Politics
Prince William savages BBC who ‘let my mum, family & Britain down’ in blistering attack on Bashir’s Diana interview
PRINCE William tonight blasted the “lurid and false claims” Martin Bashir made to get the 1995 Princess Diana interview.
The Duke of Cambridge said the lies about the Royal Family “played on her fears and fuelled paranoia” – while brother Harry said the probe was the “first step towards justice” for their mum.
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Prince William slammed the BBC over the interview[/caption]
Prince William has spoken out following the publication of the damning report[/caption]
Wills emphatically slammed the BBC for the interview and its fallout, insisting the failings “not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down”.
In a heartfelt outpouring, the Duke of Cambridge told of his “indescribable sadness” that his tragic mother had been tricked and deceived by Bashir and failed by the Beeb and its leaders.
Welcoming Lord Dyson’s bombshell report into how Bashir conned Diana into giving the Panorama interview, and the Corporation’s cover-up into his behaviour, William said: “The findings are extremely concerning.
“It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said. The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse. And has since hurt countless others.
It comes as…
- Prince Harry slammed the ‘culture of exploitation’ that took his mother’s life
- Royal insiders blasted the Crown for pushing a false narrative that Diana was “unstable”
- William’s full statement can be read in full here
- Martin Bashir was blamed for Princess Diana’s death by her brother Earl Spencer
- William and Harry put aside their differences to prove their mother’s letters were real
- Martin Bashir disguised himself as a tradesman to interview Princess Diana at Kensington Palace, Panorama reveals
“It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC’s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.
“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.”
And brother Harry also released a statement from his home in the US, paying tribute to his mother’s “unquestionable honesty”.
He said: “Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.”
The 36-year-old added: “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.”
William, just 13 at the time of the broadcast and 15 when his mother died, spoke candidly in news reports last night following the publication of Lord Dyson’s damning report.
Martin Bashir has been probed over his interview with Princess Diana[/caption]
The reporter obtained the royal scoop in 1995 – but the lengths he went to get the chat have been slammed[/caption]
It found Bashir forged bank statements, told Diana she was being spied on and that Prince Charles was having an affair with Tiggy Legge-Bourke — Harry and William’s nanny.
Bashir spun malicious tales in a bid to win her trust and secure a world-exclusive interview amid her divorce from Prince Charles.
After finally agreeing to speak with Bashir, Diana referred to Camilla Parker Bowles, now Charles’s wife, when she sensationally said: “There were three of us in the marriage.”
The revelation caused shock waves across the world and led to the princess being “cast adrift” and left to fend for herself outside the royal circle.
The brothers both spoke out tonight[/caption]
The Duke of Cambridge’s statement in full[/caption]
Two years later she died in a car crash in a Paris tunnel.
In emotional revelations from royal sources, the Duke of Cambridge is said to harbour “sad memories” from the time of the bombshell interview, watched by 23 million Brits.
And in a nod to the effect it had on his vulnerable mother, insiders said: “William remembers the majorly overwhelming sense of fear, isolation and paranoia Diana suffered in the final years of her life after that interview.
“The BBC majorly contributed to that.”
They added: “Diana was led astray to make statements and say things that otherwise were not true and it formed a narrative around her that she was unstable and a schemer.
“This narrative has been there for 25 years — and it is still inaccurately told today in TV shows such as The Crown. But the narrative is false.”
Diana’s family fear the interview led to bitterness in her divorce with Charles — and even harmed his reputation in the eyes of the public with false claims of an affair with their nanny.
“It damaged Charles too,” insiders claimed.
And it is understood Prince William does not buy into the claim that Bashir was a “rogue reporter” — instead blasting the BBC for trying to lay blame solely on their reporter.
A source said: “Clearly there were senior figures and leaders at the BBC who knew what was going on, and to dismiss what happened as an isolated incident is not accurate.”
Prince William slammed the ‘false narrative’ about his mother[/caption]
The explosive interview aired in 1995[/caption]
Royal biographer Penny Junor said: “Clearly the interview was devastating for the Royal Family.
“It was devastating to the boys. William watched it in his housemaster’s room in Eton. The interview led to the Queen saying ‘Enough’s enough you should now divorce’.”
She added: “I also suspect at the time Diana really enjoyed the interview and got a buzz out of it.
“She was cross, hurt and angry and sticking it to Charles. But she regretted it later.”
Royal experts last night also praised William for sticking up for his late mother in the wake of the devastating revelations.
Angela Levin, Prince Harry’s biographer, said: “It is beyond awful for the BBC to take advantage of someone in such a vulnerable state and tell lies in order to do so. What a brave man William is.
“You see him as a future king speaking out when it is necessary. And it is necessary now.”
Diana’s former private secretary Patrick Jephson described Bashir’s lies as “wicked”.
Speaking on last night’s Panorama, he blasted the rogue reporter, saying: “What makes it more wicked is the degree of detail which Martin Bashir appears to have gone into.
“From Martin Bashir’s perspective I was the obstacle that had to be removed. By removing me from a position of trust it left the way open for him to give her any yarn he wanted to try and ingratiate himself with her.”
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Patrick told Panorama that Diana was “cast adrift” from her “royal support structure” because of the claims.
Another royal expert, Richard Fitzsimmons, said: “William is rightly outraged with revelations that point to Bashir and BBC preying on Diana’s insecurities and fears at that time of her life, sadly shortly before her divorce and two years before she died.”
Prince Harry’s damning statement in full
Prince Harry has paid tribute to his mother’s unquestionable honesty – slamming the ripple effect of exploitation.
His statement reads: “Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service.
She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest. “The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.
“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.”
