Inside The Yacht Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed Toured the Mediterranean On

The princess and her paramour vacationed on the yacht shortly before their tragic deaths in 1997.

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Just a month before their passing, Diana and Dodi—joined for part of the trip by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry—traveled the South of France aboard a superyacht. Then named the Jonikal (it has subsequently been called the Sokar , and the Bash ), the yacht was owned by Dodi's father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed , when Diana traveled on it. Following the 1997 car crash that led to the couple's deaths, Mohamed attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions before ultimately parting with it in 2014.

lady diana

In 2022, it was announced that the 208-foot yacht, which saw the beloved royal's last vacation, would be going up for sale. According to Boat International , the vessel sold in June of 2023 following a €9 million refit.

The ship, which was first launched in 1990, reportedly has nine staterooms to hold up to 12 guests with amenities including a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Though the ultimate sale price for the vessel has not been revealed, the asking price was reportedly €15,500,000.

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Lauren Hubbard is a freelance writer and Town & Country contributor who covers beauty, shopping, entertainment, travel, home decor, wine, and cocktails.

@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-1jdielu:before{margin:0.625rem 0.625rem 0;width:3.5rem;-webkit-filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);height:1.5rem;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-transform:scale(-1, 1);-moz-transform:scale(-1, 1);-ms-transform:scale(-1, 1);transform:scale(-1, 1);background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-1jdielu:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/townandcountrymag/static/images/diamond-header-design-element.80fb60e.svg);}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1jdielu:before{margin:0 0.625rem 0.25rem;}} Royal Family News @media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-128xfoy:before{margin:0.625rem 0.625rem 0;width:3.5rem;-webkit-filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);filter:invert(17%) sepia(72%) saturate(710%) hue-rotate(181deg) brightness(97%) contrast(97%);height:1.5rem;content:'';display:inline-block;background-repeat:no-repeat;}.loaded .css-128xfoy:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/townandcountrymag/static/images/diamond-header-design-element.80fb60e.svg);}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-128xfoy:before{margin:0 0.625rem 0.25rem;}}

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Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana and Dodi Al-Fayed Spent Their Final Vacation On

A look at the vessel that saw the beloved royal’s last vacation.

It was hot gossip, this adventure that the princess took abroad after having finalized her divorce from then Prince Charles less than a year before—something that was hinted at at the end of season 5 of The Crown as Queen Elizabeth is pressed to endorse a vacation a-sea with Fayed and her grandchildren, Prince Harry and Prince William. Diana was famously photographed sitting on the passerelle of this boat. Years later, in real life, Harry described the trip in his memoir, Spare , with fond recollection. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote.

While the series was filmed on a lookalike super yacht in Mallorca , the real boat was equally lavish. The 208-foot ship was commissioned by Dodi’s father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, who brought on naval architect Vincenzo Ruggiero to design it in the late 1980s. It was built by Italian shipyard Codecasa and launched in 1990. The steel and aluminum super yacht boasted nine staterooms that altogether accommodate up to 18 people, in addition to a crew of 26. Amenities included a Jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Mohamed had named the yacht Jonikal (it has subsequently been called Sokar and is currently called Bash ) .

lady diana

Shortly after Diana’s and Dodi’s deaths, Mohamed gave the interior a redesign by H2 Yacht Design and a refit that included extending the hull. He attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions, ultimately parting with it in 2014 to an anonymous buyer. The new owner carried out further work, including machinery upgrades, a repaint, and fresh teak decks. In 2021, the yacht came into the hands of Bassim Haidar , the founder of Intercomm and GMT, who gave it a further $9.7 million refit after a reported bridge deck fire—and its current name Bash . It’s now back to turn-key condition after an 18-month remodel completed in April 2023 by marine engineering and management company Capax and boat interior company Bobic Yacht Interiors . It features a beauty salon, massage area, high-tech gym, and a spacious main salon.

lady diana

In May, Robb Report reported that Bash is available for charter in the Mediterranean starting at $278,000 per week, plus expenses. In June, Haidar listed Bash for $16.8 million, according to Boat International .

There was a second motor yacht named Cujo, which Diana and Fayed also took earlier that summer. It was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, who commissioned the Italian Baglietto shipyard to build the world's fastest motor yacht. She was given two 18-cylinder engines that allowed it to go as fast as 42 knots. Fayed had bought the boat from his cousin, Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. In August, the Mediterranean Sea reclaimed Cujo, as the 62-foot artifact of Diana’s life hit an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on July 29 and sprang a leak, Vanity Fair reported. The seven people on board were rescued by teams from Antibes and safely returned to shore.

file photo dodi al fayed and diana, princess of wales

An imitation of Jonikal will feature in The Crown season 6, a set that was intended to visually illuminate the tension between Diana and the royal family. “Diana’s south of France adventure was bright and lovely pastel colors, and her world even in Kensington Palace is optimistic and warm, compared to the queen’s residence at Balmoral, which is very static, with gloomy light and drab colors,” set decorator Alison Harvey tells ELLE DECOR.

Filming on the yacht off the island of Mallorca (a St. Tropez stand-in) required many moving parts with few do-overs. “We brought in the drapes, the artwork, many furnishings,” Harvey explains. “Everything was set in the early ’90s, so we thought hard about the colors and textures that we brought in.” Harvey’s team had just half a day to dress the yacht, and then it was off to sea. “There was no getting on or off after that,” Harvey says, adding that they were “subsumed by the logistics of what we had to achieve and the time we had to do it.”

the crown dodi fayed yacht diana

However painstaking the process, the yacht scenes will offer an intriguing context—though largely fictitious—for the iconic photographs that exist of those final weeks leading up to Diana’s death.

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Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture. She has previously written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, and Citywire.

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The Crown: The Sad, Strange Details of Princess Diana’s Last Vacation

jonikal yacht

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed are lounging on the sundeck of a reportedly £15 million yacht in The Crown ’s season six episode “Two Photographs” when Dodi’s domineering father telephones an onboard employee with an urgent question.

“Are they sleeping together?” Mohamed Al Fayed demands to know.

It’s an audacious question—but Mohamed really was checking in on the couple hourly during this August 1997 cruise, according to Tom Bower , who wrote an unauthorized biography of the billionaire called Fayed. The late princess was aware that these calls were coming in—so much so that she joked to Dodi, “God is calling,” when she heard a ring, according to Dodi’s spiritual healer, Myriah Daniels, who was onboard. In 2007, during the inquest into the 1997 crash that killed the princess, Dodi, and their driver, Henri Paul, Daniels said that this became one of Diana’s inside jokes with Dodi. “They’d both have a giggle,” she said.

Diana had vacationed with Mohamed, as well as Prince William and Prince Harry, aboard the Jonikal earlier that summer. As depicted in The Crown ’s season six episode “Persona Non Grata,” that first Jonikal vacation featured Jet Skis and a flirtation between Diana and the flotilla of press nearby.

“The young princes didn’t like [the trip] much,” Tina Brown writes in The Palace Papers. “The flash and excess of [Mohamed’s] hospitality—the groaning buffets and the palatial bathrooms—embarrassed William in particular.” Dodi, who was asked by his father to join the trip midway, did not help matters by making the “oddly flamboyant gesture of renting a disco for William and Harry to enjoy privately,” according to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith in Diana in Search of Herself.

