When people search for “Susanne Gregard”, they are usually trying to connect one more piece of the Princess Diana–Dodi Fayed story. Dodi is often in the spotlight because of his tragic death with Diana in 1997 and, more recently, because of shows like The Crown.
However, behind that famous name is a woman who has built a calm, creative life far away from royal drama. This article walks through who Susanne Gregard is, how she met Dodi Fayed, and what her life looks like now.
Early Life and Background
Susanne Gregard was born on 1 April 1960 in Long Beach, California. Her parents, Palle and Lise Gregard, had European roots, and some family records say she is of Danish descent. She is said to have grown up in a close family with one brother, Ken, and to have had a fairly normal childhood before the fashion world noticed her.
It is worth noting that not everyone agrees on details such as her exact birth year or even her birthplace. Some smaller outlets have described her as Egyptian-born or given different years. That kind of confusion is common with little-documented public figures, so the information mentioned here is based on the most consistent and well-sourced reports.
From Fashion Model to TV and Film
In the early 1980s, Susanne Gregard started working as a model. She worked enough to appear in well-known magazines, including titles like Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. She fit the popular look of the time:
1. Tall
2. Blonde
3. Very fresh-faced
This helped her move easily between runway, print, and commercial work.
Her modeling career opened doors in entertainment. She appeared as a spokesmodel on the American TV talent show Star Search in 1984, a show that also helped launch other models and performers. A year later, she had a small acting role in the romantic comedy Key Exchange (1985), credited as “Gym Honey.” These roles were brief, but they show that Susanne was more than just “someone’s wife” long before she met Dodi Fayed.
Meeting Dodi Fayed and a Whirlwind Romance
Susanne Gregard met Egyptian film producer and heir Dodi Al-Fayed in the mid-1980s. By then, Dodi was already living a high-society lifestyle, helping finance films like Chariots of Fire and mixing with Hollywood stars and European royals.
According to interviews and later biographies, Dodi fell hard for Susanne’s looks and personality. She was working as a model in New York, and he started flying her to London on Concorde for weekend dates and even arranged for her to be booked as a model at Harrods, his father’s famous department store, so she could not easily turn him down. Friends remembered him showering her with gifts and romantic gestures.
On New Year’s Eve 1986, Dodi proposed. They married in a small ceremony around the turn of the year, described by some sources as New Year’s Eve and by others as New Year’s Day. What is clear is that she became his first and only wife.
A Short Marriage in the Public Eye
The marriage between Dodi Fayed and Susanne Gregard lasted only about eight months. They divorced in 1987. The main reason given is that they wanted different things from life.
Susanne has spoken kindly about Dodi, even while explaining why it did not work. In an old interview with a magazine, quoted in later articles, she described him as romantic and funny, recalling how a candlelit dinner ended with the table collapsing and the turkey falling to the floor, and both of them laughing. She also pointed out that they came from “different worlds.” She preferred a quieter, more grounded life, while Dodi was surrounded by bodyguards, luxury, and constant travel.
The divorce was reportedly amicable. They did not have children together, and after the split, both moved on with their lives.
Life After Dodi: Love, Family, and Art
After her marriage to Dodi ended, Susanne Gregard stepped away from the tabloid spotlight. A few years later, she found a more lasting kind of love. In 1992, she married French-born cardiac surgeon Dr. Philippe Quilici in California. He is a respected heart surgeon in the Los Angeles area, and their relationship has been described as stable and low-key.
Together they have two sons, often named in reports as Henry and Maximilian, and live in Los Angeles. Susanne now uses the name Susanne Quilici, and instead of walking runways, she spends her time creating art.
Today, she works as a media artist and photographer, with a special focus on flowers and water. Her “Aqua Flora” style, which involves photographing flowers submerged in water, is shown on her website and on her Instagram account, where she posts under @susannequilici. Her posts mix art, nature, and glimpses of her family life, painting a picture of someone who values beauty and calm over fame.
Why Are People Still Curious About Susanne Gregard?
Susanne Gregard surged again when The Crown and other shows revisited Princess Diana’s final chapter and introduced viewers to Dodi Fayed. Viewers often discover, sometimes with surprise, that Dodi was once married, and that his ex-wife was a model and actress in her own right.
Unlike many people connected to the royal story, though, Susanne has not tried to build a career off that short marriage. She rarely gives interviews and does not comment publicly on Diana, the crash, or royal gossip. Most of what is known about her comes from older magazine pieces, public records, and modern profiles by entertainment and news sites.
