Prince William has suffered the private pain of understanding the deep betrayal of his mother — and he is now driven to uncover the complete story.
“I’ve been cautious because I’ve acted on the advice I received,” stated Andy Webb, the mind behind “Dianarama,” speaking with Fox News Digital. “I view William as carrying a wound that time cannot heal. I’ve been given to understand he is compelled to know the truth of the events. I believe William must have been profoundly affected. He’s reached a point where he feels the need to act. He wants to be fully informed about what transpired three decades prior.”
In the month of November of 1995, Princess Diana offered a startlingly candid interview to BBC reporter Martin Bashir as part of the “Panorama” program. The princess, then 34, already estranged from Prince Charles, revealed the reasons behind her marital breakdown, citing Prince Charles’s enduring affection for Camilla Parker Bowles.
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Diana’s admissions, touching on her struggles with bulimia and self-harm as a plea for attention, reverberated across the globe. The princess was unaware that she had been influenced to speak — a decision that those close to her attribute to her untimely passing.
Webb, an investigative journalist, has dedicated two decades to exposing what he has described as an orchestrated cover-up. Investigations later brought to light that Bashir employed falsified documents and unethical means to secure Diana’s agreement for the interview.
During discussions with Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, himself a victim of Bashir’s deceptions, Webb disclosed that Bashir presented fraudulent financial records, falsely asserted that William’s watch was a surveillance tool, suggested that palace personnel were monitoring Diana, and even insinuated that Charles intended to have her murdered to be with the children’s nanny and seize custody of her children.
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Bashir went so far as to fabricate evidence indicating that the nanny, Tiggy Legge-Bourke, underwent an abortion that Charles had financed.
Fox News Digital attempted to get a response from Bashir regarding Webb’s publication. Bashir, 62, who left the BBC in 2021 due to health problems, expressed profound regret for his fabrication of the financial documents, describing it as “an act of foolishness.” He also claimed that it exerted “no influence whatsoever over Princess Diana’s independent decision to participate in the interview.”
Webb asserted that the repercussions of Bashir’s deception were devastating. Plagued by loneliness and mistrust, Diana began to dismantle her inner circle, dismissing trusted confidants — including her longtime driver — after Bashir allegedly convinced her that even he was a source of information.
“Diana was led to believe that her close associates were untrustworthy and were being heavily compensated, in one instance £40,000, to spy on her,” Webb clarified.
“She lost faith in these individuals. She removed all those she had depended on up to that point. Consequently, 18 months later, a different group of individuals surrounded her, who were, unfortunately, ill-suited to safeguard her security.”
“The most tragic aspect is the compelling indication that had the executives at the time informed Princess Diana of the deceptive practices — the forgeries and untruths — her life might have taken a different turn,” Webb pointed out.
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The aftermath of the interview was immediate and severe. Queen Elizabeth II instructed Charles and Diana to finalize their divorce. Following this, Diana forfeited a number of royal entitlements and became suspicious of her closest allies, including her personal aide, Patrick Jephson. Tragedy struck two years later when the princess died in a car accident in Paris, fleeing from pursuing paparazzi.
“They labeled Diana as paranoid,” Webb recalled. “I find that particularly harsh, given that the BBC presented her with apparent evidence and documentation that people were plotting against her. That’s the perspective from which Diana was acting.
“She was aware that her phone was bugged, private conversations were being recorded and even aired publicly, which caused her great distress. She also wondered if the demise of a former acquaintance in a motorcycle crash might have been deliberate. She questioned whether it was merely a coincidence.”
“Martin Bashir was aware of Diana’s existing deep suspicions of being under surveillance,” Webb stated. “He was aware of her concern over the death of this individual. He then introduced his documents, which he presented in a very persuasive manner.”
The interview and its consequences have remained a source of sorrow for William for many years.
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“William likely struggles with the thought that events could have unfolded differently,” Webb suggested. “If only Diana had been informed of the reality — Martin Bashir’s actions. That realization is a heavy burden.”
In 2020, The Sunday Times released fresh evidence indicating Bashir’s deceptive tactics in contacting Diana through her brother, which prompted the BBC to initiate an independent inquiry led by Lord Dyson, a senior judge.
The 2021 investigation concluded that Bashir had violated BBC regulations by creating fraudulent bank statements and presenting them to Earl Spencer to secure access to the princess. Influenced by the belief that powerful figures within the palace sought to silence her, Diana decided to share her perspective — unaware that Bashir was exploiting her anxieties.
The report also criticized the BBC for concealing its awareness of Bashir’s misconduct, noting that the corporation’s internal review did not meet its standard levels of integrity and openness.
“The interview significantly worsened my parents’ relationship and has caused pain to many others,” William stated. “It is incredibly upsetting to learn that the BBC’s shortcomings greatly exacerbated her fear, paranoia, and isolation during those final years with her.”
William’s younger sibling, Prince Harry, stated that the issue extended beyond the BBC, indicating that “the far-reaching effects of a culture marked by exploitation and unethical behavior led to her death.”
“To those accepting responsibility, I thank you for acknowledging your part. This marks the initial phase toward achieving justice and truth,” he conveyed. “However, I am deeply troubled by the persistence of similar, or even more severe, practices today.”
William was 13 when his mother spoke. Harry was 11.
“What teenager wants to see his mother on television answering questions such as, ‘Did you engage in sexual relations with this partner?’” Webb questioned.
“During the interview, Diana is encouraged to essentially criticize William’s father when she is questioned about his suitability as king, to which she responds negatively. William, at 13, would have watched this. What would his schoolmates think the following day? It doesn’t require being a prince to experience profound embarrassment from such a situation.”
BBC Chairman Richard Sharp stated the organization accepted the inquiry’s results, recognizing “unacceptable failures.” The broadcasting company also formally apologized to the royal family.
“William is against future broadcasts of this interview,” Webb noted. “He considers it to be illegitimate. Regrettably, while some segments held value, Diana was, in effect, in a state of alarm and apprehension when she participated in that interview.”