Mohamed was a controversial figure who long craved social acceptance by the British elite, and hoped a relationship between his son and the recently-divorced Diana would seal the deal.

jonikal yacht

During the summer of 1997, the billionaire ordered Dodi to drop everything—including his model fiancée, Kelly Fisher —and romance the late princess. Speaking about Mohamed, Bedell Smith previously told Vanity Fair, “He was really the puppet master behind Dodi and Diana’s very brief, barely more than a month, romance…. Dodi basically did whatever his father told him to do.”

Diana’s association with Mohamed caused serious backlash in the press. “These days, Diana, you are no longer the Teflon Princess,” warned Andrew Morton , the biographer behind her bridge-burning tell-all, Diana: Her True Story, in The Sun. “You might have the run of a £20 million yacht, but your friends and fans see a woman who is drifting on the sea of life, seriously in danger of becoming shipwrecked.” Referring to Diana’s cat-and-mouse game with the paparazzi during that initial trip, columnist Judith Whelan wrote in The Sydney Morning Herald, “Diana has been erratic before. This time, however, she has done it while hosted by one of the most reviled men in Britain.”

Despite the press outrage over her association with Mohamed, Diana agreed to return to the Jonikal for the intimate trip reimagined in “Two Photographs.” “Alone in August and attracted to [Dodi], [a] sympathetic, unthreatening listener, she accepted the invitation for a second trip alone with Dodi to the Jonikal on 31 July,” wrote Bower in Fayed. “Over the next six days…the two frolicked on the sundecks, inside the sumptuous craft and in the sea.”

Dodi indulged Diana with her favorite meals—“which included carrot juice in the morning, fruit at lunch, and fish in the evening, as well as plenty of Champagne, caviar, and pâté de foie gras,” according to Diana in Search of Herself. The music was Diana’s selection as well: George Michael’s 1996 album, Older, the occasional Frank Sinatra tune, and the soundtrack of The English Patient. “Such a marvelous film,” Diana raved to Dodi’s butler, Rene Delorm, according to Fayed. “And you miss the music when you’re watching.”

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Mohamed’s staff was so attentive to Diana that the Jonikal ’s chief stewardess, Deborah Gribble, could remember the tiniest detail, like that some of Diana’s birth control packets were half-used. Speaking at the inquest, she also confirmed that Dodi and Diana “were clearly having a relationship and were a couple.”

Dodi lavished Diana with gifts during their six-week courtship, including a pearl bracelet, a diamond-studded wristwatch, a silver photo frame, and a gold-and-diamond ring. When the Jonikal docked in Sardinia’s Porto Cervo, according to Brown’s The Diana Chronicles, Diana and Dodi went shopping and returned with cashmere sweaters for the princess—one in every color.

Mohamed, meanwhile, was busy behind the scenes calling press. News of the relationship between Diana and Dodi broke the first week of August, less than a month before Diana’s death. The Sun ran the news with the headline “Di’s Secret Hol With Harrods Hunk Dodi,” while Mohamed’s publicist touted the relationship as “the romance of the century.”

But by the end of the trip, according to those who knew Diana, she intended their fling to be just that. The late princess suspected that Dodi might propose to her, according to Brown, but she told a friend that an engagement ring would be “going firmly on the fourth finger of my right hand” should it be presented. As recreated in “Two Pictures,” there was “a chaotic evening ashore in Monte Carlo when Dodi suddenly decided to send for the tender and take the princess for a walk.” Rather than going for a romantic stroll, however, Dodi “got her lost after a long pant up a hill trying to evade the paparazzi,” Brown writes.

jonikal yacht

It was so embarrassing, she continues, that Trevor Rees-Jones, a bodyguard on Mohamed’s payroll, “began to feel sorry for the princess; he believed she deserved better.”

According to Gribble, Dodi also became impatient with the amount of press attention Diana was receiving.

“The tension was noticeable throughout the trip and increasing as time wore on,” Gribble revealed during the inquest. “By the time we went to Paris, there was real tension. It was incredible. It was all so tense.”

Days before her fatal accident, Diana called her sister from the Jonikal, confiding that any love spell cast on her earlier had been broken. While she did not get into specifics, Sarah McCorquodale later told the court, “I just did not think the relationship had much longer to go.”

During that final trip on the Jonikal, Diana was photographed sitting alone on a diving board in an aqua swimsuit. The image remains so iconic that, 26 years after it was taken, Netflix recreated the visual in its promotional materials for The Crown ’s sixth season.

Contrary to what the photo showed, though, Diana was never really alone. By the end of the cruise, the princess suspected that Mohamed was doing more than periodically checking in with the Jonikal staff. As McCorquodale revealed during the inquest, “She thought the boat was being bugged by Mr. Al Fayed Senior.”

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

Princess Diana on a superyacht

In 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.

Princess Diana sunbathing on a yacht

Princess Diana sunbathes on an orange couch aboard Jonikal .

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.

Diana Princess of Wales wearing a animal print halterneck swimsuit and sunglasses rides on a jet ski with Prince Harry

Princess Diana and Prince Harry on a jet ski near St. Tropez

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.

Princess diana sitting on the passarelle of a boat

A now famous image of Princess Diana on Jonikal ’s passarelle

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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.

Lady Diana Princess of Wales with her sons Prince William Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry of Wales on holiday in...

Princess Diana and Prince William on Dodi Fayed’s yacht

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.

Cujo was already halfway underwater when rescuers arrived.

Cujo was already halfway underwater when rescuers arrived.

The boat sank quickly after the distress call was made.

The boat sank quickly after the distress call was made.

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.

photo of a boat sinking into the ocean

At one point, the vessel was among the fastest in the world.

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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Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

T he Crown’s sixth season debuts this week on Netflix, chronicling the final weeks before Princess Diana’s untimely death in a car crash in Paris in August 1997. Amid the heart-wrenching moments that are sure to unfold, there’s one backdrop that will be a refreshing departure from the stately, windowless halls of the queen’s palatial residences : the multimillion-dollar super yacht that Princess Diana spent aboard touring St. Tropez just days before her death.

It was hot gossip, this adventure that the princess took abroad after having finalized her divorce from then Prince Charles less than a year before—something that was hinted at at the end of season 5 of The Crown as Queen Elizabeth is pressed to endorse a vacation at sea with Fayed and her grandchildren, Prince Harry and Prince William. Diana was famously photographed sitting on the passerelle of this boat. Years later, in real life, Harry described the trip in his memoir, Spare , with fond recollection. “Everything about that trip to St. Tropez was heaven,” he wrote.

While the series was filmed on a lookalike super yacht in Mallorca , the real boat was equally lavish. The 208-foot ship was commissioned by Dodi’s father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, who brought on naval architect Vincenzo Ruggiero to design it in the late 1980s. It was built by Italian shipyard Codecasa and launched in 1990. The steel and aluminum super yacht boasted nine staterooms that altogether accommodate up to 18 people, in addition to a crew of 26. Amenities included a Jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Mohamed had named the yacht Jonikal (it has subsequently been called Sokar and is currently called Bash ) .

