Beloved butler who taught Mohamed Al-Fayed ‘how to be a gentleman’: Sydney Johnson became tycoon’s valet after Wallis Simpson ‘sacked him’ – and got a starring role in The Crown
Sydney Johnson, Mohamed Al Fayed’s regular butler, was such a key figure in the gilded life of the entrepreneur, who died aged 94 on Wednesday, that their friendship was featured in The Crown.
The fourth episode of the drama’s fifth series, which aired last year, was dedicated to Al-Fayed and his relationship with the valet – telling how he hired Johnson after seeing him work at the Ritz and discovering that he was once the Duke of England. Windsor’s assistant.
The valet then taught Al-Fayed “how to be a gentleman,” even helping him get his suits tailored in exactly the same way Edward would—and Al-Fayed was at his bedside when he died in January 1990. died.
Their relationship was depicted in the 2020 series where Johnson was played by Jude Akuwudike and Al-Fayed was played by Salim Daw.
The servant is said to have taught his employer ‘how to be a gentleman’, giving advice on how to have his suits tailored, how to drink tea and how to shoot.
Mohamed Al-Fayed and his trusted valet Sydney Johnson (pictured together in 1989), who had previously worked as a personal valet to the Duke of Windsor for thirty years – the two men shared a close friendship, with Al-Fayed calling him “really ‘ mentioned. a gentleman’s gentleman’ when the butler died in 1990
The Crown episode ends with Johnson coughing, before Mohamed stands by his bedside and nurses him as he dies. The final scenes of the episode show Mohamed visiting his grave in Paris, which reads, “Sydney Johnson, servant to the King.”
In reality, Sydney had served the Duke and Duchess of Windsor for over 30 years, from the age of about 16, before going to work for Al-Fayed.
He revealed very little about his background throughout his life. After being born on the island of Andros in the Bahamas, his life changed forever when the Duke of Windsor, exiled from Britain, became governor.
It was a position forced upon him by Winston Churchill. Sixteen-year-old Sydney was initially hired as a lifeguard, but made a good impression.
He was quickly promoted to a senior servant in the house and became a lackey.
Sydney became so indispensable to the Duke and Duchess that he joined them when they left the Bahamas and moved to Europe.
In 2020, The Crown covered part of Johnson’s life as a butler for the Duke of Windsor and then Al-Fayed
Jude Akuwudike played Johnson in scenes that showed Al-Fayed asking his son Dodi to fire one of the waiters at the Ritz – before learning he was once the Duke of Windsor’s valet (pictured) and employing him took
Sydney is pictured in 1986 with a former former butler to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, George Saegre
Pictured: Sydney at the opening party of Al-Fayed’s renovated Villa Windsor, along with Joan Collins
In the 1960s, he began acting as a personal servant to the Duke, who was impressed by his demeanor and high work standards.
He also wore a uniform and served as footman at formal dinners for the Duke and Duchess.
Speaking in 1989, in a clip made by Netflix, you hear Sydney say, ‘He knew he was a very handsome man, he knew that. He was one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen.’
Meanwhile, according to Vanity purse‘kept the Duke of Sydney like a son.’
The Duke showed Sydney the ways of life in the British establishment and a deep bond developed between the two men.
Royal biographer Andrew Morton even reported that Sydney was present at the duke’s last words in his biography Wallis With Love, said to be “mama, mama, mama, mama.”
Decades later, the royal butler recounted how he had helped with the duke’s body after his death. He told the New York Times in 1989: ‘I remember when they came to embalm him and I chose a suit for him to wear.
“But they said, no, he won’t wear anything. “As he comes, so he goes.” That’s what they said.’
The Duke showed Sydney the ways of life in the British establishment and a deep bond developed between the two men (pictured in 1989)
Decades later, the royal butler recounted how he had helped with the duke’s body after his death
As a sign of their closeness, Sydney was one of the few people present at the funeral service of the Duke of Windsor on June 5, 1972.
Meanwhile, he suffered a tragedy in his personal life: he was widowed in 1972 and resigned to take care of his children.
There are differing accounts as to why he resigned, but there seems to have been problems with Wallis after the duke’s death.
Andrew Lownie wrote in Traitor King: The Scandalous Exile of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor: ‘Having failed to employ a nurse or housekeeper, he asked to go home at five o’clock.
“Wallis’ answer was, “If you leave at five, don’t come back.” He left and never came back.’
Others said he left after Wallis told him, “I never want to see you again.”
He was left $30,000 in the duke’s will and found work as a waiter at the Ritz in Paris.
However, by 1986 he was working as a personal servant for Al-Fayed and overseeing the restoration of Villa Windsor.
After Simpson’s death, Al-Fayed signed a 50-year lease on the Parisian villa of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, which he immediately restored in three years. He said it would be “a gift to the British royal family.”
Al-Fayed later said, “Sydney is a dictionary, he’s a very cultured man, he’s taken all these things out of storage rooms, and he knows the history of them.”
Sydney reportedly cried with joy when the renovation was completed. While the program portrays his health as failing, in reality he died suddenly on January 17, 1990 at the age of 69.
At the same time, Sydney is depicted developing a bad cough while Al-Fayed tends to him in bed, until he is finally shown dying.
The final scenes of the episode show Mohamed visiting his grave in Paris, which reads, “Sydney Johnson, servant to the king”
At his death he was described by Al-Fayed as ‘truly a gentleman of a gentleman’. We will miss him very much.’
The fourth episode of series five of The Crown follows Al-Fayed from his years selling Coca-Cola on the streets of Egypt to his encounter with the Princess of Wales.
In the programme, he is portrayed as relentlessly ambitious, constantly seeking advancement in terms of social class and reputation in Britain.
After buying The Ritz in Paris, he asks his son Dodi to fire one of the colored waiters, before learning he was once the Duke of Windsor’s valet.
He asks for a personal meeting with Sydney and asks him how “with his background” he would know how to behave like a British gentleman.
Sydney says, “I didn’t, but His Royal Highness taught me everything with great patience and kindness.”
Mohamed then hires him as his personal servant. He asks him to teach him how to become “a British gentleman.”