Confusion over Dodi’s fiancees at Di inquest

French may be the language of love but it seems the meaning of the 'F word' can easily get lost in translation. Eyebrows were raised at the London inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales yesterday when Dodi Fayed's personal driver said his former boss had had lots of "fiancees". Philippe Dorneau was speaking after the court was told that Fayed may have been planning to propose to the Princess on the night the couple died in a car crash in Paris. A receipt shown to the jury purported to show that he had bought an "engagement" ring. But Mr Dorneau told the court Dodi had still been in a relationship with American model Kelly Fisher (pictured) – one of his "fiancees" – as late as June or July of that year. During his three years working for the son of Harrods tycoon Mohamed al Fayed, he remembered Dodi having at least two "fiancees", the other being socialite Julia Tholstrup.

However, he added that his boss may not have been actually engaged to any of the women in question. "Fiancee, for me, doesn't mean being engaged...it was his girlfriend, it's just a question of words, of using words," he told the court, speaking through an interpreter.

Asked to clarify his comments, and why he had told police that Fayed had been "engaged" to Fisher, he said: "That is the ambiguity with this word in French, because you have the word 'Fiancee' with a capital letter which means the official engagement and you have the 'fiancee' which is a girlfriend," he attempted to explain.