The Dyson investigation into the BBC’s handling of the Martin Bashir Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, has revealed its findings.
Princess Diana’s 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir was her opening up about the state of her marriage to Prince Charles. This is where she famously said that there were “three people in the marriage, so it was a bit crowded.” But, she was being deceived. Moreover, this is what the Dyson investigation has concluded.
It has been found the BBC covered up the “deceitful” way Bashir, then a newbie journalist, was able to acquire the interview with the Princess of Wales. John Dyson, Lord Dyson, a former judge who conducted the inquiry, made the following findings as per the BBC:
- Martin Bashir breached the rules put in place by the BBC by having forged bank statements put together to pull Diana in.
- The forged documents were also shown to Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, to get an introduction to the royal mother-of-two.
- By getting Earl Spencer’s trust, Bashir ensured that this was his one way of getting the interview.
- Because the public was interested in what Diana had to say, the BBC decided to protect Bashir and its own reputation once they learned of the illegal means. However, Lord Dyson said, “fell short of the high standards of integrity and transparency which are its hallmark”.
- Diana wrote a letter after the interview (in 1995) to say she had no regrets about her chat with Bashir. The letter was used as evidence.
The Reactions of Diana’s Sons
Both William and Harry have spoken about the Dyson investigation findings. We’re going to go over what they both said and what our opinions are. We’ll start with the Duke of Cambridge before moving to the Duke of Sussex.
William – Talks About Diana Solely
Prince William did a video statement to talk about his thoughts regarding the findings of the Dyson investigation. As per the Guardian, he made his feelings quite obvious. He made the following points:
- The BBC and Martin Bashir lied and used falsified documents to get an interview with his mother.
- Came up with fake claims about the royal family that made Diana feed into her fears and paranoia.
- The BBC was incompetent when investigating complaints and concerns raised during the interview.
- The broadcaster covered what they knew during their internal investigation into the matter.
The Duke of Cambridge also stated that the interview worsened the state of his parents’ already fractured marriage. He also said it “hurt countless others.” He also called how the “tell-all” was acquired “deceitful.”
William says that had his mother known how Bashir had gotten the interview and the methods used to obtain it; she might still be alive. He also says that the overall Panorama program does not hold any form of legitimacy and should be no longer allowed to air. The Duke concluded by saying that the investigative journalists involved let everyone down; his family, the public, and most importantly, his mother.
Harry – Manages To Involve Meghan Indirectly
The Duke of Sussex’s statement doesn’t touch on the same points his brother’s words do, as per Variety. He said the following:
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.
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.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex’s statement regarding the Dyson Investigation
If you look at the wording of the last part of the statement, it says, “nothing has changed”. This references the sob story Harry and Meghan are attempting to plug into the world. No wonder the Duchess of Sussex is the most hated commoner.
Our Thoughts
William and Harry have every right to express their feelings on the findings of the Dyson investigation. However, it has always been clear that they would issue two very different statements. One would’ve been with no malice, while the other takes jabs at the media.
Now, while we agree with about 95% of what William said, we don’t agree that Panorama should be shut down. This has nothing to do with our trust in the media or our belief that journalism can be honest. The Diana interview was just one of the hundreds of interviews the program has done over the years. Not all of them were dodgy.
The program should not get the chop because one journalist went rogue. That’s like American broadcaster CBS cancelling shows – basically washing their hands clean – of productions that had reports of harassment.
Going over to Harry, and while he has every right to speak out about the investigation’s findings, his statement reeks of hypocrisy. He is throwing all the media under the bus for contributing to his mother’s death in Paris two years after the Panorama interview happened. Then, he is saying that the press is terrible when he is in the public eye every day, trashing his family.
Yes, what the BBC and Panorama did is wrong, but Harry needs to watch what he’s saying. He has already pissed people off for various reasons, including the ‘bonkers’ comment he made to Dax Shepard about America’s First Amendment.
