The Panorama Interview: November 20, 1995

[Sandy345]

This was written about in Morton's 2004 book, Diana in Pursuit of Love. He showed some of the evidence in the book.

 

[TLLK]

Chris Ship interviewed Rosa Monckton (Diana's friend) after Prince William released a statement on the Panorama interview.

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
We interviewed @MoncktonR today after Prince William made a rare intervention in the ongoing BBC Panorama/Princess Diana/Martin Bashir allegations.
Rosa, Diana’s friend, is convinced she totally changed in 1995 after being told stories about spying, payments & plots against her.
8:36 AM · Nov 20, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
Replying to @chrisshipitv
Prince William is, according to his mother’s friend, @MoncktonR, doing what a “son would and should do” which is to “stand up for his mother in such circumstances” Down pointing backhand index @itvnews
8:42 AM · Nov 20, 2020·Twitter for iPhone

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
Replying to @chrisshipitv
Martin Bashir cannot respond to the allegations about how he secured the famous Princess Diana interview as he is on sick leave from his current job as the BBC’s Religious Affairs Editor after heart surgery.
The BBC has launched an independent investigation headed by Lord Dyson.
8:47 AM · Nov 20, 2020·Twitter for iPhone​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1329539085405478917

Thank you for sharing this information. Prince William appears to be determined to discover what was told to his mother and did it influence her decision to participate in the Panorama interview.

 

[AC21091968]

According to a BBC record document, the BBC bosses tried to blame Earl Spencer for the (false) bank statements.

ITV news also approached Lord Hall (then BBC's Head of News), as shown in the short clip in the ITV's article. Here, Lord Hall said to the ITV's camera crew

"I investigated at the time, I will take part in the Lord Dyson inquiry and I look forward to telling him what I think."

"I'm going to take part in the Inquiry, I think Lord Dyson is the right way [...] he's doing all the right things, and I will take part in that inquiry and I shall say what I want to say to Lord Dyson."

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-11-30...as-brother-earl-spencer-in-fake-documents-row

 

[Rayal]

This will hold me over until the investigation is over with...from the ITV link above:


"However, the Panorama graphic designer who produced the false bank statements told an ITV documentary earlier this month that Martin Bashir had asked him to urgently create them one evening."

 

[AC21091968]

The Metropolitan Police has ruled out an investigation into Martin Bashir's interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.

PA Royal Reporters @PARoyal
#Breaking The Metropolitan Police has ruled out a criminal investigation into BBC journalist Martin Bashir’s 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales.
11:13 PM · Mar 4, 2021·TweetDeck​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1367448206796283906

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
Royal news story #number 56,722:
The @metpoliceuk has ruled out a criminal investigation into the BBC journalist @MartinBashir over the way in which he secured his 1995 Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales
11:38 PM · Mar 4, 2021·Twitter Web App

Chris Ship @chrisshipitv
Replying to @chrisshipitv
Metropolitan Police: Allegations about 1995 Panorama interview were "carefully assessed by specialist detectives. They obtained legal advice from...lawyers, independent counsel and from the @cpsuk."
They concluded: "it is not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation"
11:43 PM · Mar 4, 2021·Twitter Web App​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1367454295080263687

 

[Kitty1224]

Yes, she surely was. But I think Diana (and Charles Spencer) believed the BBC to be honest with them. And to give Diana a fair interview, one that looked out for her as well as searching for the "big scoop". Especially as the BBC did not need to go after the big scoops back then and use all the tricks in the book (and then some) to get the biggest of them all back then. So IMHO Diana trusted the BBC and was sold out by the way the interview went. She was paranoid after her seperation from Charles and Martin Bashir fed into that and used it for himself, never for Diana. The interview (and what went into getting it and the reactions to it) lost Diana the goodwill of the Royal family, her marriage, her title, her feeling of security as part of the family, her belief in the police security offered - and in the end her life, as no police protection officer saw to it that she closed her seatbelt that night in Paris.



And all that because Diana was lied to and given the faked incentives to make her side of the story known. And the BBC knew it and celebrated it as a big scoop. Unbelievable.

That's so disgusting what they did to her

 

[Blog Real]

23 million viewers watched Princess Diana's interview:
https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/anniversaries/november/diana-interview

 

[Rayal]

The very latest on the Bashir Interview from ABC News:

 

[An Ard Ri]

Both the BBC and Bashir have apologized with the BBC also writing to Princes William and Harry.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57189371

 

[Claire]

Glad that there was at least some vindication. Many journalists knew at the time of the interview that there was underhanded efforts involved, some spoke out and were told to find new jobs.
When I was told part of this story many years later I was disgusted that I had once revered Bashir as a journalist and as a human being. I am still dismayed today that he cannot see the repercussions of his actions. I do not know how any one can do this to another person - let alone a journalist to get a story. Just sad.

