Chapter 501 Harrods Department Store

"Your Highness the Duke, Mr. Alfayed said that he could consider selling Harrods department store, but he hopes to meet with you before the deal is concluded."

After hearing what Julia Moore said, Barron frowned slightly and said:

"What do you think he means?"

"It's hard to say, but... the relationship between Alfayez and the royal family is not so harmonious."

What Yulia said was also something Barron was worried about.

This time, he hopes to acquire London's most famous department store, Harrods, in the name of the Devonshire Family Fund.

As early as three years ago, Barron's had the opportunity to acquire Selfridges, another well-known London department store, but later Barron's gave it to the Weston family. In addition to acquiring the Primark clothing chain from the other party, it was also because At that time, this kind of high-end department store was not in his industrial development plan. There were better investment directions to use these funds.

But now, after Barron acquired the Gucci Group and began to acquire Hermès, and now has abundant funds, it is time to enter this field.

As the most prestigious luxury department store in England and even the world, Harrods has entered Barron's vision.

In 1834, founder Charles Henry Harold started a grocery and tea business in Cable Street, Stepney, East London.

In 1849, he foresaw the business opportunities that the 1851 World Expo might bring and moved his store to Knightsbridge, adjacent to the Hyde Park venue. The surrounding 8 kilometers was called the "Crown Triangle" by the locals, and Harrods was born.

As London's economy became increasingly prosperous, Harrods' business territory also began to expand.

As a legend in the department store industry, Harrods has created many "firsts".

18ds built the world's first escalator; the world's first winter sale began here; the first TV set was sold here...

Former American President Ronald Reagan received an elephant as a gift when he was the governor of California. This transaction was undertaken by Harrods. Here, you can even spend 250,000 pounds to customize a personal wax figure made by Madame Tussauds...

Today, the 172-year-old Harrods department store is no longer just a fashionable department store in the hearts of British people. It has become a classic representative of British shopping culture.

Harrods department store has become a symbol. When you walk on the streets of London carrying Harrods' golden logo and dark green background shopping bag, you will be a little more imposing than others.

However, the reason why Barron hesitated to meet with the owner of Harrods department store, the Egyptian wealthy businessman Al Fayed, was mainly due to the entanglement between the other party and the British royal family...

As we all know, Princess Diana died in a horrific car accident in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel in Paris in the early morning of August 31, 1997.

Also killed in the car with her was her new boyfriend.

At this time, Al Fayed, the owner of Harrods, was the father of Diana's boyfriend at the time.

How do you evaluate Alfayed as a person?

It can be said that he is similar to Abu in some aspects, but not completely similar.

Alfayez was born in Egypt and had a business acumen since he was a child. When he was a child, Alfayez very much hoped to enter the British upper class and become a member of it - Egypt was once a British colony. The mentality is a kind of colonial convert's fanaticism, hoping to be an upper-class British person and never wanting to return to Egypt.

Al Fayed's original name was Mohamed Fayed. Later, he added the prefix "Al" to his last name, which is similar to the "De" of French aristocrats or the "Von" of German aristocrats, in order to appear noble. As a result, Ridiculed as the "Fake Pharaoh".

After gaining huge wealth, he bought the most famous department store in London, Harrods, in 1985, hoping to enter the British upper class and even work for the Duke of Windsor, the Queen's The uncle, Edward VIII, who "loved beauty but not country" and gave up the throne for the divorced American woman Mrs. Simpson, even bought his former residence in France after his death, renovated it, and prepared to give it away. To the British royal family to win their favor.

It's just that his move was a little self-defeating - because the media at that time was hyping up the Duke of Windsor's private flirtation with Nazi Germany during World War II, the royal family did not accept this "gift" and only took away some of it related to the royal family. Items and documents.

And at the Royal Horse Racing, the grandest social season every year sponsored by Alfayed, in order to avoid suspicion, the Queen did not sit next to Alfayed, but asked the then Princess Diana to sit there on behalf of the royal family. , and because of this, Alfayed and Diana knew each other and had a good relationship.

Therefore, after Diana divorced the crown prince, in order to continue to enter the British upper class centered on the royal family, Alfayez tried his best to make his son and Diana a lover...

Wouldn't it be wonderful to think that the mother of the future King of England is his daughter-in-law, and that his grandson and the future King are brothers.

"Now, I have finally found true love. After getting married, I will live a normal life like a real ordinary person."

This was what Diana said during an interview in Paris, but six hours later, she and her boyfriend Dodi died in a car accident.

After losing his beloved son, Alfayez will accuse the British royal family every now and then, claiming that the royal family murdered the two people. He even said that the assassination was ordered by Prince Philip, planned by Charles, and also participated by Prime Minister Blair. The reason is that this vampire family sees Princess Diana is not allowed to pursue happiness.

Later, he also invested money to film a documentary about the car accident, "Unlawful Killing", but it was not released to the public.

Well, it’s also worth mentioning that after the tragic deaths of Diana and Dodi, in order to commemorate them, Al Fayed installed two commemorative bronze statues in the lobby of Harrods department store——

The statues of Dodi and Diana smiling at each other and holding up the fluttering albatross are still shining with golden light, symbolizing "eternal love". Photos and candles of the two are placed next to them for people to express their condolences and commemoration.

These two commemorative bronze statues have become the attractions of Harrods department store, and many people come here to see...

Somewhat ironically, Alfayez hopes to become an upper-class British man, but until now, he has not obtained British citizenship.

"Inform Alfayez that I can meet him, but I hope it will be a private meeting. Well, just invite him to The Holme."

The Holme is Barron's mansion in Regent's Park. It is usually used as a place for his trysts with Tamaran Ecclestone. Tamaran often lives there, but recently she went to Japan with her father. I went on a trip, and the Suzuka Circuit there was hosting the F1 Wagoku Station race.