BBC Apologizes for "Deceitful" Interview With Princess Diana | "Our Mother Lost Her Life Because of This," William and Harry Say

Diana's 1995 interview with Martin Bashir had incendiary effects on the royal family and the public. Moreover, the explosive interview changed her future forever. Recently, an official inquiry revealed that Bashir used "deceitful methods" to secure the interview with the Princess. The shocking revelation infuriated Diana's family as well as the royals. 

According to People, both William and Harry came forward to comment on the inquiry reports and spoke about how the interview contributed to their mother's tragic end.

"I would like to thank Lord Dyson and his team for the report. It is welcome that the BBC accepts Lord Dyson's findings in full – which are extremely concerning – that BBC employees: lied and used fake documents to obtain the interview with my mother; made lurid and false claims about the Royal Family which played on her fears and fueled paranoia; displayed woeful incompetence when investigating complaints and concerns about the program, and were evasive in their reporting to the media and covered up what they knew from their internal investigation," said William. 

As per the investigation reports, Bashir forged bank statements and also "flourished statements of Princess Diana's private secretary Patrick Jephson and Prince Charles's private secretary Richard Aylard" which might have had information that was fabricated by him. Additionally, he gained the trust of Diana's brother Charles Spencer and manipulated him into arranging a meeting with the Princess, later convincing her to do the interview.

In the official statement, William went on to criticize the journalist and the organization for their reckless actions that affected his mother's life. "The interview was a major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse and has since hurt countless others. 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," said William.

He continued, "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."

Further, the father-of-three stated that the interview should not be aired ever again because of its lack of legitimacy. He concluded, "It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialized by the BBC and others. This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events. In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too."

Prince Harry too shared his grief and bashed the BBC for its unethical editorial practice. "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," said Harry. He added, "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." 

The 36-year-old prince claimed that the media practices that snatched his mother from him prevail despite the years that went by. "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," concluded Harry.

The BBC on the other hand accepted the findings of the report and apologized to the royals. "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," said BBC Director-General Tim Davie.

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."

Ahead of the release of the inquiry report, Bashir quit his post as BBC religion editor last week.

It was during the infamous interview that Diana opened up about Charles's affair with Camilla. She famously said there were "three of us" in her marriage. Following the interview, the Queen ordered the couple to divorce. Almost two years after the interview, Diana died in an accident in France and became an evergreen memory.

References: 

https://people.com/royals/martin-bashir-used-deceit-to-secure-his-1995-princess-diana-interview-says-leak-of-bbc-report/

https://people.com/royals/prince-harry-breaks-silence-on-inquiry-of-princess-diana-1995-interview/

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by (L) Daniel Leavl-Olivas and (R) Len Trievnor