Al Fayed in astonishing bid to force Queen to give evidence at Diana inquest

Mohamed al Fayed has fought a long battle over the inquest of his son, Dodi, and Diana, Princess of Wales

Mohamed Al Fayed wants the Queen to be questioned as part of the Princess Diana inquest, it has emerged.

The Harrods owner has already demanded that Prince Charles and Prince Philip give evidence to the full inquest, which starts in October.

Now he wants the Queen to be "directly approached" and questioned over her private conversations with Diana's butler, Paul Burrell.

Mr Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died alongside the princess in the Paris car crash in 1997, believes they were murdered in an establishment conspiracy.

His lawyers made their request in the High Court, in the final preliminary hearing with Baroness Butler-Sloss as coroner.

In 2002, evidence from the monarch helped clear Mr Burrell of the theft of scores of the princess's personal treasures.