Royal Family: Prince William says BBC let down Princess Diana, the Royal Family and the public

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Princess Diana was failed not just by reporter Martin Bashir but by leaders at the BBC, says Prince William.

Prince William has blamed BBC failings over its interview with his mother Princess Diana for letting the Royal Family down, letting the public down and making his parents’ relationship worse.

The interview, which was 25 years ago, was the first time a serving royal had spoken so openly about life in the Royal Family – viewers saw her speak about her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, their other relationships and her mental mental health issues.

After an inquiry found the interview was organised using deceitful methods and the BBC fell below its standards.

The Duke of Cambridge said he was “most saddened” Diana never learned she had been deceived. He said his mother was failed “not just by a rogue reporter” but also by BBC bosses.

The BBC has written to apologise to Princes William and Harry, as well as the Prince of Wales and Diana’s brother Earl Spencer.

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Princes William (centre) and Harry (right) were children when the BBC interview was aired

What has happened?

On Thursday 20 May, a report was published following an independent investigation looking into how a world-famous interview with Princess Diana was secured by the BBC in 1995.

Princess Diana – Prince William and Prince Harry’s mother – was one of the most famous people in the world at the time.

The inquiry found that former BBC journalist Martin Bashir – who did the interview – acted in a “deceitful” way and faked documents to obtain it.

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In early 1996, an internal BBC inquiry was carried out and this cleared everyone involved of any wrongdoing.

Now another investigation – let by a retired judge – has found that the BBC covered up the “deceitful” way the interview was achieved.

The inquiry also found that the BBC “fell short of the high standards of integrity and transparency which are its hallmark”. And the BBC’s boss Tim Davie said: “We are very sorry for this. Lord Dyson has identified clear failings.”

What was in the interview?

The interview is one of the most famous in British history

This interview with Princess Diana was the first time a serving royal had spoken so openly about life in the Royal Family – viewers saw her speak about her marriage to Prince Charles (William and Harry’s father) and her struggle with an eating disorder.

It was shown on the news programme Panorama and is now one of the most famous interviews in British history. More than 23 million people watched it.

What has Prince William said?

Princess Diana with Prince William (left) and Prince Harry (left)

It’s very rare for Prince William to speak out and criticise the BBC in this way and it’s a very big deal.

Speaking about the interview, Prince William said what happened was a “major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse”, adding it has “since hurt countless others”.

He added that in his view, the way the interview was obtained “substantially influenced what my mother said” in the interview and said it and should never be aired again.

Lord Dyson found:

• Mr Bashir seriously breached BBC rules by mocking up the fake bank statements that helped him gain the trust of Earl Spencer

• By gaining access to Diana through her brother, Mr Bashir was able to persuade her to agree to give the interview

• And as media interest in the interview increased, the BBC covered up what it had learnt about how Mr Bashir got the interview

• Lord Dyson said this “fell short of the high standards of integrity and transparency which are its hallmark”

Prince Harry also responded to the report, saying: “Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.”

He added that this was “the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these— and even worse—are still widespread today. 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.”

What has the BBC said?

Martin Bashir originally received lots of praise for the rare interview with a much-loved member of the Royal Family

The BBC’s current director general, Tim Davie, said: “Although the report states that Diana, Princess of Wales, was keen on the idea of an interview with the BBC, it is clear that the process for securing the interview fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect.

“We are very sorry for this. Lord Dyson has identified clear failings.”

He added that when it did its first investigation, 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”.

Mr Bashir has apologised in a statement for mocking up the fake documents and said “it was a stupid thing to do” and that he deeply regrets it. He also said he remained “immensely proud” of the interview.