London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

Calls to #DefundTheBBC as Princess Diana’s sons lead outcry after report reveals journalists lied to land her bombshell interview

Calls to #DefundTheBBC as Princess Diana’s sons lead outcry after report reveals journalists lied to land her bombshell interview

The “deceitful way” the BBC set up an interview with Princess Diana “substantially influenced” her words and contributed to her fear and paranoia, Prince William has said following the publication of the Dyson inquiry report.

“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,” the Duke of Cambridge said in a video statement released on Thursday.


“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,” the royal added.

Had the public broadcaster properly investigated the concerns raised at the time, Diana would have known she had been deceived, William added. “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.”

"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."


The 1995 Panorama interview Martin Bashir recorded with Diana “holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again,” the prince said, adding that it established a “false narrative” that now needs to be addressed by the BBC and everyone else who has engaged with it.

William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, also commented on the Dyson inquiry report, saying that those who accepted “some form of accountability” have made “the first step towards justice and truth.”

“Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these – and even worse – are still widespread today,” Harry said. “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.”

According to the final report from the inquiry conducted by retired Supreme Court judge Lord Dyson, published on Thursday, Bashir used falsified bank statements that he presented to Diana’s brother Earl Spencer to gain access to the princess. The bombshell interview saw Diana tell Bashir “there were three of us in this marriage,” referring to the affair between Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles.

The forged papers falsely suggested Diana’s Private Secretary Patrick Jephson was paid to spy on her, according to the Dyson report. Spencer blamed the interview for Diana’s loss of trust in the royal family, while Jephson said it had “destroyed remaining links with Buckingham Palace.”

Diana officially divorced from Charles in 1996. She was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997 – two years to the day from the BBC interview – fleeing the paparazzi. Charles went on to marry Parker-Bowles in 2005.

The revelations included in the report prompted calls for accountability from the BBC, with commentators suggesting the corporation should be stripped of government funding for wronging Diana.





The BBC’s director general Tim Davie said the broadcaster was “very sorry” for the “clear failings” identified by the Dyson inquiry. “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,” he said.

Bashir left the BBC last week, citing health concerns. He has apologized for deceiving both Diana and the BBC with the fake documents, but said he remained “immensely proud” of the interview itself.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×