Shortly after Diana’s and Dodi’s deaths, Mohamed gave the interior a redesign by H2 Yacht Design and a refit that included extending the hull. He attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions, ultimately parting with it in 2014 to an anonymous buyer. The new owner carried out further work, including machinery upgrades, a repaint, and fresh teak decks. In 2021, the yacht came into the hands of Bassim Haidar , the founder of Intercomm and GMT, who gave it a further $9.7 million refit after a reported bridge deck fire—and its current name Bash . It’s now back to turn-key condition after an 18-month remodel completed in April 2023 by marine engineering and management company Capax and boat interior company Bobic Yacht Interiors . It features a beauty salon, massage area, high-tech gym, and a spacious main salon.

In May, Robb Report reported that Bash is available for charter in the Mediterranean starting at $278,000 per week, plus expenses. In June, Haidar listed Bash for $16.8 million, according to Boat International .

There was a second motor yacht named Cujo, which Diana and Fayed also took earlier that summer. It was built in Italy in 1972 for John von Neumann, who commissioned the Italian Baglietto shipyard to build the world's fastest motor yacht. She was given two 18-cylinder engines that allowed it to go as fast as 42 knots. Fayed had bought the boat from his cousin, Saudi businessman and arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi. In August, the Mediterranean Sea reclaimed Cujo, as the 62-foot artifact of Diana’s life hit an unidentified object off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on July 29 and sprang a leak, Vanity Fair reported. The seven people on board were rescued by teams from Antibes and safely returned to shore.

An imitation of Jonikal will feature in The Crown season 6, a set that was intended to visually illuminate the tension between Diana and the royal family. “Diana’s south of France adventure was bright and lovely pastel colors, and her world even in Kensington Palace is optimistic and warm, compared to the queen’s residence at Balmoral, which is very static, with gloomy light and drab colors,” set decorator Alison Harvey told ELLE DECOR.

Filming on the yacht off the island of Mallorca (a St. Tropez stand-in) required many moving parts with few do-overs. “We brought in the drapes, the artwork, many furnishings,” Harvey explains. “Everything was set in the early ’90s, so we thought hard about the colors and textures that we brought in.” Harvey’s team had just half a day to dress the yacht, and then it was off to sea. “There was no getting on or off after that,” Harvey says, adding that they were “subsumed by the logistics of what we had to achieve and the time we had to do it.”

However painstaking the process, the yacht scenes will offer an intriguing context—though largely fictitious—for the iconic photographs that exist of those final weeks leading up to Diana’s death.

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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

Pic: Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

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).

Pic: AP

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.

Pic: Gendarmerie des Alpes-Maritimes

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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Superyacht SOKAR, once enjoyed by Princess Diana, set to appear at Monaco Yacht Show 2018

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By Katia Damborsky   31 August 2018

The 63m/206ft motor yacht SOKAR , which hosted Princess Diana on a luxury yachting vacation in the late 1990’s, will be attending the Monaco Yacht Show this year.

Well-known for being an outstanding yacht of her era, SOKAR combines timeless design and exquisite craftsmanship, easily earning herself a place at the Monaco Yacht Show 2018.

Previously named Jonikal, the superyacht is the backdrop of iconic pictures of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, the son of the yacht’s former owner when the pair took a holiday around the Italian Riviera in 1997.

jonikal yacht

In 2015, the motor yacht benefited from a refreshing refit which saw the addition of contemporary furnishings and an up-to-date selection of amenities.

However, she has maintained her classic charm with many original fittings still in place and an emphasis on ornamenting the living spaces with traditional pieces. Polished, gleaming wood surfaces are carefully balanced with sumptuous fabrics and nautical touches to give her a warm and comfortable interior. She exudes sophistication, and would have been the ideal choice for a Princess looking to experience the magic of a luxury yacht vacation.

jonikal yacht

Polished, gleaming wood surfaces are carefully balanced with sumptuous fabrics and nautical touches to give her a warm and comfortable interior.

jonikal yacht

Among the pictures, the most famous is of the Princess sitting on an extendable ramp that overlooks the sparkling water. Others include the Princess stepping on to a tender, and enjoying time outdoors on the deck.

Although SOKAR looks much the same in many respects, she now enjoys a Helipad and an on-deck Jacuzzi for guests to soak in. Ample outdoor deck space gives her charter guests plenty of opportunities to lie back and enjoy some sunshine or dine together with views of the ocean surrounding them.

jonikal yacht

When Diana was aboard SOKAR, she gifted a Ralph Lauren sweatshirt to the chief stewardess taking care of the experience.  Recently, the item of clothing went up for auction and is expected to fetch over $10,000 when it goes under the hammer.

But if you want to feel closer to a slice of Royal history, SOKAR is currently for sale and will be on display at the Monaco Yacht Show 2018.

Princess Diana's USA Sweatshirt (Gifted to a Yacht Worker Just Before Her Death) Is Up for Auction via People Magazine https://t.co/o51SOTlzfb More info: https://t.co/NwJDUDounj #PrincessDiana #Royals pic.twitter.com/J22tcbh10P — Mike Graff (@mikegraffpr) August 27, 2018

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To charter a similar luxury yacht, speak to your preferred charter broker .

Alternatively, view all yachts attending the Monaco Yacht Show 2018 .

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The super yacht Princess Diana shared with Dodi Fayed is up for sale – see inside

Princess Diana jumping on the deck of a yacht

Since her untimely death in August of 1997, Princess Diana ’s last summer spent with Dodi Al-Fayed has been described in various ways: a passionate love affair, a fake publicity stunt, a temporary fling, a rouse to infuriate another suitor, or the beginning of a lifelong commitment. Although the stories change, the setting remains: a summer tour through the Mediterranean aboard a multi-million dollar super yacht. Later this year, nearly 25 years to the day, the 208-foot vessel will launch for sale again. 

Study and seating area in the super yacht

The yacht is full of glossy and dark wood paneling. 

Originally named Jonikal , then Sokar , and most recently Bash , the luxury vessel was first owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and father of Dodi Al-Fayed. During the fateful summer, Al-Fayed hosted Princess Di and her two sons aboard the Jonikal . After the couple’s tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed attempted to sell the yacht numerous times before it was finally bought in 2014. It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who is selling it just over a year later as he reportedly has plans to upgrade to a larger vessel. “She is in the yard being refitted, and will be launched for sale in September,” said John Wood, director at Seawood Yachts. 

May we suggest: Inside Althorp, Princess Diana's childhood home

Image of stateroom in yacht with large sectional and various seating areas

Coffered ceilings add a dramatic, yet timeless feel. 

Bash , as the yacht is currently named, was designed by navel architect Vincenzo Ruggiero in the 1980s and built by the superyacht building firm Codecasa before launching in 1990. The vessel can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms in addition to rooms for 26 crew members. Among many notable features, Bash includes a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, a formal dining room, main saloon, a bar, and office space. Full of dark wood paneling and coffered ceilings, the interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style of the early 1900s. 

May we suggest: Examining Princess Diana's interiors style

Photo of the bedroom aboard the yacht

The vessel includes nine staterooms in addition to plenty of space for the crew. 

Powered by Wärtsilä engines, the yacht has a cruising speed of 15 knots and top speeds of 20 knots. Even though an exact price hasn’t been advertised just yet, the last time the boat was sold, it was listed for $10,000,000. 

