Fayed to Scotland: 'I'll become your president'

Mohamed al-Fayed, owner of Harrods in London, would like to become the first president of an independent Scotland. He urges "fellow Scots" to get rid of the royal family along with other British politicians.

In an interview with the Times, al-Fayed, now 80, says he feels an affinity with the Scots and claims he shares a common ancestry with the Scottish people. The Egyptian-born tycoon owns a 65,000-acre Balnagown estate in the Highlands, and says that according to mythology, Scota, the daughter of the pharaoh Chencres, fled Egypt 3,600 years ago with her two sons after a disagreement with her father. She took with her the stone of destiny on which future Scottish kings would be crowned but died shortly after discovering a windswept land off the northwest coast of Europe. The area became home to her sons and was named in honor of the Egyptian princess, reports the Times. In the Times interview Fayed said, “The Scots are originally Egyptians and that’s the truth. I will erect a statue of Princess Scota to honour the close links between Scotland and Egypt. I will place the statue any place the Scottish people want it, Edinburgh, Glasgow or at Balnagown.” Scotland will hold an independence referendum next year which could lead to the break-up of the United Kingdom. Fayed, who was previously turned down for British citizenship, is in hopes that if that happens he would be offered Scottish citizenship. In a Times interview Fayed says, “You Scots have been living in a coma for too long. It is time for you to wake up and detach yourselves from the English and their terrible politicians." He continues and says, “I have lived here (in England) for 40 years, but now the home that I want is Scotland.” Fayed is in hopes that once gaining Independence, Scotland would become a republic and evict the Royals from Balmoral Castle. “If you Scots retain the royal family you will have no hope. You will be like Bangladesh,” he says to the Times. “But once you get rid of the royals I will buy Balmoral Castle and open it up. I will run it for the public as a museum.” Al-Fayed is also not too happy with the Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond for snubbing him, according to the Gulf Times. According to the Sun, Fayed said, "I will do anything for Scotland but I don't want this Alex Salmond. I asked to meet him but he refused. I wanted to give him some help and advice but he didn't want to know." Mohamed al-Fayed has crossed swords with the establishment over his long-held belief that his son Dodi and Princess Diana died as a result of a sinister plot says the Daily Record.