British Prince William has lashed out at the BBC after a critical report on an interview with his mother, Princess Diana. An investigation yesterday concluded that the conversation had come about under false pretenses in 1995.
“It is sad to know that the BBC’s mistakes have contributed significantly to the fear, paranoia and isolation I remember from those last years with her,” the prince said in a video message. “It was not only a runaway reporter who let her down, but also the BBC leadership, who turned away instead of asking difficult questions.”
BBC reporter Martin Bashir snapped Diana up in 1995 for the high-profile interview. The princess was unprecedentedly candid about the breakdown of her marriage. She admitted to having an affair herself and also said that because of the infidelity of her husband, Crown Prince Charles, there have always been “three people in this marriage.”
The following year the couple divorced, another year later Diana was killed in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36.
Deception
Since the interview was 25 years ago last year, old allegations surfaced in the British media about the way the interview had come about. According to Diana’s brother, Bashir had convinced her to cooperate by showing bank statements showing Diana’s close associates spying for Buckingham Palace.
New independent investigation concluded yesterday that Bashir had indeed crossed the line and lied to his superiors about it. The BBC apologized in writing to those involved. “This fell short of our high standards for integrity and transparency.”
“
Our mother lost her life because of this.
“I am convinced that the deceptive way in which the interview came about contributed to what my mother said,” William responds to the conclusions. “The interview was a major factor in the deterioration of my parents’ marriage and has since harmed countless others.”
William believes the interview should never be broadcast again, because “the BBC and others have cashed in on a false story for a quarter century”.
Williams’s brother Harry responded with a statement of his own, arguing that the BBC’s approach is no exception. “Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed,” he writes. “Then as now it concerns more than one program, broadcaster or publication.”
Martin Bashir, who resigned from the BBC earlier this year for health reasons, has apologized for his deception. He now calls it a stupid mistake, even though he says the transcripts were not decisive for the realization of the interview.
“It’s a shame that this overshadows the princess’s brave choice to tell her story,” he said. According to him, Diana broke stigmas about marital problems and mental health with the interview. “That is why I will always be extremely proud of it.”