More great royal stories from House & Garden

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A 17th-century Cotswold house by Emma Burns with calm, textured interiors

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princess diana on jonikal yacht

The Crown: Five insights into the yachts featured in series six

On 16 November, the first volume of series six of The Crown was released on Netflix. Not only has it stirred up controversy regarding its depiction of recent historical events, but the series has also sparked the public's interest in the infamous yachts associated with the royal family's timeline.

The final instalment of The Crown features two ladies and two yachts, all of which are indelibly linked to Dodi Al-Fayed. It captures the simmering romance between Princess Diana and Dodi – a film producer and son of billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed – as well as Dodi's fiancée, Kelly Fisher. In the drama, the Princess of Wales is whisked away to the former Harrods owner's villa (and superyacht) in the south of France, where she enjoys a summer on the continent with sons Prince William and Prince Harry in 1997.

The series shows the group on what was Mohamed Al-Fayed's yacht, the 63.8-metre Codecasa which was known as Jonikal (later Bash, now Isabell Princess of the Seas ) . Understandably, with the People's Princess aboard, the yacht was heavily photographed by the paparazzi – leading to the creation of that iconic Princess Diana yacht photo. The camera also pans to a smaller yacht we can assume is the 20-metre Baglietto Cujo , a yacht the Al-Fayed's spent a lot of time on and which sadly sank earlier this year.

Wondering what happened to Jonikal ? If the series was filmed on the original boat? Where the set location was? BOAT answers all your yacht-related questions surrounding the latest series.

That Princess Diana yacht picture

There are many iconic images of Princess Diana – not least the shot of her in the "revenge dress" – but up there are the images of her sporting a range of low-backed swimsuits from her summer in St. Tropez. Perhaps the most memorable is Princess Diana sitting on the diving board of Jonikal. The series recreates the moment her photo was captured, legs swaying above the oscillating sea, toes pointed ballerina-esque. It also draws on her plea to the paparazzi to give her boys some privacy as she meets them mid-sea on her tender, stealing the show in her leopard-print swimsuit.

The whereabouts of Jonikal today

The yacht carries great significance knowing Dodi and Princess Diana were pictured there just weeks before their fatal car accident. It belonged to Dodi's father and, during the series, Princess Diana and Dodi are portrayed sharing intimate moments on board: her, looking up from the piano she is playing, doe-eyed; him, opening up about his engagement and the struggles with his father. There is also the scene where they have an ice cube fight between decks; the scene where Dodi's siblings and Princess Diana's children jump off the diving board; where the pair share what would've been an intimate kiss, had the photographer on his motor yacht not snapped it.

It was successful telecoms entrepreneur Bassim Haidar who later bought the yacht in 2021. The fact that it’s the former Jonikal is a source of pride for Haidar, who told BOAT : "I really loved Lady Diana. Whenever anyone comes on board I always show them where the famous picture was taken." The yacht was sold in August this year.

The yacht the series was filmed on, Titania 

The Crown was not filmed on Isabell Princess of the Seas (ex- Jonikal ), but rather on the 72-metre Lurssen superyacht Titania . The yacht, which was delivered in 2006, is owned by British businessman John Caudwell. Back in 2021, Caudwell commented on the news via his social media accounts, stating that he "cannot confirm or deny any filming secrets" but hinted that viewers should "keep your eyes peeled towards the end of season five and start of season six."

The refit in 2012 amped up her charter facilities – adding a second owner’s cabin on the upper deck, a gym on the sundeck and an extension to the stern to accommodate a beach club (which can be spotted in the series) with a full water park that floats off the stern.

The other yacht (and the other woman)

Jonikal is not the only yacht to have featured in The Crown series six, filmed in Mallorca. At one point, the camera also pans to another yacht the Al-Fayed's spent a lot of time on, the 20-metre Cujo. The drama shows Dodi's fiancée at the time, Fisher, getting escorted by tender past the yacht Dodi and Princess Diana are on ( Jonikal ), and instead shuttled away to what Fisher refers to as "the smaller yacht". 

In August this year, the real-life Cujo sunk around 35 kilometres off the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer, France.

Other yachts featured in the series

Christina O had 122-metre shoes to fill in season five, playing Alexander – the converted cruise ship where Princess Diana and Charles celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary . Delivered in 1965 by German shipyard Lubecker Flender Werke , the superyacht hosted the royals and their sons princes William and Harry a year before the couple separated.

A replica of the Royal Yacht Britannia also starred in the fifth Netflix series. Britannia was used as Queen Elizabeth II’s royal yacht from 1954 to 1997, hosting up to 250 guests at a time while being operated by 21 officers and 250 crew from the Royal Navy. It was decommissioned as a cost-cutting measure by the UK government in 1997.

The second part of The Crown will premiere on Netflix from 14 December.

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Princess Diana Once Vacationed on This 209-Foot Superyacht. Now It’s Available for Charter.

The revamped 209-footer will set you back roughly $278,000 a week., rachel cormack.

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A palatial superyacht that hosted Princess Diana in the ‘90s is ready to welcome the next generation of blue bloods.

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Lady Di en vacances sur le 'Jonikal' au large de Saint-Tropez en France, en juillet 1997. (Photo by Pool RAT/REY/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

The revamp was managed by marine engineering and management company Capax . In addition to a new bridge, Bash received fresh wiring, plumbing, and bulkheads. The team also fitted a new air-conditioning system and an integrated AV/IT system.

Bash’s layout and decor were updated by Bobic Yacht Interiors . The Slovenian designers reportedly created “a luxurious and elegant feel” throughout the living quarters. The yacht can sleep up to 12 guests across six sophisticated staterooms, including a main deck owner’s suite with a walk-in wardrobe, a private lounge, and an office.

Bash main salon

Other interior highlights include a beauty salon and massage area, a high-tech gym, and a spacious main salon. Outside, meanwhile, there are multiple alfresco areas for soirees with members of the upper crust and a Jacuzzi for soaking at sea.

“Getting to this point took a lot of hard work and required a lot of skill, but it was worth the effort,” Capax CEO Teo Petricevic said in a statement .

Bash is available for charter in the Mediterranean starting at $278,000 (€260,000) per week, plus expenses.

Click here to see all the photos of Bash.

Bash Superyacht

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Superyacht made famous by Princess Diana is now at the bottom of the Med

One of the luxury yachts that Princess Diana was snapped on with Dodi Fayed sadly sank in 2023, the other recently sold for over $16 million.

The Crown season 6 part 1 shows Princess Diana on a luxury yacht holiday in the Mediterranean with Dodi Fayed. While one of the two yachts used by the couple on the holiday is currently being valued at a whopping $16.8 million, the other sadly sank earlier in 2023.

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed’s luxury yacht sank in 2023

In the Summer of 1997, only a few weeks before the tragic car crash in Paris, Princess Diana vacationed with her two children, Princes William and Harry , alongside Dodi Fayed and his family in the Mediterranean.

One of the luxury yachts was called the Cujo and this was the vessel that Prince Harry and Prince William were seen on amidst a media frenzy in season 6 of Netflix’s The Crown. Unfortunately, it only recently sank beneath the waves.

According to a report from local police , on July 29 of this year some 18 miles off Beaulieu-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, the vessel struck an unknown object and began to sink.

