Princes William and Harry are dispatched against the BBC and say that the deceptions of the medium led to the death of their mother
"The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices finally took its life," Prince Harry said in a statement. An independent report found that the princess was manipulated into giving her statements in 1995, in which she was dispatched against her marriage and her royalty.
The revelations of the hoaxes that the London-based BBC journalist used to achieve the thunderous interview with Lady Di in 1995 shake the world. For years, full credit was given to interviewer Martin Bashir for landing one of the great exclusives in the history of journalism. It was also a document in which Lady Di, then the most famous woman in the world, was dispatched against the British monarchy and by which her divorce with Prince Charles was finally finalized.
The world's responses have not ceased since the independent report was published this Thursday that revealed that it was true that she was deceived to give that interview. The most poignant reaction has been that of her children, Princes William and Harry. Lady Di's children spoke out hours after the release of an independent investigation that revealed that Bashir used forged documents to obtain his exclusive 1995 interview with Lady Di and that the BBC authorities did not adequately investigate how he got it.
Aired on the Panorama program in 1995 and followed by 23 million viewers, the interview boosted the career of Martin Bashir, now 58, and was a real media bomb. William said the interview "contributed a lot" to the outbreak of his parents' relationship, while the lack of BBC controls "contributed significantly to his fear, paranoia and isolation" from him in later life. of the.
Diana and Carlos divorced in 1996 and she died a year later, at 36 years of age, in a car accident in Paris, when she was being chased by reporters from the pink press. Lady Di claimed that there were "three people" in her marriage - alluding to the relationship that Carlos had with Camila Parker Bowles - and she admitted that she herself was having an affair.
But, according to the independent investigation, the journalist was accused of falsifying documents to get the interview for the BBC's Panorama program. "Through his deceptive behavior, Bashir managed to organize the meeting that led to the interview," says the report, prepared by retired Supreme Court Justice John Dyson.
"It is my firm opinion that this Panorama program has no legitimacy and should not be broadcast again," William stated in a lengthy statement read in person at Kensington Palace.
Justice and truth
In his own statement, Harry said that the report was "the first step towards justice and truth," but that the deceptive practices exposed influenced the death of his mother and continue to be widely used today. "The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices finally took his life," added Harry.
In a statement, the director general of the BBC, Tim Davie, stated that he "accepts the conclusions" of this investigation. “Although the report indicates that Diana, Princess of Wales, was favorable to the idea of conducting an interview with the BBC, it is clear that the process of obtaining the interview did not measure up to what the public has a right to expect. We are truly sorry, ”Davie stated.
More than 25 years after the interview took place, the manager made his "unconditional" apologies on behalf of the BBC. Bashir would have shown Charles Spencer, Diana's brother, bank statements - which turned out to be false - showing that people were paid to spy on his sister. According to the latter, this was what led him to introduce the journalist to Lady Di.
"Something stupid"
"By showing Count Spencer these false excerpts [...], Bashir tricked him into organizing a meeting with Princess Diana," says the report, which denounces a "serious breach" of the BBC's editorial rules.
"It was something stupid and an act that I deeply regret," Bashir said in a statement, assuring that these excerpts did not play any determining role in Diana's "personal choice" to answer her questions.
At the same time, he praised "the brave decision of the princess to tell her story, to speak bravely of the difficulties she faced." The report also criticizes the BBC's internal investigation, carried out in 1996, into the conditions of the interview.
The BBC "did not respect the high standards of integrity and transparency that are its trademark," says the report, underlining that the public audiovisual group did not contact Charles Spencer to ask his version of the events nor did it put in doubts Bashir's honesty.
Former BBC Director General Tony Hall, who was managing editor at the time of the interview, apologized and acknowledged that the internal investigation "fell far short" of the standards that the matter required. Furthermore, he admitted to being "wrong in giving Martin Bashir the benefit of the doubt."
After this interview the reporter continued his career in the United States, before returning to the United Kingdom to work for the BBC, until his resignation. In addition to Lady Di, he also interviewed Michael Jackson as part of a documentary filmed in 2003 for ITV. In mid-May this year, the BBC announced that Bashir was leaving the network for health reasons. Since 2016, he was in charge of religious coverage for the group.
