Martin Bashir’s Princess Diana interview: Timeline of the scandal

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Martin Bashir’s shocking interview with Princess Diana became a worldwide sensation when it was broadcast in the 1990s, and was viewed by more than 200 million people.

The interview, in which she spoke candidly about her marital troubles, bulimia, and admitted that then-Prince Charles and Camilla had been having an affair, was a turning point for the royal family and led to Princess Diana’s divorce.

Almost 30 years later, this is still a headache for the BBC. This comes after reports in 2021 revealed that Bashir obtained the interview by deception after falsifying bank statements that suggested Princess Diana was being spied on by her household staff.

Here is a complete timeline of how Mr. Bashir’s actions unraveled and the ongoing repercussions for the station.

– November 20, 1995

After joining the BBC as a reporter in 1986 and working on series such as Song of Praise, Bashir began working on the investigative program Panorama.

Bashir’s “Panorama” interview with Princess Diana was seen as a generational scoop, with speculation about her love life and relationship with the then-Prince of Wales constantly dominating the headlines.

The wedding took place in secret at Kensington Palace and included the infamous line, “There were three of us in this marriage,” confirming the future king’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. Ta.

The interview was viewed by 23 million people in the UK, and the Queen issued a letter to both Prince Charles and Princess Diana advising them to divorce.

– 1996

Lord Hall, a former BBC director-general and then head of news, is leading an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Princess Diana’s appearance.

Her brother Earl Spencer later claimed that the investigation was a “sham.”

Mr Bashir is alleged to have falsified bank statements to gain Princess Diana’s trust, which appeared to show that senior courtiers were being paid by security services to spy on her. Ta.

Mr Bashir was cleared of any wrongdoing by Lord Hall, who ultimately found the journalist to be an “honest and honorable person”.

– August 1997

Princess Diana died in a car accident in Paris in August 1997. She was in the car with her partner Dodi Fayed, who also died.

– 1999

Bashir left the BBC and joined ITV, working on documentary features and features on Trevor McDonald.

– 2016

Mr Bashir returned to the BBC as religious affairs correspondent before becoming religion editor.

– October 2020

Three documentaries about the BBC Panorama interview have been broadcast on ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5, reigniting interest in the controversy.

It was also revealed that Bashir was “seriously unwell” due to coronavirus-related complications.

– November 3, 2020

The BBC has launched an investigation into allegations by Earl Spencer that he was shown “false bank statements” to encourage his sister to take part.

He accused Bashir of “utter dishonesty” and claimed he would not have introduced him to Princess Diana had he not seen the forged documents.

Lord Dyson, former Master of the Rolls and civil attorney general, has been appointed to lead the report, which Prince William has hailed as “a step in the right direction”.

The BBC said it had discovered a handwritten note from Princess Diana that appeared to absolve Bashir of using false documents to influence his appearance on Panorama.

– March 2021

Scotland Yard said it would not launch a criminal investigation into the allegations.

– May 2021

Bashir left the BBC for health reasons and resigned as religion editor. A new panoramic documentary examining Princess Diana’s interviews will be delayed until after the publication of Lord Dyson’s report.

Later that month, it was reported that Mr Dyson’s inquiry had found Mr Bashir guilty of deception in obtaining the interview and of breaching the BBC’s editorial practices. A 1996 inquiry led by Lord Hall was described as “woefully ineffective” and the BBC apologized.

Princess Diana’s two sons released a statement saying that Prince William’s lies to their mother had left her feeling “fearful, paranoid and isolated.”

“I apologized at the time, and I still apologize, for the fact that I asked for a falsified bank statement,” Bashir said in a statement. It was a foolish act and I deeply regret it. ”

– September 2022

The BBC has donated the £1.4 million it earned from selling the rights to the interview to other TV channels to seven charities linked to the Princess of Wales.

Since the publication of the Dyson report, the company has also paid significant damages to individuals affected by the interview, including former royal nanny Tiggy Ledge-Burke.

– December 2023

A judge ordered the BBC to release a trove of emails relating to Mr Bashir’s interview relating to the broadcaster’s handling of the scandal in 2020.

Justice Brian Kennedy said the company had been “inconsistent, erroneous and It’s unreliable.”

– January 2024

The BBC has released around 3,000 emails containing Mr Bashir’s claims that his alleged securing of interviews through forgery was the result of “professional jealousy” and his ethnicity.

He told the BBC’s head of history, Robert Seeter, that securing the interview despite being the son of immigrants with “working-class roots” had caused “some irritation” among colleagues at the BBC. .

A BBC spokesperson said on Tuesday: “There is no evidence to support the allegation that the BBC acted maliciously in 2020 and we maintain that this suggestion is simply false.”

“We have worked hard to provide relevant material throughout this long process, which involved an extensive archive and record search spanning nearly 30 years.

“We also accept and apologize that mistakes were made and have taken extensive steps to correct those mistakes.”