・ REMEMBRANCE : Princess Diana’s funeral in pictures: 17 heartbreaking images from procession and ceremony

“The skipper of the Cujo issued a Mayday, his ship was sinking due to a leak,” said an officer involved in the successful rescue of its seven-person crew.

“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.”

The Cujo plunged to depths of around 8,200ft (around 2,500m) and now rests at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea.

Interestingly, prior to the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, the boat had reportedly hosted various celebrities including Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis.

After the car collision in Paris, the Cujo fell into disrepair and only returned to the seas a few years ago after being purchased for $160,000 by luxury vehicle dealer Simon Kidston.

・ SUPERSTAR : Meet The Crown’s Diana actress Elizabeth Debicki who fans will recognise from huge Hollywood movies

What happened to the other luxury yacht, the Jonikal?

Out of the two luxury yachts that Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed vacationed on that 1997 Summer, arguably the more famous was the Jonikal – the vessel where the infamous ‘kiss’ and ‘diving board’ photos were snapped.

The Jonikal was as close to the definition of a superyacht as you could get in the 1990s, 208ft of class with nine staterooms that could accommodate up to 18 people (in addition to a crew of 26). The vessel was fitted with a Jacuzzi, bar, dining room, office spaces, sun deck, and swim platform.

Following the death of Princess Diana and son Dodi Fayed, the yacht’s owner Mohamed Al Fayed commissioned a redesign of the interior and attempted to sell the boat on a number of occasions.

In 2014, Al Fayed parted ways with the infamous yacht to an unknown buyer, before being purchased by Intercomm and GMT founder Bassim Haidar.

After a small fire broke out on the deck, another redesign was commissioned to the tune of $9.7 million – it now features a high-tech gymnasium, massage room, and a salon as well as a new name, Bash.

Earlier this year, Robb Report cl a imed that the Bash was available for charter for around $278,000 per week and in June 2023, Haidar listed the vessel for a whopping $16.8 million.

・ WOW : Princess Diana’s funeral attendees were a who’s-who of famous faces

The Crown season 6 Part 1 is now streaming on Netflix, Part 2 premieres in December 2023.

・ OUCH : Dodi Fayed’s model ex-girlfriend said billionaire ditched her for Princess Diana in “callous” dating blunder

The post Superyacht made famous by Princess Diana is now at the bottom of the Med appeared first on HITC .

Superyacht made famous by Princess Diana is now at the bottom of the Med

Yacht where Princess Diana spent her final summer on sale for £10million

The 64-metre-long boat was the setting of Princess Diana's fatal romance with Dodi Fayed. It is being sold by billionaire telecoms tycoon Hassim Haidar barely a year after he bought it

The yacht is on the market for over £10million

  • 20:02, 23 Jul 2022

The yacht where Princess Diana spent her final summer is on the market for over £10million.

Formerly known as the Jonikal, the 64-metre-long boat was the setting of her fatal romance with Dodi Fayed .

It is being sold by billionaire telecoms tycoon Hassim Haidar barely a year after he bought it because he wants one even bigger.

Mr Haidar is known to viewers of the Channel 5’s Billionaire Superyachts: Luxury at Sea, which filmed his lavish lifestyle with his wife and daughters aboard another large vessel.

He bought the former Jonikal, renamed Sokar, in June last year and changed the name to Bash after his initials.

At the time, Mr Haidar told Superyacht Times: “The size, the volume, the history and the condition of her, I thought, maybe this is the yacht for me right now.”

The ship’s broker, John Wood, of Seawood Yachts, said: “Owners have many reasons to change, this one is mostly due to his change in fortune and wanting something even bigger.”

The vessel’s history might appeal to a new owner in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of Diana’s death on August 31 1997.

That summer, Diana, recently divorced from Prince Charles, cruised around the Mediterranean on the boat with playboy film producer Dodi.

It was one of a flotilla owned by Dodi and his father, the then Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed.

Built by Italian shipyard Codecasa in 1990, the Jonikal was a sleek, floating gin palace with nine staterooms, one of Dodi’s “boys’ toys” that amused and impressed Diana.

Dodi bought it two years before their love affair and the couple used it for three cruises – around Sardinia, Greece and finally the south of France – in July and August 1997.

Pictures of the couple cuddling and kissing on the top deck went around the world, while Diana was photographed sunbathing, jumping into a speedboat and sitting on the stern in a contemplative mood.

They were among the last pictures of the Princess, who told her friend Rosa Monckton in a phone call from the yacht that her time with Dodi was “bliss”.

On August 30 the couple took a lunchtime flight to Paris to stay in the Ritz Hotel, owned by Dodi’s dad Mohamed.

In the early hours of the next day the Princess, 36, and Dodi, 42, were killed along with drunken chauffeur Henri Paul, 41, when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel.

In his startling eulogy at Diana’s funeral, her brother Earl Spencer referred to “joy in her private life”.

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The Jonikal: 208-Foot Superyacht Where Princess Diana Last Vacationed Is For Sale

BY Mawi Fojas De Ocampo

No price has been announced yet, but the ship which features a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space was previously listed for $10 Million.

The vessel, which was first launched in 1990, reportedly has nine staterooms to hold up to 18 people, apart from 26 crew, according to Town and Country .

READ ALSO: Die-Hard Fans: HBO Is Releasing A Documentary About The Media’s Obsession With Princess Diana Using Only Archival Footage

Dodi Fayed’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed the former owner of Harrods owned the ship, then named the Jonikal, says the article which also stated that Mohamed attempted to sell the vessel after the death of Diana and his son, and he parted with the yacht in 2014; while there is no price stated yet for the ship now known as the Bash , it was previously listed for $10 Million. The superyacht features a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anwar Hussein (@anwarhusseinphotography)

The report further states that the yacht was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in 2021 and he plans to sell it in favor of a bigger ship. According to Seawood Yachts director John Wood , the yacht is being refitted with plans to launch it for sale next month.

Per Princess Diana Exhibit , Diana was “by most accounts the most photographed human in history.” The exhibit that opened in Tyson’s Corner Center just outside Washington, DC offers a “front row walk through history that tells the untold story of how Princess Diana changed the world.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Princess Diana Exhibition (@princessdianaexhibition)

The website states that “for the first time in his 60-year career, Diana’s favorite Royal photographer tells 50+ untold stories of royal life and the Princess that we couldn’t take our eyes off of.” That photographer is none other than Anwar Hussein, and together with his sons Zak and Samir, they share their experiences with the princess and her family.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Anwar Hussein (@anwarhusseinphotography) window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { var mapping1 = googletag.sizeMapping(). addSize([992, 0], [[728, 90], [1, 1], [300, 360], [300, 250]]). //desktop addSize([768, 0], [[300, 250], [728, 90], [1, 1], [300, 360]]). //tablet addSize([320, 0], [[320, 100], [300, 250], [300, 300], [1, 1], [300, 360]]). //mobile build(); googletag.defineSlot('/79190851/OMG_Lifestyle_Asia/la_in_article_ads', [[728, 90], [300, 250], [1, 1], [300, 360]], 'div-gpt-ad-1629446175-50697').defineSizeMapping(mapping1).addService(googletag.pubads()).setCollapseEmptyDiv(false).setTargeting('category', 'people'); googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ fetchMarginPercent: 125, renderMarginPercent: 100, mobileScaling: 2.0, }); googletag.enableServices(); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1629446175-50697'); googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1629446175-50697'); });

The exhibit tells from their perspective what they had personally witnessed “with depth and detail.” Guests have the flexibility and convenience to navigate through the exhibit at their own pace and the experience may take between 60 to 90 minutes approximately. Tickets start at $25 per head for adults.

