The Princess Diana Investigation Prince William Is Behind
Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a fatal car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, and decades following her death, she's still making headlines. Thanks to Diana's debut in the fourth season of The Crown, the Netflix series based on the life of the British royal family, her life is now back in the spotlight.
In 1995, Princess Diana gave one of her most famous interviews ever, sitting down BBC1 Panorama host Martin Bashir. Per BBC, the interview was watched by 23 million people at the time and sent shockwaves through the British monarchy. During the interview, Diana described Camilla Parker Bowles as the third person in her marriage to Prince Charles, confessed to an affair with army captain James Hewitt and touched on her doubts about Prince Charles' ability to rule as king, per People.
In mid-November 2020, a documentary aired on the British network ITV, and it included allegations that Bashir used dishonest tactics to earn Diana's trust via her brother, Charles Spencer, in order to persuade her to agree to the interview. Specifically, the documentary claimed that the BCC doctored bank statements. The Sunday Times reported that the bank statements were allegedly used to prove that royal employees working for Charles were being paid to leak information about the family. As a result of the allegations, the BBC has promised to "get to the truth" about how the Panorama interview with Princess Diana was secured.
Continue reading to find out what Prince William has to say about the BBC's promise.
Prince William thinks the Princess Diana investigation is a step in the right direction
The BBC has launched an official investigation to specifically focus on how then-BBC1 Panorama host Martin Bashir obtained the 1995 interview with Princess Diana and whether executives covered up any wrongdoing. The network has appointed former Master of the Rolls and a Justice of the British Supreme Court, Lord Dyson, to lead a "robust and independent investigation" into the circumstances surrounding Diana's Panorama interview. "This is an important investigation which I will start straight away," Dyson said. "I will ensure it is both thorough and fair."
Prince William is said to be welcoming the investigation into the BBC interview. In a statement via People, Kensington Palace said the Duke of Cambridge has tentatively welcomed the inquiry, noting, "The independent investigation is a step in the right direction. It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time."
Diana's brother, Charles Spencer, said in a Nov. 3, 2020 statement to People: "[The BBC] have yet to apologize for what truly matters here: the incredibly serious falsification of bank statements suggesting that Diana's closest confidants were spying on her for her enemies." If proved to be accurate, it would add to the long list of ways Princess Diana was betrayed. It is rare for the royal family to comment on investigations like this, but with Prince William's close bond with his mother, it only makes sense that he made a public statement.