Hasnat Khan facts for kids

Hasnat Ahmed Khan (born 1 April 1958) is a British-Pakistani surgeon. He specializes in heart and lung operations. He is well-known for his special friendship with Diana, Princess of Wales. This relationship lasted from 1995 to 1997.

Early Life and Education

Hasnat Khan was born on April 1, 1958. His birthplace was Jhelum, a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. He comes from a Mohmand Pashtun family. He is the oldest of four children.

His father, Rashid Khan, studied at the London School of Economics. He managed a glass factory. Hasnat Khan is also a distant cousin of Imran Khan. Imran Khan later became the prime minister of Pakistan.

Career as a Surgeon

Before 1991, Hasnat Khan worked in Sydney, Australia. After that, he moved to London to continue his work. From 1995 to 1996, he worked at the Royal Brompton Hospital. He then moved to the London Chest Hospital.

In 2000, he worked at St Bart's hospital. Later, he served at Harefield Hospital. In November 2007, he left that position. He then became the head of a heart hospital in Malaysia. As of August 2013, Khan works as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon. He is based at Basildon University Hospital.

Personal Life

Friendship with Princess Diana

Hasnat Khan had a special two-year friendship with Diana, Princess of Wales. She reportedly called him "Mr Wonderful." In May 1996, Diana visited Khan's family in Lahore, Pakistan.

Diana's butler, Paul Burrell, said in an official inquiry that Diana saw Khan as her soulmate. Diana ended their friendship in July 1997. Friends of Diana have said that Hasnat was the "love of her life." They also spoke about her sadness when their friendship ended.

Khan attended Diana's funeral in September 1997. It was held at Westminster Abbey. In March 2008, he gave a statement for an inquiry into Diana's death. He said their friendship began in late 1995. They had talked about getting married. However, he felt the media attention would be very difficult. Khan also stated he believed the car accident that led to Diana's death was a tragic accident.

Marriages

In May 2006, Hasnat Khan married Hadia Sher Ali in Pakistan. She was 28 years old and came from Afghan royalty. In July 2008, Khan and Ali applied for a divorce. This happened in Islamabad.

Later, he was linked to another heart surgeon, Dr Alexandra Panagoulas. He then married Somi Sohail, who is also known as "Somi Khan."

In the Media

The friendship between Hasnat Khan and Diana, Princess of Wales, has been shown in films and TV shows. The film Diana (2013) tells their story. It was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The movie is based on Kate Snell's book Diana: Her Last Love.

In the film, Naveen Andrews plays Hasnat Khan. Naomi Watts plays Diana. Khan was also played by Pakistani actor Humayun Saeed. This was in the fifth season of the TV series The Crown.