Banner photo via Instagram @princessdianaexhibition.

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jonikal yacht

Inside the £8million 208ft ‘love boat’ yacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed enjoyed romantic Mediterranean getaway

  • Ethan Singh
  • Published : 14:31, 16 Nov 2022
  • Updated : 16:36, 16 Nov 2022

PRINCESS Diana and Dodi Fayed once enjoyed a romantic Mediterranean getaway on an £8million 208ft "love boat" yacht.

The princess and her boyfriend vacationed on the luxurious yacht named the Jonikal shortly before their tragic deaths in 1997.

The was luxury yacht originally owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed

Dodi , who died aged 42 in a  Paris car crash  with Diana 25 years ago, was the son multi-millionaire father  Mohamed Al-Fayed .

Diana was joined for part of the trip on the 208ft vessel by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The ship, which was first launched in 1990, reportedly has nine staterooms to hold up to 18 people, in addition to 26 crew, reports Town and Country.

Though no price has been listed for the vessel as yet, at the time of its previous sale it was listed for £8,423,300 ($10,000,000).

And it boasts a number of stunning amenities including a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space.

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Full of dark wood panelling and coffered ceilings, the interiors are reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts style of the early 1900s. 

Powered by Wärtsilä engines, the yacht has a cruising speed of 15 knots and top speeds of 20 knots.

The pair first met at a polo match in 1989, but they did not get together until Dodi invited the princess to stay at his father's 30-bedroom villa in St Tropez in July 1997.

Much of Dodi's fortune was spent on impressing a string of beautiful models and actresses.

The playboy was linked to Blue Lagoon actress Brooke Shields, Val Kilmer’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley, Stranger Things star  Winona Ryder  and Frank Sinatra’s daughter Tina.

Following the 1997 car crash that led to the couple's deaths, Mohamed attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions before ultimately parting with it in 2014.

It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who is selling it just over a year later as he reportedly has plans to upgrade to a larger vessel.

Read More on The Sun

jonikal yacht

I use bags of rubble to stop neighbours taking my parking space – they hate it

John Wood, director at Seawood Yacht, told House and Garden: "She is in the yard being refitted, and will be launched for sale in September."

The vessel has been hinted at during the end of The Crown's fifth season.

The luxury yacht has a range of amenities

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jonikal yacht

Inside the £13m 208ft ‘love boat’ yacht where Princess Diana & Dodi Fayed had their romantic fling which is on The Crown

  • Becky Pemberton
  • Published : 7:36 ET, Nov 16 2023

THE famous £13million superyacht where Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed enjoyed their romantic fling is featured on the new season of The Crown.

The glamorous royal and her wealthy boyfriend were famously pictured kissing on the luxury “love boat” Jonikal, which is now called Bash, before their tragic deaths in 1997.

Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed on their romantic Mediterranean break on his family yacht, Jonikal

Photos of the couple’s Mediterranean getaway circulated around the world, with The Sunday Mirror paying £250,000 for first rights to the collection.

The fall out of the photos was depicted on the sixth and final season of Netflix’s The Crown, with the Queen, played by Imelda Staunton, seen viewing the multi-page spread back home.

The stunning 208ft yacht can hold up to 18 people across nine staterooms, along with 26 crew members.

It also offers a range of impressive amenities including a jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space.

The yacht belonged to Dodi’s multi-millionaire father Mohamed Al-Fayed.

The billionaire former Harrods owner amassed his astonishing fortune running several high-profile business ventures and a Premier League football club prior to the announcement of his death in August 2023.

The ship was first launched in 1990, and has had a number of owners over the years.

According to Boat International, it was sold earlier this year, and although the sum hasn’t been disclosed, the asking price was €15,500,000 (£13million).

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Diana’s final month included two cruises on The Jonikal.

The holidays sparked unfounded rumours that Diana was pregnant and about to announce plans to marry Dodi.

Dodi died aged 42 in a Paris car crash with Diana 26 years ago.

The pair first met at a polo match in 1989, but they did not get together until Dodi invited the princess to stay at his father's 30-bedroom villa in St Tropez in July 1997.

Much of Dodi's fortune was spent on impressing a string of beautiful models and actresses.

The playboy was linked to Blue Lagoon actress Brooke Shields, Val Kilmer’s ex-wife Joanne Whalley, Stranger Things star Winona Ryder and Frank Sinatra’s daughter Tina.

Following the 1997 car crash that led to the couple's deaths, Mohamed attempted to sell the yacht on a number of occasions before ultimately parting with it in 2014.

It was most recently purchased by Bassim Haidar in June of 2021, who sold it just over a year later with plans to upgrade to a larger vessel.

Photos of Diana sitting on the yacht circulated around the world

  • Celebrity relationships and break ups
  • Princess Diana

Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia)

Lysanderhöhe was a village of the Am Trakt Mennonite settlement in the province of Samara , Russia , founded in 1864, consisting in 1897 of 22 farms, with a population of 119. A part of the population joined the trek to Turkestan in 1891, while others immigrated to America. In 1914 the population was 146. Franz Bartsch , the author of Unser Auszug nach Mittelasien, was the teacher of the village school. After the Revolution of 1917 the cultural and economic level of the village began to decline. Some of the inhabitants went to Canada and others were exiled. Little is known about the fate of those who remained and the later status of the village.

Bibliography

Dyck, Johannes J. based on a text by W.E. Surukin. Am Trakt: A Mennonite Settlement in the Central Volga Region . Translated by Hermina Joldersma and Peter J.Dyck. Winnipeg: CMBC Publications, 1995.

Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon , 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe: Schneider, 1913-1967: v. II, 709.

Surukin, W. E. und Johannes J. Dyck. Am Trakt, Eine Mennonitische Kolonie im Mittleren Wolgagebiet .North Kildonan, Man., 1948.

Author(s) Cornelius Krahn
Date Published 1957

Cite This Article

Krahn, Cornelius. "Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online . 1957. Web. 25 Aug 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lysanderh%C3%B6he_(Am_Trakt_Mennonite_Settlement,_Samara_Oblast,_Russia)&oldid=144294 .

Krahn, Cornelius. (1957). Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online . Retrieved 25 August 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Lysanderh%C3%B6he_(Am_Trakt_Mennonite_Settlement,_Samara_Oblast,_Russia)&oldid=144294 .

©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.

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Samara Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Samara oblast: Samara .

Samara Oblast - Overview

Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the southeastern part of European Russia, in the middle reaches of the Volga River, part of the Volga Federal District. Samara is the capital city of the region.

The population of Samara Oblast is about 3,132,000 (2022), the area - 53,565 sq. km.

Samara oblast flag

Samara oblast coat of arms.

