A young prince died in a £862-per-night London hotel after ingesting a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. Abdullah bin Fahad bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Jalawi al Saud of Saudi Arabia, 29, was almost three times the drink-drive limit – his blood alcohol concentration (BAC) read at 0.222%. The legal limit in Britain is 0.08%. He also had traces of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and Xanax in his system, an inquest heard. The prince was found in his bathroom by a member of staff at the Marriott Hotel in Kensington in November.
Before his death, al Saud was a patient at the Priory Clinic in Roehampton. A single week’s stay there can set you back more than £50,000. Dr Victoria Chamorro, a consultant psychiatrist, told the inquest: “He was supportive and kind to his peers, making friends.” She added: “He was assessed as having symptoms of low mood and anxiety on admission.” The expert also said that when al Saud was discharged, he was “considered not to be at risk of suicide”.
“He was discharged with a friend but then failed to attend scheduled Zoom appointments,” Chamorro added, according to The Telegraph.
“Nevertheless, there was no concern for him. He engaged well and completed his treatment.”
The Saudi Royal Court said after the prince’s death: “Passed to the mercy of God Almighty His Highness Prince Abdullah bin Fahd bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Musaed bin Jalawi Al Saud, outside the Kingdom, and will be prayed for today, Tuesday, 11/6/1447 AH, after the Asr prayer at the Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh.”
It added: “May Allah bless him with His mercy, forgiveness and acceptance, and grant him a spacious abode in His Paradise, for we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”
Al Saud was the Saudi President of the federation that oversaw national horse racing, show jumping and endurance riding initiatives.
Because he was part of the Al Jalawi branch of the royal family, he was not in the direct line of succession.
Following his death, a royal funeral took place in Riyadh.