And now it is set to be taken off the airways for good as the BBC has pledged never to show it again or license it to other broadcasters. “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,” he said.Princess Diana’s infamous 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir is one of the most watched and talked about pieces of television ever made. Princes William and Harry were following the inquiry, which William described as “a step in the right direction.” The indirect and real target of Mr Bashir’s deceptions was Princess Diana.”Īccording to the BBC, Martin Bashir has apologized for mocking up the documents but says he remains “immensely proud” of the interview. I have concluded that it would not be reasonable to criticise them for failing to take that further step. But, he questioned, “should they have approached Earl Spencer who might have told them some or all of the things that he has told the Investigation? I do not find this an easy question to answer. “If she assured them that she had not been shown any documents and had not been influenced by any information of which she was not already aware, at first sight that should have been enough to allay their concerns,” Lord Dyson wrote about the way the initial investigation was conducted. It said that she had “no regrets” concerning the matter and that Bashir did not give her any documents or information that she was not previously aware of. The report includes a handwritten letter from Princess Diana on Kensington Palace stationery dated December 22, 1995. She would probably have agreed to be interviewed by any experienced and reputable reporter in whom she had confidence even without the intervention of Mr Bashir.” By early to midAugust 1995 at the latest, she was keen on the idea of a television interview. But he also writes in the report, “Whatever reservations she may have had about it later, Princess Diana was pleased with the interview at the time. ![]() On this point, Dyson makes it clear that it was the faked documents that let to the introduction and subsequent interview. “Without justification, the BBC fell short of the high standards of integrity and transparency,” Lord Dyson wrote.Īnother task of the investigation was to determine to what extent Bashir’s actions influenced Diana’s decision to give the interview. Lord Dyson’s report found that the initial investigation was “woefully ineffective,” describing the failure to interview Earl Spencer as a “big mistake” and said that they did not scrutinize Bashir’s account enough. That led him to go to the press and describe an internal 1996 investigation as a “whitewash.” The investigation was commissioned following renewed publicity last year around the 25th anniversary of the landmark interview, in which Diana most famously said “there were three of us in this marriage.” Earl Spencer called for the inquiry after becoming aware of information that was new to him about how the BBC had behaved behind the scenes. ![]() Lord Dyson has identified clear failings.” The BBC also said that any awards given for the interview would not be retained.Ī still of Princess Diana during the Panorama interview. The BBC’s director-general Tim Davie said today, “It is clear that the process for securing the interview fell far short of what audiences have a right to expect. The report detailed how Bashir used fake bank statements which showed payments into the accounts of royal staff, describing this as a “serious breach” of the BBC’s guidelines. “By gaining access to Princess Diana in this way, Mr Bashir was able to persuade her to agree to give the interview,” Dyson writes. The BBC issued an apology today following the publication of a 127-page report by Lord Dyson which concluded that Diana’s brother Earl Spencer was “deceived and induced” by Bashir to arrange a meeting with the Princess. And now, the results of an independent inquiry have produced a scathing assessment of how the interview was obtained and the BBC’s subsequent actions. ![]() Princess Diana’s Panorama interview with Martin Bashir is still talked about today as a landmark moment in her life and in royal history.
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