 

[Moran]

Better than nothing, I suppose. I wonder if they would have apologized if the stink hadn't reached high heaven. This interview should be taught to students in journalism as an example how not to do things.



Diana was exploited and it was horrible - but Earl Spencer also fell for it. Which means the "evidence" had been crafted so carefully as to make everyone believem not just a vulnerable woman. Disgusting.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Prince William had issued a scathing attack on the BBC following the results of an independent inquiry.
https://news.sky.com/story/prince-w...uted-to-my-mothers-fear-and-paranoia-12312312

 

[Osipi]

I think we all can agree that this recent statement from William not only echoes his feelings but also that he stands in unity with his brother on this. Some things just cannot tear brothers apart. Their mother is one of them.

 

[Blog Real]

A statement on today’s report of The Dyson Investigation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1395484854272335875

 

[Mbruno]

I have just seen Prince William's statement on Sky News. I suppose it is unprecedented for the second in line to the throne and possibly future King to make such an explicitly critical statement about the national public broadcaster.

On the other hand, although I agree that Mr Bashir's actions to gain access to Diana were unethical, I also think that William is deceiving himself if he believes Mr Bashir somehow influenced or persuaded his mother to give a non-factual account of her relationship with Prince Charles while they were married. In fact, I don't see any evidence that what Diana said in the interview was false/incorrect, or that she was somehow led or manipulated by Mr Bashir to say it.

 

[Denville]

I have just seen Prince William's statement on Sky News. I suppose it is unprecedented for the second in line to the throne and possibly future King to make such an explicitly critical statement about the national public broadcaster.

On the other hand, although I agree that Mr Bashir's actions to gain access to Diana were unethical, I also think that William is deceiving himself if he believes Mr Bashir somehow influenced or persuaded his mother to give a non-factual account of her relationship with Prince Charles while they were married. In fact, I don't see any evidence that what Diana said in the interview was false/incorrect, or that she was somehow led or manipulated by Mr Bashir to say it.

She was lied to OUTRAGEOUSLY in order to persuade her to give the interview. Lies were told about the RF, documents were faked.. its hard to see how anyone could defend such journalistic practices from a publicly funded, supposedly reputable broadcaster....

 

[Tatiana Maria]

She was lied to OUTRAGEOUSLY in order to persuade her to give the interview. Lies were told about the RF, documents were faked.. its hard to see how anyone could defend such journalistic practices from a publicly funded, supposedly reputable broadcaster....

I understand Mbruno was referring to the Duke's comments about the Princess's interview itself, not his comments on Mr. Bashir's actions and the subsequent coverup.

 

[ACO]

I have just seen Prince William's statement on Sky News. I suppose it is unprecedented for the second in line to the throne and possibly future King to make such an explicitly critical statement about the national public broadcaster.

On the other hand, although I agree that Mr Bashir's actions to gain access to Diana were unethical, I also think that William is deceiving himself if he believes Mr Bashir somehow influenced or persuaded his mother to give a non-factual account of her relationship with Prince Charles while they were married. In fact, I don't see any evidence that what Diana said in the interview was false/incorrect, or that she was somehow led or manipulated by Mr Bashir to say it.

I agree. Also he seems to be blaming the BBC for his parents relationship being bad. Sorry, but you can lay that at their feet.


I am glad they were held to account but Diana still said what she said. You can't just brush her words away. The actions of this reporter was disgusting. No one can question that but we also can't suddenly rewrite history.

 

[Denville]

I understand Mbruno was referring to the Duke's comments about the Princess's interview itself, not his comments on Mr. Bashir's actions and the subsequent coverup.

Diana spoke as she beleived by and large but she ceritanly didn't alwasy tell the truth.

 

[Betsypaige]

William’s statement was very powerful. He’s angry, yes, but also wounded - his mother was vulnerable, and she was taken advantage of. It’s touching that he notes that it damaged his parents’ relationship. He bore witness to that...terrible for children to see. Ultimately Charles and Diana were able to forge a much better relationship, friendship, but only after much pain.

 

[Mbruno]

She was lied to OUTRAGEOUSLY in order to persuade her to give the interview. Lies were told about the RF, documents were faked.. its hard to see how anyone could defend such journalistic practices from a publicly funded, supposedly reputable broadcaster....

I am not defending Mr Bashir's journalistic practice or the coverup thereof by the BBC. I am just skeptical of William's claim that the Panorama interview established a "false narrative" and that this narrative was created out of a sense of paranoia that was fueled by the false evidence that Mr Bashir gave to Lord Spencer and Diana.

 

[Denville]

I agree. Also he seems to be blaming the BBC for his parents relationship being bad. Sorry, but you can lay that at their feet.


I am glad they were held to account but Diana still said what she said. You can't just brush her words away. The actions of this reporter was disgusting. No one can question that but we also can't suddenly rewrite history.

