The eyes of the world were once again on the UK this morning, as Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest at a funeral at Westminster Abbey.
In the 11 days since the Queen passed away, the royals have been under even greater scrutiny than usual.
Millions have been inspired by the Windsors’ dignified displays of grief, and many more have been looking on with intense curiosity about what’s next for one of the world’s most famous families.
The Queen’s death made Charles king, of course, and it brought William one step closer to the throne.
So it’s no surprise that much attention has been paid to Will’s wife, Kate Middleton — and sadly, not all of the coverage has been favorable.
In a new interview with Radar Online, billionaire businessman Mohammed Al-Fayed, who is the father of Princess Diana’s late lover Dodi Al-Fayed, says that he cautioned Kate against marrying into the royal family.
Dodi was killed along with Diana when the two of them were involved in a car accident while fleeing from paparazzi in Paris in 1997.
“Don’t get married. His family will destroy you,” Mohammed recalled telling Kate.
“Kate, just like Diana, has no idea the price you have to pay when you exchange vows with a Windsor,” he continued.
Mohammed explained that he got to know William quite well in the his youth, and while he has the greatest affection for the man that boy became, he still has his doubts about the Windsors.
“Prince William lived with me when he was a young boy, and I have seen him grow up to become a wonderful man. England should be proud he will be King,” Mohammed said.
“He has his mother’s charm, and I can completely understand why Kate has fallen in love with him. But the price to pay will be too great,” he added.
Mohammed went on to explain his belief that the pressure of being a royal in the modern era might be more than any individual can withstand.
“There is an albatross hanging around William’s neck. It is having the last name, Windsor,” he said.
“The Windsors will fear her in the way they eventually feared Diana because she was so loved by the public, and because of that, they will do their utmost to destroy her.”
Mohammed speculated that Lady Di would be just as concerned for Kate’s well-being.
“But if she had been alive today, Diana would also be the first to caution Kate about marrying into this family,” he stated.
“Ordinary rules no longer apply when it is the Windsor family. William will do his best to protect Kate but that may not be good enough.”
Prior to the death of Prince Philip in 2021, Mohammed warned that the Queen’s husband had a long history of destroying anyone whom he considered a threat to the institution of the royal family.
“His (Philip’s) usual tactic is to get his henchmen, those crusty old courtiers who know every little secret, to begin a smear campaign if he thinks she is not groveling to him enough,” Mohammed claimed.
“And if that fails, he will then pour poison into the ears of the rest of the family. He will turn them against her through no fault of her own.”
Al-Fayed also speculated that Kate would have trouble with other members of the extended Windsor clan.
“I think Camilla will hate Kate. When she realizes that the people love Kate a hundred times more than her she could also join the hate campaign,” he said.
Indeed, there have been many reports of bad blood between Kate and Camilla, and insiders say the tension was largely a result of the Queen’s obvious preference for Kate.
“Kate is clearly the family favorite,” a source close to the situation told Radar prior to the Queen’s death.
“She’d never say it, of course, but it’s one of the reasons Camilla resented Kate,” palace sources spilled.
It sounds as though Kate has fared somewhat better than Al-Fayed predicted.
But as the Duchess of Cambridge becomes the Princess of Wales, she’ll face new obstacles and even greater scrutiny.
Here’s hoping that she’ll once again prove up to the challenge.
Kate Middleton: Source Close to Princess Di Warned Her Not to Marry Prince William was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip .