BBC has announced an independent inquiry into the 1995 interview with Princess Diana and vowed to bring the truth of the interview to light.
Earlier, Princess Diana’s brother alleged that the BBC’s Martin Bashir had used fake bank documents to persuade Princess Diana to join the interview. The inquiry will be led by Lord Dyson, one of Britain’s most senior judges. Lord Dyson has been a judge of the British Supreme Court and retired in 2016.
BBC is determined to get to the bottom of this and that is why we have announced an independent inquiry,” said Tim Dewey, the BBC’s director general. Lord Dyson is a well-known and respected figure, and he will lead the process. ”
Earl Spencer, Princess Diana’s brother, said earlier this month that “sheer dishonesty” was opted to interview Princess Diana. At the same time, he called for an independent inquiry.
According to the British Daily Mail, in a letter to Tim Dewey, Earl Spencer said that BBC journalist Martin Bashir had shown fake bank statements which appeared to provide information about Princess Diana to two senior royal officials. The money was being paid by the security services.
Earl Spencer wrote: “If I had not seen that statement, I would never have introduced Bashir to my sister.”
In another interview with the Daily Mail, he also accused Martin Bashir, then a reporter for the BBC’s Panorama program, of gaining his trust and access to Princess Diana in a meeting with him. Misrepresented and made defamatory claims about senior members of the royal family.
According to the claims, Princess Diana’s personal correspondence was under the radar, her car was being tracked and her phone was being tapped. The Daily Mail called the allegations “ridiculous lies.”
Martin Bashir, 57, is currently the BBC’s religious affairs editor. He has recently had a heart operation that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19, which has prevented him from responding to the allegations.
What aspects of the investigation will be looked into?
1. What steps did the BBC, and especially Martin Bashir, take to get this interview for Panorama? This will include an investigation into fake bank statements, money paid to royal employees and other allegations made by Earl Spencer.
2. Were these measures appropriate, especially in line with BBC standards at the time?
3. How much did the BBC and especially Martin Bashir’s actions affect the decision to interview Princess Diana?
4. In 1995 and 1996, what information did the BBC have about important evidence, such as fake bank statements?
5. How effective was the BBC in investigating the situation before the interview?
These points of inquiry are set by Lord Dyson, and the BBC agrees. BBC says the investigation will begin immediately and is ready to provide all the records and evidence.
Last week, the BBC said it had received a note from Princess Diana, written after the interview, in which it was believed that the princess had expressed her satisfaction with the way the interview had been conducted. The BBC also said the note would be handed over to the inquiry for investigation.
Lord Dyson will chair this inquiry. Until October 2016, he was the Master of Rules, the second most senior judge in England and Wales. He has also been a judge of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
When the interview aired on the BBC’s Panorama program 25 years ago, it was viewed by about 23 million people. This is the same interview in which Princess Diana talked about her relationship with her husband, Prince Charles, and said, “There were always three people in our marriage.” She was referring to Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana were separated at the time, but had not yet divorced. Princess Diana, 36, died in a car accident in Paris on August 31, 1997.
