'She was failed': Prince William, Harry lash out at BBC over 'deceitful' Diana interview

In a rare emotional statement, Prince William and Prince Harry on May 20 lashed out on BBC and journalist Martin Bashir after an independent report found that the 1995 explosive TV interview was obtained in a “deceitful way.” In the bombshell televised interview, their mother, Princess of Wales had revealed the struggles of living in the royal family and her troubled marriage with Prince Charles that involved Camilla, whose official title is now Duchess of Cornwall. The stinging criticism by both brothers came just hours after the internal inquiry concluded that Bashir had used false bank statements to get the sensational sit-down interview with their mother accusing BBC leaders of failing to probe the incident earlier.

Prince William said that the interview had a “major contribution” that ended his parents’ relationship adding that the failures by BBC to oversight the incidents surrounding the interview “contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation" in her final years. When the interview with Diana making explosive remarks about the royal institution aired in 1995, she was separated from Prince Charles. However, the couple formally divorced in 1996 with Princess Diana dying at the age of 36 in a high-speed car crash in 1997. Reportedly, she was being chased by paparazzi photographers in Paris.

Prince William said, “But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions.”

"It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialized by the BBC and others,” he added. 

Prince Harry says ‘first step towards justice’

In an equally emotional statement by Prince William’s younger brother, Prince Harry hailed the investigation report as the ‘first step towards justice’ and slammed the reasons that led to the death of their mother, Diana. The Duke of Sussex said, “The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life." The results of the investigation were uncovered on May 20 when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have had their own share of battles with British tabloids and the invasive culture of paparazzi in the country.

Prince Harry said, “To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these— and even worse—are still widespread today. Then, and now, it's bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.”

"Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let's remember who she was and what she stood for,” he added.

BBC Issues 'Full And Unconditional Apology'

The BBC on May 20 issued a “full and unconditional apology” after an independent report concluded that its journalist Martin Bashir had used “deception” to secure the explosive 1995 interview of Princess Diana. As per the report, following an investigation that lasted for nearly half a year, the retired senior judge John Dyson wrote, “The indirect and real target of Mr Bashir's deceptions was Princess Diana” while adding that he was “satisfied” that Bashir produced the fake bank statements to Diana’s brother Earl Spencer "so as to deceive Earl Spencer and induce him to arrange the meeting with Princess Diana."

Dyson said, “Mr Bashir acted inappropriately and in serious breach” of Britsih broadcaster’s guidelines. Following the report’s results, BBC Director-General Time Davie accepted the shortcomings. He said that the “process for securing the interview fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect. We are very sorry for this.”

He added, “While today's BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured in this way. The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew.”

"While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today,” he added.

Princess Diana’s bombshell interview in 1995

Several bombshell revelations were made in the 1995 Panorama interview including Princess Diana describing Camilla Parker as the “third person” in her marriage with Prince Charles and her confession of infidelity with army captain James Hewitt. In the same TV appearance that was reportedly watched by 23 million people, Prince William’s mother expressed doubts over Prince Charles’ suitability to become the UK monarch. 

In the aftermath, Diana’s younger brother Earl Spencer had alleged that BBC’s Martin Bashir used forged bank documents to convince the royal to participate in the interview that was at the time one of the biggest television scoops. 

Even though the controversy was roiled up just a few days after the 1995 interview was aired, BBC announced on November 18, 2020, that Lord Dyson who is one of the nation’s most senior retired judges and a former Supreme Court judge, will be leading the inquiry. BBC’s director-general Tim Davie, at the time, had said in a statement that the outlet is “determined to get to the truth about these events and that is why we have commissioned an independent investigation.”

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