Samara oblast coat of arms

Samara oblast map, Russia

Samara oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

15 February, 2020 / Syzran - the view from above .

4 April, 2019 / Cities of Russia at Night - the Views from Space .

26 January, 2018 / Samara - the view from above .

4 December, 2017 / Stadiums and Matches of the World Cup 2018 in Russia .

21 November, 2016 / Park of the History of Equipment in Tolyatti .

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History of Samara Oblast

The territory of the present Samara region became part of the Russian state in the middle of the 16th century, after the Kazan and Astrakhan khanates were conquered by the Russian state. In the 17th-18th centuries, the territory around the middle Volga was colonized by migrants from other regions of Russia and foreigners (in particular, the Volga Germans).

The intensified colonization of the region began only in the second half of the 18th century. From the mid 19th century, this region experienced economic growth. Samara became an important center of the Russian domestic grain market, which led to the development of trade and industry in the city. In 1851, Samara became the center of Samara guberniya (province).

In 1935, Samara was renamed into Kuybyshev (the historical name was returned in 1990). In Soviet times, industrialization had a serious impact on the development of the region. Construction of plants producing explosives, poisonous substances and ammunition began in the town of Chapayevsk.

During the Second World War, the region became one of the centers of the defense industry of the USSR. In 1941, an oil processing plant was put into operation in Syzran providing the army with fuel. Several aviation plants were evacuated to Kuybyshev from Moscow and Voronezh. They started production of “Il-2” attack aircraft.

More Historical Facts…

In 1942, a railway passed through Syzran to supply Soviet troops during the Stalingrad Battle. In 1941-1943, diplomatic missions of foreign countries to the USSR were located in Kuybyshev (Samara). In 1941, there were plans for transferring the capital of the country to Kuybyshev in case the German troops capture Moscow.

In the 1950s-1960s, this region was one of the leading centers of oil extracting in the USSR. In 1945-1951, Kuybyshev and Novokuybyshev oil processing plants were built. At the same time, construction of Zhiguli hydroelectric power station was resumed. It was put into operation in 1955. Because of this construction, the town of Stavropol was flooded and was rebuilt in a new place and received a new name - Tolyatti.

Later, the construction base created during the construction of Zhiguli hydroelectric power station was used to create a series of other large industrial enterprises in Tolyatti - “KuybyshevAzot” mineral fertilizer plant, “Tolyattikauchuk” synthetic rubber plant (1964-1966), the Volga Automobile Plant (1970), and the largest in the country and the world manufacturer of ammonia “TolyattiAzot” (1979).

At the same time, aviation production was expanded. Kuibyshev Aviation Plant began production of the most mass Soviet passenger medium-haul aircraft Tu-154. The Soviet rocket space program orders were also fulfilled at this plant (“Progress” rockets).

In the post Soviet period, due to saved economic potential, Samara oblast has become one of the main economic centers of the country.

Samara Oblast views

Samara Oblast scenery

Samara Oblast scenery

Author: Dmitriy Siryachenko

Winter in Samara Oblast

Winter in Samara Oblast

Author: Ochin Vladimir

Samara Oblast scenery

Author: Alexander Urgalkin

Samara Oblast - Features

Samara Oblast stretches from north to south for 335 km, and from west to east - for 315 km. The climate is moderately continental. The average temperature in July is plus 20.7 degrees Celsius, in January - minus 13.8 degrees Celsius.

The largest cities and towns of the region are Samara (1,137,000), Tolyatti (685,600), Syzran (163,000), Novokuybyshevsk (98,400), Chapaevsk (70,100), Zhigulevsk (50,000), Otradny (47,000).

The main resources of the Samara region are oil, natural gas, shale oil, various building materials, water resources. The local industry is presented by about 400 large and medium plants and over 4,000 small ones. The most developed industries are machine building (automotive industry) and metalworking, fuel, electric power, chemical and petrochemical, non-ferrous metallurgy.

AvtoVAZ is the largest manufacturer of cars in Russia and Eastern Europe. TogliattiAzot is the largest producer of ammonia in the world (about 8-10%). The 300-kilometer section of the main ammonia pipeline Togliatti-Odessa passes through the territory of the region.

Crop production specializes in the cultivation of wheat, barley, millet, buckwheat, sunflower, vegetables, and potatoes. Livestock is represented by production of cattle meat and milk, pigs, poultry.

Tourism in Samara Oblast

There are 19 monuments of archeology, more than 1,200 cultural monuments, 11 theaters, and 58 museums on the territory of the Samara region. The cities of Samara, Syzran and Tolyatti are included in the List of Historical Settlements of the Russian Federation.

The most developed areas of tourism: sightseeing tourism, cruises along the Volga River, medical and recreational, ecological, event, rural, and ethnographic tourism, caving tourism, bicycle and horse routes.

The most interesting sights:

  • The buildings of the Samara Drama Theater and the Samara Opera and Ballet Theater,
  • Stalin’s Bunker, House with Elephants, Klodt Mansion, Zhigulevsky Brewery in Samara,
  • Samara Space Museum,
  • Church of Sergius of Radonezh in Chapaevsk,
  • Kremlin, Sterlyadkin Mansion in Syzran,
  • Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Verhnee Sancheeleevo,
  • Museum of the History of Technology in Tolyatti,
  • House-museum of Ilya Repin in the village of Shiryaevo,
  • Sarbai Center of Folk Crafts in the village of Sarbai,
  • Center for Historical Modeling “Ancient World” with the dwellings of the Stone and Bronze Ages,
  • Zhiguli State Nature Reserve and Samarskaya Luka National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Zhiguli Mountains are the largest mountain range in the region and, at the same time, one of the most beautiful places in Russia.

Annual festivals taking place in the Samara region:

  • All-Russia festival of the author’s song named after Valery Grushin (the first weekend of July),
  • “World of Bards” (in the end of August),
  • Festival of electronic music and extreme sports GES FEST (the second week of July),
  • “The Battle of Timur and Tokhtamysh”,
  • “Steppe races in the Samara estate of Leo Tolstoy”,
  • International festival “Drums of the World” (June),
  • Holiday “Syzran tomato” (mid-August),
  • “Holiday of a cherry pie” in the village of Shiryaevo,
  • International festival “Theatrical Circle” in Tolyatti,
  • Festival of Classical Ballet named after Alla Shelest.

Samara oblast of Russia photos

Nature of samara oblast.

Field road in the Samara region

Field road in the Samara region

Dandelions in Samara Oblast

Dandelions in Samara Oblast

Author: Vladimir Baboshin

Samara Oblast landscape

Samara Oblast landscape

Pictures of the Samara region

Soviet past in the Samara region

Soviet past in the Samara region

Author: Dyomin Ivan

Church in Samara Oblast

Church in Samara Oblast

Author: B.Yartsev

Churches in the Samara region

Churches in the Samara region

Author: Sergey Bulanov

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IMAGES

  1. SOKAR Ex JONIKAL

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  2. Luxury Yacht Jonikal at Santa Margherita Ligure 1997

    jonikal yacht

  3. Com'è fatto e quanto costa affittare lo yacht dove Lady Diana ha

    jonikal yacht

  4. Luxury Yacht Used By Princess Diana In 1997 To Go Up For Sale

    jonikal yacht

  5. Luxury Yacht Used By Princess Diana In 1997 To Go Up For Sale

    jonikal yacht

  6. Ex-Harrods tycoon relaxes on yacht half the size of his former ship

    jonikal yacht

COMMENTS

  1. Sokar (yacht)

    Isabell Princess Of The Sea (originally named Jonikal, then Sokar and Bash) is a luxury yacht formerly owned by Egyptian businessman Mohamed Al-Fayed, the former owner of Harrods department store in Knightsbridge.The vessel was sold in 2014 after being on the market for many years. Until July 2021 [1] she was named after the Egyptian mythology falcon god Sokar.

