FACTBOX: Harrod's owner Mohamed al-Fayed

(Reuters) - Luxury storeowner Mohamed al-Fayed told a court on Monday the death of Princess Diana and his son Dodi in a 1997 Paris car crash was murder and accused the British royal family of wanting to "get rid" of Diana.

Al-Fayed has long maintained that his son and Diana were victims of an establishment conspiracy to prevent them marrying.

Here are some key facts on Mohamed al-Fayed:

* He was born on January 27, 1933, in Alexandria, where he founded his own company in 1956.

* From the 1960s, he has lived primarily in the United Kingdom.

* Among the vast holdings he has acquired are London's famous Harrods department store, the magazine "Punch", which subsequently ceased publication, and the Parisian villa of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

* His application for a British passport has been rejected by the courts.

Sources: Reuters. www.britannica.com

(Writing by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit)