BBC apologizes after report on interview with Lady Di 0:52
(CNN Spanish) -
In an emotional message, unprecedented and in front of the cameras, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, made his position more than clear before the publication of the results of a report that determined that a journalist from the public network BBC used deceptive methods to secure an exclusive interview with his mother, Princess Diana of Wales, Lady Di.
"It is an indescribable sadness to know that the failures of the BBC contributed significantly to the fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those last years with her," said the prince.
The Duke of Cambridge responded in this way to the public apology offered by the BBC, after learning the conclusions of the report, drawn up by retired judge Lord Dyson, who investigated the circumstances in which the journalist Martin Bashir obtained and conducted the interview with the Princess.
"BBC employees made sensational and false claims about the royal family that played on their fears and fueled paranoia," added William.
Prince Harry also issued a strong statement.
“To those who have assumed some kind of responsibility, thank you for acknowledging it.
That is the first step towards justice and truth.
However, what worries me deeply is that practices like these, and even worse, are still widespread today.
Then, and now, it is bigger than a medium, a network or a publication, ”said the Duke of Sussex.
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Harry, more than his brother, has maintained a very severe criticism against the media, claiming that the persecution of his mother contributed to her death.
"The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices eventually took his life," said the Duke of Sussex.
Prince William reacts to BBC interview with Diana 1:10
The interview with Lady Di: "We were three in this marriage, a crowd"
The interview with the BBC - on the Panorama program, in November 1995 - was an exclusive for the public network and the most controversial that the princess granted.
“There were three of us in this marriage, a crowd,” Diana replied to Martin Bashir when he asked her if she thought Camila Parker Bowles was a factor in the breakdown of their marriage.
For more than 50 minutes, the princess spoke openly with the journalist about her marriage to Prince Charles, her relationship with James Hewitt, her battle with bulimia, her role within the royal family and her mental health.
His comments shook the royal family and the British public.
Prince William believes that Bashir's tricks to get the interview influenced what Lady Di said.
"The interview was a great contribution to the deterioration of my parents' relationship and since then it has hurt countless people," emphasized the Duke of Cambridge.
Lord Dyson's report, however, argues that the princess was already very interested in giving an interview months before establishing contact with Bashir.
"She probably would have agreed to be interviewed by any reputable experienced reporter she trusted, even without Mr. Bashir's intervention," reads part of the report published on May 20.
For CNN royal correspondent Max Foster, Diana knew exactly what she was doing when she approached Bashir and had no regrets.
“She had dealt with the press for years.
Like her children and their partners today, Diana lived for years under 'intolerable' pressure from the media, but had begun to readjust her for her benefit, to promote humanitarian causes that she wanted to advocate for.
Regardless of the deceptive way in which Bashir got the match, it was Diana's sincere honesty and willingness to speak the truth to power that moved her to be loved by the public, ”explains Foster.
Diana and Carlos had been separated for 3 years, but the interview would precipitate their divorce.
For her son William, Diana was deceived and if the BBC had investigated the facts properly in 1995, the princess would have known the truth.
The Dyson report and the BBC cover-up
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/reports/reports/dyson-report-20-may-21.pdf
The BBC appointed Lord Dyson head of the investigation in November 2020. Almost six months later, its final report concluded that Martin Bashir showed Diana's brother Charles Spencer fake bank statements, alleging that some of the monarchy's staff were being paid for spying on her. .
The documents managed to trick and convince Spencer to arrange a meeting between his sister and the journalist.
"By having access to Princess Diana in this way, Mr. Bashir was able to persuade her to agree to give the interview," says part of the report, adding that this action violated the guidelines established by the BBC.
But the report's findings go further and conclude that the BBC covered up the facts without justification.
The corporation launched an internal investigation in 1996 after some criticism, but concluded that the forged documents "did not influence the princess's decision to grant the interview."
The report also concludes that the television network also did not "mention the issue at all on any news program and therefore failed to meet the high standards of integrity and transparency that are its hallmark."
Who is Martin Bashir and how does he defend himself
Martin Bashir, 32 at the time, rose to fame for his interview with Princess Diana.
He left the network for a few years, but returned as a religion editor in 2016, where he remained until recently.
His resignation was made public on May 14, 2021, days before the report was published.
According to some BBC employees, his resignation was due to health reasons.
In an interview with
The Sunday Times
newspaper
, after Lord Dyson's overwhelming findings, Bashir claimed that he never tried to harm Diana.
“I never meant to hurt him in any way and I don't think we would.
[…] My family and I loved her, ”said the journalist, claiming that the princess was happy with the interview and her friendship with her continued after it was broadcast.
Diana, Bashir said, even visited his wife after giving birth.
Bashir admitted to being "deeply sorry" for Diana's children, the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, but did not accept accusations that he had fueled the princess' isolation and paranoia.
Bashir enlisted the help of Matt Wiessler, a former BBC graphic designer, who admitted to forging the fake bank documents after Bashir asked him to.
READ:
Prince William criticizes the BBC after a report found "misleading" methods used to secure the interview with Diana
A debacle for the BBC at a crucial moment
After the investigation was published, the BBC was forced to admit its mistakes and publicly apologize.
"It is clear that the process for securing the interview fell far short of what the public is entitled to expect," said Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, in a statement released on May 20.
“While the BBC cannot turn back time after a quarter century, we can offer a full and unconditional apology.
The BBC offers it today, ”added Davie.
Days later, the public broadcaster's board of directors also announced that it will conduct a review of the effectiveness of its editorial policies.
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel said on a local television channel - after the report was released - that the organization "must reflect and work to regain and rebuild the trust of the British public."
The moment in which the conclusions of this investigation are revealed is crucial for the chain, but also for Lady Di's children, who still carry a very large emotional burden after losing their mother while being stalked by the press.
“It is important because there was a systematic failure and Bashir was working at the BBC until very recently.
That needs to be addressed to rebuild the lost trust in the broadcaster.
It will also be a way for princes to turn the page to learn that their mother was cheated on, ”explains Foster.
"It has taken 25 years to get here," adds the CNN correspondent.
BBCDiana from WalesLady Di
