The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William has broken his silence on the planned investigation by BBC, into Princess Diana’s Panorama interview.
Prince William who is one of the two sons of the late Princess Diana, in reacting to BBC opening an investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the 1995 Panorama interview, said it was the right thing they are doing.
He called the move by BBC a “step in the right direction”.
He added: “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.”
The statement by Prince William comes a day after news broke that the BBC has appointed a top and ex-senior Judge to head the investigation into the Princess Diana’s Panorama interview.
The investigation also comes after accusations from her brother, Charles Spencer, that she had been tricked into taking part.
Charles Spencer was reported to have said that the BBC had failed to apologise for what he said were forged documents and “other deceit” which led him to introduce Diana to journalist, Martin Bashir.
In that interview, Princess Diana shocked the world by admitting to an affair and giving intimate details of her failed marriage to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles.
Spencer said Bashir made a series of allegations to himself and his sister such as that Diana was being bugged by the security services and that two senior aides were being paid to provide information about her.
He says Bashir provided fake bank statements to back up the claim.
Others involved in making the programme have also come forward to say the BBC had covered up wrongdoing.
The BBC’s Director General Tim Davie said the broadcaster was determined to get to the truth about Spencer’s claims.
“This is an important investigation which I will start straight away,” said John Dyson, the former Supreme Court justice appointed to lead the inquiry.
“I will ensure it is both thorough and fair.”
Bashir has made no public comment to media and the BBC says the journalist, who gained global renown from the Princess Diana’s Panorama interview and is currently the corporation’s religious affairs correspondent, is currently on sick leave, recovering from heart surgery and from contracting COVID-19.
Prince Harry, like his brother, William has been aware of the ongoing controversy over the 25-year-old documentary. But he is yet to say a word on the latest development.
The BBC said its investigation would examine five questions such as what steps the BBC and Bashir took to obtain the interview, “including
(i) the mocked-up bank statements purporting to show payments to a former employee of Earl Spencer
(ii) the purported payments to members of the royal households and
(iii) the other matters recently raised by Earl Spencer.”