  2. See Photos of Princess Diana on Mohamed Al Fayed's Yacht in Saint

    Here, some of the most memorable photos of Princess Diana with her sons and the Fayeds on the Jonikal in July 1997. 1. Pool RAT/REY // Getty Images. Princess Diana on board the Jonikal yacht ...

  3. See Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana Shared With Dodi Fayed

    During the fateful summer, Al-Fayed hosted Princess Di and her two sons aboard the Jonikal. After the couple's tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed attempted to sell the yacht numerous times before it ...

  4. Inside The Yacht Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed Toured the

    Then named the Jonikal (it has subsequently been called the Sokar, and the Bash), the yacht was owned by Dodi's father, former Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, when Diana traveled on it. Following ...

  5. Inside the Yacht Princess Diana Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

    The steel and aluminum super yacht boasted nine staterooms that altogether accommodate up to 18 people, in addition to a crew of 26. Amenities included a Jacuzzi, swim platform, sun deck, formal dining room, a bar, and office space. Mohamed had named the yacht Jonikal (it has subsequently been called Sokar and is currently called Bash).

  6. The Crown: The Sad, Strange Details of Princess Diana's Last Vacation

    November 16, 2023. From API/Gamma Rapho/Getty Images. Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed are lounging on the sundeck of a reportedly £15 million yacht in The Crown 's season six episode "Two ...

  7. Princess Diana's Yacht Saga: Boats Used During Relationship With Dodi

    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 ...

  8. Inside the Superyacht Princess Diana Vacationed on With Dodi Fayed

    Mohamed had named the yacht Jonikal (it has subsequently been called Sokar and is currently called Bash). Diana atop the superyacht in 1997. Pool RAT/REY - Getty Images.

  9. Yacht that Princess Diana spent last summer on with Dodi Al-Fayed sinks

    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.

  10. Superyacht SOKAR, once enjoyed by Princess Diana, set ...

    The 63m/206ft motor yacht SOKAR, which hosted Princess Diana on a luxury yachting vacation in the late 1990's, will be attending the Monaco Yacht Show this year. ... Previously named Jonikal, the superyacht is the backdrop of iconic pictures of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed, the son of the yacht's former owner when the pair took a holiday ...

  11. The super yacht Princess Diana shared with Dodi Fayed is up for sale

    Originally named Jonikal, then Sokar, and most recently Bash, the luxury vessel was first owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, former owner of Harrods and father of Dodi Al-Fayed.During the fateful summer, Al-Fayed hosted Princess Di and her two sons aboard the Jonikal.After the couple's tragic death, Mohamed Al-Fayed attempted to sell the yacht numerous times before it was finally bought in 2014.

  12. The Crown: Five insights into the yachts featured in series six

    The Crown was not filmed on Isabell Princess of the Seas (ex-Jonikal), but rather on the 72-metre Lurssen superyacht Titania. The yacht, which was delivered in 2006, is owned by British businessman John Caudwell. Back in 2021, Caudwell commented on the news via his social media accounts, stating that he "cannot confirm or deny any filming secrets" but hinted that viewers should "keep your eyes ...

  13. A Superyacht Princess Diana Vacationed on Is Now Available for Charter

    The couple spent a summer together on the yacht just before they died tragically in a car crash on August 31, 1997. Princess Diana aboard "Jonikal" in the summer of 1997. Getty

  14. Superyacht made famous by Princess Diana is now at the bottom of the Med

    The Jonikal was as close to the definition of a superyacht as you could get in the 1990s, 208ft of class with nine staterooms that could accommodate up to 18 people (in addition to a crew of 26).

  15. Yacht where Princess Diana spent her final summer on sale for £

    The yacht where Princess Diana spent her final summer is on the market for over £10million. Formerly known as the Jonikal, the 64-metre-long boat was the setting of her fatal romance with Dodi Fayed.

  16. The Jonikal: 208-Foot Superyacht Where Princess Diana Last Vacationed

    Dodi Fayed's father, Mohamed Al-Fayed the former owner of Harrods owned the ship, then named the Jonikal, says the article which also stated that Mohamed attempted to sell the vessel after the death of Diana and his son, and he parted with the yacht in 2014; while there is no price stated yet for the ship now known as the Bash, it was previously listed for $10 Million.

  17. Inside the £8million 208ft 'love boat' yacht where ...

    The princess and her boyfriend vacationed on the luxurious yacht named the Jonikal shortly before their tragic deaths in 1997. 8. The was luxury yacht originally owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed Credit: ...

  18. BASH Yacht • Bassim Haidar $16M Superyacht

    From her construction in 1990 by esteemed Italian shipbuilder, Codecasa, to her storied history under the names Sokar and Jonikal, the BASH Yacht has a rich tale to tell. Today, this luxurious yacht, designed by Codecasa S.p.A., floats as a testament to an intriguing blend of top-notch craftsmanship and riveting narrative. Key Takeaways

  19. Inside the £13m 208ft 'love boat' yacht where Princess Diana & Dodi

    The yacht belonged to Dodi's multi-millionaire father Mohamed Al-Fayed. The billionaire former Harrods owner amassed his astonishing fortune running several high-profile business ventures and a Premier League football club prior to the announcement of his death in August 2023.. The ship was first launched in 1990, and has had a number of owners over the years.

  20. Neu-Samara Mennonite Settlement (Samara Oblast, Russia)

    Neu-Samara was a Mennonite settlement in the northern part of the fertile section of Samara, Russia, about 125 miles (210 km) east of the city by the same name.It was founded in 1890 as a daughter settlement of Molotschna and embraced 59,400 acres of land. In 1926 it numbered 3,071 Mennonite and 66 non-Mennonite inhabitants, who lived in twelve villages and five single farms.

  21. Lysanderhöhe (Am Trakt Mennonite Settlement, Samara Oblast, Russia)

    Lysanderhöhe was a village of the Am Trakt Mennonite settlement in the province of Samara, Russia, founded in 1864, consisting in 1897 of 22 farms, with a population of 119.A part of the population joined the trek to Turkestan in 1891, while others immigrated to America. In 1914 the population was 146. Franz Bartsch, the author of Unser Auszug nach Mittelasien, was the teacher of the village ...

  22. Pokhvistnevo, Samara Oblast

    Pokhvistnevo (Russian: Похвистнево) is a town in Samara Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Bolshoy Kinel River (Samara's tributary), 159 kilometers (99 mi) northeast of Samara, Russia and only 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) from the border with Orenburg Oblast.Population: 28,169 (2010 Russian census); 27,973 (2002 Census); 27,843 (1989 Soviet census).

  23. Samara Oblast, Russia guide

    Samara Oblast - Overview. Samara Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the southeastern part of European Russia, in the middle reaches of the Volga River, part of the Volga Federal District. Samara is the capital city of the region. The population of Samara Oblast is about 3,132,000 (2022), the area - 53,565 sq. km.