat that was “faster than any other motoryacht on the water.” During its maiden voyage, Cujo had largely achieved this goal thanks to its twin 54-liter V-18 turbo diesel engines, which provided 2,700 horsepower and allowed it to easily hit 46 miles per hour. Von Neumann eventually sold the boat to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, who later passed the boat to Dodi Fayed, his nephew.

However, the boat’s story came to a dramatic end last summer, when it sunk off the coast of France, as reported by The Independent . According to a Facebook post from the Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes, a division of the French military, passengers issued a distress call at around 12:30 local time on July 29, 2023. A little under an hour later, a rescue boat arrived, finding the vessel’s bow already partially submerged. “The cabins of the yacht were already flooded, and only a few suitcases located in the kitchen and on the deck could be retrieved by the gendarmes,” reads the statement. The seven passengers who were on board had already evacuated and were safely on a nearby lifeboat. Rescuers and passengers then quickly left the area, as the boat sank 2,500 feet to the ocean’s floor. The cause of the accident was not shared; however, according to Boat International , sources claimed that the ship hit an unknown object floating near the center of the hull.

Though Princess Diana was among the most notable guests onboard, other high-profile passengers hosted by Fayed included Clint Eastwood, Tony Curtis, Bruce Willis, and Brooke Shields. Following the passing of Di and Fayed, Cujo fell into disrepair and decommissioned in 1999. After many years in storage, Fayed’s cousin Moody Al-Fayed purchased the vessel and brought it back to life. He later sold the boat to Simon Kidston, a British car collector and restorer and the last-reported owner of the vessel.

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