London, Dec 16: Dr Hasnat Khan, the man widely considered as Princess Diana’s greatest love, unwillingly decided not to marry her because their cultural differences would have eventually led to their separation, it has been revealed.

The heart surgeon, who was a Muslim, broke-up with the Princess just months before her death after deciding that matrimony between them would ultimately prove to be a failure.

In a recent interview, Abdul Rasheed Khan, the doctor’s wealthy father, revealed that his son had described Diana as "independent" and "outgoing. ”

However, Rasheed Khan added that despite considering proposing to the princess, his son could not imagine their relationship lasting, because of the immense difference in their faiths.

Dr Khan told his family: "If I married her, our marriage would not last for more than a year. We are culturally so different from each other. She is from Venus and I am from Mars. If it ever happened, it would be like a marriage from two different planets. "

The ongoing inquest into Diana’s death has heard evidence from Rosa Monckton, one of princess’ closest friends, that Diana was still infatuated with Dr Khan, and hence had no intentions of marrying her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed, who died with her in a Paris car crash in 1997.

Monckton said the Princess had been "deeply upset and hurt" when Dr Khan ended their relationship in the summer of 1997.

"She was very much in love with him. She hoped that they would be able to have a future together. She wanted to marry him, " Monckton told the hearing.

Dr Khan, 48 had a two-year relationship with Diana from 1995, an affair that the couple always tried to keep discreet.

It is believed that at one point the Princess was ready to convert to Islam so as to marry him but cast off the idea when he decided to break-off.

Rasheed Khan also revealed that he had learned about his son’s supposed plans to marry Diana through reports in the British media, and then asked his son directly whether the news was true.

"He told me straight away, 'Daddy, I am not [going to marry her]. If I ever married her, our marriage would not survive more than a year, ’” he said.

Monckton's evidence last week challenged Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed’s claims that his son and the Princess were about to announce their engagement.

The Harrod’s owner is convinced that the car crash that killed his son and the princess in Paris in 1997 was engineered by British intelligence. (ANI)