Lawyers in Britain representing dozens of women say that Mohamed Al Fayed — the former boss of Harrods — was a “monster” who raped and sexually abused young women throughout his time at the helm of the world-renowned London department store.

Another woman who said Fayed raped her when she was a teenager branded him a “monster, a sexual predator with no moral compass whatsoever”, who treated Harrods staff as his “playthings”. She added: “We were all so scared. He actively cultivated fear. If he said ‘jump’, employees would ask ‘how high?’.”

Queen Elizabeth was informed of allegations against Mohamed Al-Fayed before Princess Diana and her sons vacationed with him in 1997.