🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Played by actor Humayun Saeed, the character of Dr. Hasnat Khan debuts in season five of Netflix's hit series The Crown as a handsome paramour to the lonely and lovelorne Princess Diana, played by Elizabeth Debicki.
Khan, the character, is an intelligent and sensitive heart surgeon who Diana meets while on a visit to a London hospital. A relationship is shown to develop away from the glare of the press and public intrusion, with one scene depicting Diana dressed incognito for a secret date with Khan.
But who was Hasnat Khan in real life? And how did Princess Diana come to reportedly call him "the one"?
Who is Hasnat Khan?
Dr. Hasnat Khan is a cardiac heart surgeon who was born in Pakistan in 1959 and who in the 1990s practiced medicine in London.
Khan became a figure of public interest when it became public knowledge that between 1995 and 1997 he had privately dated Princess Diana, following the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles.
Little is known about Khan's personal life as he has remained a private figure, known for his dislike of media attention.
Following Diana's death in August 1997, just weeks after their relationship is reported to have ended, Khan attended her funeral service at Westminster Abbey.
He is currently married to his second wife and lives in England.
How Did Khan and Princess Diana Meet?
Princess Diana and Khan reportedly met at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London where Diana was visiting a friend recovering from heart surgery in the summer of 1995.
The couple met on several occasions while the princess was visiting her friend during their recovery and eventually embarked on a discreet relationship.
Khan was different from many of Diana's love interests, he was single, engaged in a demanding profession and shunned the media spotlight.
In her book The Diana Chronicles, royal author and former editor of Vanity Fair, Tina Brown, writes that Diana referred to Khan as "the one" and, as the author said, was "the most fulfilling" relationship she'd ever had.
In 2008, Khan broke his silence on his relationship with the princess to supply information to the official inquiry into her death. Documented in the Operation Paget report, Khan confirmed that their two-year relationship lasted from September 1995 to July 1997.
He also revealed that he and the princess had seriously discussed marriage, stating that from the end of 1996 to the beginning of 1997, Diana had spoken with her butler about arranging a private wedding ceremony with a priest.
Khan and the princess did not continue discussions about marriage, though the princess did reportedly meet with the surgeon's family while visiting Pakistan which she did twice during the course of their relationship.
Khan and Diana ended their relationship in 1997.
Why Did Khan and Princess Diana break up?
Princess Diana and Hasnat Khan ended their two-year relationship in July 1997, weeks before her death in a Paris car crash at the age of 36 on August 31 of the same year.
The exact reasons behind their split are unknown, though both parties are reported to have cited cultural obstacles to their potential for a serious long-term relationship.
Khan has never spoken publicly about the intimate details of his relationship with the princess.
Following their break-up, friends of Diana, including Rosa Monkton, who spent time on a Greek cruise with the princess shortly before her final visit to Paris, maintained that, at the time of her death, she was still in love with Khan.
Where is Hasnat Khan now?
Hasnat Khan lives in England and dedicates his time to charity and humanitarian work in Pakistan.
In 2008, at the time of his cooperation with the inquiry into Princess Diana's death, the surgeon gave a rare interview to Britain's The Daily Telegraph, where he described the princess as "a very normal person with great qualities."
"I think she did great work all over the world not just for the U.K. but for everyone. That is very important."
When asked why he has been so reluctant to speak about Diana in the years since her death, Khan said: "Generally I do not talk about people—family or friends. This is how I am. I'm loyal to her [the Princess] not because she was a celebrity but because I'm loyal to all my friends. I'm like that."
"If I had said some things about her before 1997, she could have responded to them," Kahn said. "But, since she is not here, it would be very unfair to make a comment about her."
Khan has not responded to his portrayal in The Crown, though did let it be known that he did not intend on watching the 2013 movie Diana in which his relationship with the princess was a primary focus.
Season 5 of The Crown is available to stream on Netflix starting on November 9.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more