Prince William, Prince Harry criticize BBC for 'deceitful methods' used in landing Princess Diana interview

UPDATE: Prince William and Prince Harry have spoken out against the BBC after an investigation revealed that journalist Martin Bashir used "deceitful methods" in securing the landmark 1995 interview with Princess Diana about her marriage troubles.

In a statement released on Thursday, William strongly criticized the BBC and defended his late mother. "I would like to thank Lord Dyson and his team for the report," the Duke of Cambridge began his statement, thanking the British judge John Anthony Dyson who led the investigation. "It is welcome that the BBC accepts Lord Dyson's findings in full – which are extremely concerning – that BBC employees: lied and used fake documents to obtain the interview with my mother; made lurid and false claims about the Royal Family which played on her fears and fuelled paranoia; displayed woeful incompetence when investigating complaints and concerns about the programme; and were evasive in their reporting to the media and covered up what they knew from their internal investigation."

William continued, "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... 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. But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. 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. It is my firm view that this Panorama program holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialized by the BBC and others."

William concluded, "This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events. 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."

Prince Harry also released a statement on Thursday addressing the report. "Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest. The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life," he said. "To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these — and even worse — are still widespread today. 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. 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."

EARLIER: After an investigation into the unorthodox reporting methods that journalist Martin Bashir used to secure information about Princess Diana's marriage troubles in 1995, the BBC has issued an apology.

According to reports, Bashir asked a graphic designer to doctor fake bank statements that he showed to Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, in order to entice her to do an interview with him. Later, he reportedly lied to BBC managers about whether or not he had shown fake documents to anyone.

"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. We are very sorry for this. Lord Dyson has identified clear failings," BBC Director-General Tim Davie said in a statement.

"While today's BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured in this way," he continued. "The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew. While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today."

Bashir apologized for the fake documents, but maintained that "the bank statements had no bearing whatsoever on the personal choice by Princess Diana to take part in the interview."

Bashir's landmark interview with Diana — the first time a Royal talked openly about marriage and her personal life in the same vein that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have recently done — remains legendary in the media world.

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