Season Five of "The Crown" is set in the '90s, tracks the dissolution of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage. The Netflix show — a dramatization of true events — also focuses on Diana's relationships with other people, including heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
In this upcoming season, Diana is played by Elizabeth Debicki and Khan is played by Humayun Saeed. “The Crown” depicts their hospital-set meet-cute and a bit of what came after in their relationship.
Khan’s 2004 statement to the London Metropolitan Police, per the BBC, which was submitted in 2008 to an inquest into the circumstances of Princess Diana’s 1997 death, gives further insight into their relationship, which spanned from 1995 to 1997, per the interview.
The inquest was held to dispel Mohamed Al Fayed’s claim that the crash that killed Diana and his son, Dodi Fayed, was a deliberate plot. The jury concluded the crash was the result of chauffeur Henri Paul's impaired driving and paparazzi photographers' pursuit.
Here's what to know about Diana and Dr. Khan.
Diana met Dr. Hasnat Khan at a hospital in 1995
Diana met Dr. Hasnat Khan at the Royal Brompton Hospital when visiting her acupuncturist, Oonagh Shanley-Toffolo, whose husband had experienced a major hemorrhage during a triple-bypass surgery, based on official police statements and Tina Brown's "The Diana Chronicles."
After the heart surgeon left the hospital room, Diana reportedly turned to Shanley-Toffolo and said, "Isn't he drop-dead gorgeous!" recounted Brown, who spoke with those close to Diana about the relationship.
Based on his initial interactions with Diana, Khan said in a statement to police that he "found Diana very down to earth," noting that she "made everyone feel at ease."
They were 'very good friends' first, according to Khan
Khan said Diana and her friends visited the hospital regularly. "Over a period of time, we became good friends," he said of Diana.
Speaking to police, Khan identified the moment their relationship shifted. It began when Khan told Diana that he needed to pick up some books from his uncle's house in Stratford-upon-Avon and asked if she'd like to join.
"I did not think for one minute that she would say yes, but I asked her if she would like to come with me. I was very surprised when she said she would," he said.
The turning point, Khan said, came during this trip.
"We drove there together and Diana met my aunt and uncle. We had dinner in a restaurant and then drove back to London. After this, our friendship turned into a relationship," Khan said.
Khan, who the princess called "The One," per Tina Brown's "The Diana Chronicles," began visiting Kensington Palace "in no time." He told police that he stayed with Diana at the palace "many times," while she also stayed with him.
Khan said they had a 'very good relationship'
The surgeon told police that he and Diana had a "very good relationship with no personal problems."
Khan added that he met Prince William and Prince Harry. "Diana just wanted her sons to know what was happening in her life," he said.
In "The Diana Chronicles," Brown characterized this the “most fulfilling” relationship of Diana’s life. Diana reportedly told Lady Elsa Bowker, “I found my peace!” of Khan. “He has given me all the things I need!”
Jemima Khan, married to Pakistani cricketeer Imran Khan, said that Diana was “madly in love” with Khan and was considering moving to Pakistan, per a 2013 Vanity Fair interview.
They contemplated marriage, but Khan fear his 'life would be hell because of who she was'
Khan, in his 2004 statement to police, said the couple considered marriage.
"Although we did talk about marriage, we did not make a point of sitting down and discussing the specifics. Neither of us ever proposed," he said.
"My main concern about us getting married was that my life would be hell because of who she was. I knew I would not be able to live a normal life and, if we ever had children together, I would not be able to take them anywhere or do normal things with them."
Khan said Diana asked her butler Paul Burrell to "talk to a priest about the possibility of a secret marriage."
"When I found out, I said to Diana, ‘Do you honestly think you can just bring a priest here and get married?’ I thought it was a ridiculous idea."
Their relationship was strained by the public eye
Reporters found out about their relationship in November 1995, according to Khan. "The only problem we did have was with the media," he said.
Khan said the media followed him “everywhere,” including to his place of work, and tracked down past partners and medical school professors in an attempt to learn more about him.
"Diana was very protective towards me and wanted to shield me from the attention," Khan said. "I told her that the only way I could see us having a vaguely normal life together would be if we went to Pakistan, as the press don’t bother you there."
Khan shared details about their 1997 breakup
The relationship ended in 1997, per Khan's testimony. Khan said their final discussions took place in Battersea Park in London. "When you know someone very well, you know when something is not right and that is how I felt when I spoke to her," he said.
According to Khan, Diana broke up with him. "It was at (a) second meeting that Diana told me that it was all over between us," he said.
Around that time, Diana began to be photographed with Dodi Fayed, son of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed. Khan speculated this new relationship played a role in their break-up. "I think she wanted to be with someone who was happy to be seen with her in public and she could do that with Dodi," he said.
Khan said words that now seem prophetic: “I remember saying to her at the time, ‘You are dead,’ meaning her reputation was dead. I said this because I was sure that it was someone from Mohamed Al Fayed’s group and that was how I felt about anyone involved with him.”
Khan said he believes he and Diana would have remained 'good friends'
In August 1997, Diana and Fayed were killed in a car accident.
According to Vanity Fair, Khan attempted to call Diana the night of her death, but she had changed her phone number. He attended her funeral, though reportedly kept a low profile.
“I think that if Diana were alive today, we would have remained very good friends, whatever she did and whomever she was with,” Khan told police. “It is a huge loss when someone very close to you dies. I do not know what Diana was like in other relationships but she protected me very well, not just from the media but also from a lot of information. Perhaps she protected me because she thought we had a future together.”
