The royal family has been on everyone’s minds these days, from tabloid covers to TV shows and movies about the Windsors. The latest story? The latest ITV documentary Princess DianaShe is coming with a focus of her infamous 1995 BBC Panorama interview.
The interview was a topic of conversation in this year’s conversations. Network investigated, and apologized for, Martin Bashir’s tactics to secure the sit down.
Many believe that Diana was tricked into disclosing details about her marriage. But, it seems that the princess also had some tricks of her own.
“We all know Diana was tricked or fed things, but I learned something quite interesting recently and it came from Hasnat Khan, and he told me that she knew what she was doing,” journalist Richard Kay (and friend of Diana’s ex-boyfriend, Khan) Telled The Independent. “She said ‘I know how the royals react to this. I know what they’ll do,’ and she said ‘they’ll now want me to divorce.’”
Diana and Prince Charles split in August 1996, one year after the interview was broadcast and four years after their separation. Diana famously stated in the interview: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” referring to Charles’ longtime lover, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Bashir’s talk with Diana has been scrutinized for a long time, with many feeling that the journalist took advantage of the princess when she was in a vulnerable state.
Rosa Monckton, a friend of Diana’s, said that the sneaky tactics used to secure the interview reinforced Diana’s fears that there were people plotting against each other. Monckton also sharedThat the interview was a failure “were made hurriedly, with long-term implications not thought through.”
“Among those decisions was the fact that Diana lost her royal title,” Monckton continued. “Had she retained it, she would have still been in the embrace of the Royal Family when in Paris on August 31, 1997. And she would almost certainly not have been in the incapable hands of a speeding drunk driver.”
Prince William and Prince Harry also weighed in on the BBC investigation’s findings. “The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others,”William made the following video statement. “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.”
Harry added his own remarks. “Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.”
