Breaking his silence. Prince William is speaking out about the BBC’s investigation into the 1995 Panorama interview with his late mother, Princess Diana.
“The independent investigation is a step in the right direction,” the 38-year-old prince noted in a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, November 18, adding that he “tentatively welcomed” the inquiry. “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.”
William’s statement comes shortly after the BBC announced that they asked former British Supreme Court Judge John Dyson, Lord Dyson to begin an independent investigation into the bombshell interview in which the Princess of Wales shared details about her marriage to Prince Charles. Diana and Charles, 72, separated in 1992 after more than 10 years of marriage and finalized their divorce in 1996. One year later, Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris at age 36.
Millions of viewers tuned into Diana’s 1995 interview and were shocked as she gave glimpses into the inner workings of royal life. At the time, Diana referenced Charles’ alleged affair with now-wife Camilla Parker Bowles, claiming, “There were three of us in this marriage.”
On Wednesday, more than 20 years after the interview aired, BBC Director-General Tim Davie stated that the network “is determined to get to the truth” about the infamous interview amid allegations of unethical tactics by Panorama and journalist Martin Bashir.
The Sunday Times reported in October that Bashir, now 57, created false bank statements before speaking with the late royal in an attempt to convince Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother, to help secure the interview. According to the report, the fabricated documents were intended to demonstrate that someone close to Spencer, now 56, was leaking information about his family to the press.
Diana’s tumultuous marriage was the subject of widespread intrigue before her death. Despite their ups and downs, the people’s princess and her then-estranged husband were on better terms ahead of the Paris crash.
“I think they were finally coming to find a common ground. It had been very difficult, very acrimonious,” CNN royal correspondent Victoria Arbiter told Us exclusively of the former couple in September. “I think just before she died she had really found her calling. She was excited for the future. She’d let go of the past.”
Charles wed Camilla, 73, in April 2005. His relationships have been put back in the spotlight since the fourth season of Netflix’s The Crown debuted earlier this month.