What he said, as far as I can glean was that it made his parents' relationship worse. It certainly did create a bigger rift between her and the RF as a whole and it led to the queen telling her that she had to get a divorce. She and Charles were already at odds but her admission of adultery, her words about Charles and the "top job" all added to their relationship being even more fraught. It also hurt William himself....

 

[Betsypaige]

I agree. Also he seems to be blaming the BBC for his parents relationship being bad. Sorry, but you can lay that at their feet.


I am glad they were held to account but Diana still said what she said. You can't just brush her words away. The actions of this reporter was disgusting. No one can question that but we also can't suddenly rewrite history.

He didn’t blame them for making his parents’ relationship bad at all, he said the whole mess made it worse, which is huge difference.

Just because Diana said what she said doesn’t mean she wasn’t mislead by lies..

 

[Moran]

Diana said what she said and I, for one, believe that this impasse would have led her to giving a similar interview to a journalist at some point. But... Bashir didn't really believe this, did he? He had to make sure she would say something salacious and say it to him. What might have happened has no bearing on his conduct.


Diana was dramatic by nature, suspicious and paranoid by this stage. I imagine Mr Bashir's claims did play on these strings, making her account even stronger and more biting than it normally might have been. Again, I believe she would have given a similar interview at some point. But not the same. And Bashir didn't take any chances.

 

[ACO]

What he said, as far as I can glean was that it made his parents' relationship worse. It certainly did create a bigger rift between her and the RF as a whole and it led to the queen telling her that she had to get a divorce. She and Charles were already at odds but her admission of adultery, her words about Charles and the "top job" all added to their relationship being even more fraught. It also hurt William himself....

But was it a lie? William was (is!) hurt. He has every right in the world to be angry but Bashir didn't force her to make those statements and we can't brush them off as paranoid mistruths just because it made the family uncomfortable.

All that said I am glad it is out and I am glad her sons got to speak their mind about it. It was long overdue.

 

[Alison H]

I appreciate that this is very distressing for William and Harry, and for Earl Spencer, but, as disgusting as Martin Bashir's actions were, the faked documents only enabled him to gain access to Diana. No-one forced her to give the interview, and no-one forced the words out of her mouth. I don't see that the interview led to her death, which is what both Harry and Earl Spencer have suggested. She had the confidence to pursue a campaign against land mines, and to begin a relationship with Dodi Fayed, and possibly other people too. Yes, the interview made a bad situation worse, but ... well, there were two of them in the interview.

 

[sophie25]

But was it a lie? William was (is!) hurt. He has every right in the world to be angry but Bashir didn't force her to make those statements and we can't brush them off as paranoid mistruths just because it made the family uncomfortable.

All that said I am glad it is out and I am glad her sons got to speak their mind about it. It was long overdue.

Your right. I'm glad she told Morton a lot of the same stuff 6 years before Panorama because it's almost being suggested that because of Bashir's antics the whole interview should now be ignored. Now who could that possibly benefit? ��

 

[Moran]

I appreciate that this is very distressing for William and Harry, and for Earl Spencer, but, as disgusting as Martin Bashir's actions were, the faked documents only enabled him to gain access to Diana. No-one forced her to give the interview, and no-one forced the words out of her mouth. I don't see that the interview led to her death, which is what both Harry and Earl Spencer have suggested. She had the confidence to pursue a campaign against land mines, and to begin a relationship with Dodi Fayed, and possibly other people too. Yes, the interview made a bad situation worse, but ... well, there were two of them in the interview.

This, I can agree with. At the end of the day, Diana was an adult and she chose to do the interview. As lied to and manipulated as she was - and I believe she was particularly vulnerable -it wasn't out of character for her. She contributed to Morton's book without any fake documents well before she sat for the interview.


Every action has its concequences, but I fail to see how for the loss of a shoe this kingdom was lost in this particular case, aka how the interview led to Diana's death.

 

[Osipi]

All of the disclosures coming out now into the investigation of the Panorama interview just accentuates something I strongly believe and that is it does no one any good to air their dirty laundry, their emotions and their "side of the story" in the public domain. It serves absolutely *no* purpose whatsoever.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

William’s statement was very powerful. He’s angry, yes, but also wounded - his mother was vulnerable, and she was taken advantage of. It’s touching that he notes that it damaged his parents’ relationship. He bore witness to that...terrible for children to see. Ultimately Charles and Diana were able to forge a much better relationship, friendship, but only after much pain.

I completely agree. Of course it damaged their parents' relationship. Imagine Mr Bashir comes with (fake) "proof" to Diana and her brother, the Earl Spencer, that Charles has paid informants to tell him all about Diana.

It would rightly outrage Diana and her brother, but that whole information was pure imagination, falsely fabricated. I had to think about Earl Spencer's eulogy. Probably he was still in that angry modus, created by fake input form the oh-so "reliable" BBC.

That infamous interview was damning and damaging for the monarchy. Later Diana did regret it but the point is Mr Bashir wilfully created "proof" to convince Diana to speak her heart out on national tv.