DODI Fayed was the last in a string of lovers Princess Diana took during and after the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles.

But she didn't take the relationship seriously, according to a new book.

The Diana Chronicles, by former magazine editor Tina Brown, quotes many people who have never before spoken about their relationships with Diana and is certain to be an international publishing phenomenon.

In the book, Brown says that Diana's first extra-marital lover was her personal guard, Barry Mannakee.

After he was transferred because of the liaison, she turned to James Hewitt, then James Gilbey, England rugby captain Will Carling, surgeon Hasnat Khan, married art dealer Oliver Hoare and finally Fayed.

Diana had accepted an invitation from businessman Mohamed Fayed to holiday in St Tropez and the businessman's first act was to summon his son Dodi from Paris.

"Dodi was the perfect antidote," says Brown, "charming, sexually attentive, intellectually unthreatening and temporary."

Baroness Jay, who knew Diana well, told Brown: "We've all had our Dodi Fayeds."

Brown also claims the then Camilla Parker Bowles, Charles's lover (and now wife), at first approved of the prince's relationship with the young Diana.

Brown quotes Camilla's former brother-in-law, Richard Parker Bowles, as saying that she "initially encouraged the relationship between Charles and Diana because she thought Diana was gormless . . . someone she could easily manipulate".

"Camilla didn't want to marry Charles. She wanted to be his paramour, but stay married to Andrew (Parker Bowles)."