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By AFP 
2h ago
London – Prince William has called for an investigation into claims that his mother, Princess Diana, was tricked into accepting her 1995 bombshell in the BBC interview as a “step in the right direction.”
The late princess’s brother, Charles Spencer, has alleged that the “Panorama” flagship reporter who conducted the interview, Martin Bashir, showed him false documents to persuade his sister to participate.
The BBC announced on Wednesday the immediate launch of an investigation, a move welcomed by the prince.
“The independent investigation is a step in the right direction,” William, 38, said late Wednesday.
“It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and the subsequent decisions made by the BBC at the time.”
Diana detailed the collapse of her marriage to the heir to the throne in the November 1995 interview, which was viewed by a record 22.8 million people.
She said there were “three people” in her marriage: her, Charles and her longtime lover, Camilla Parker-Bowles, and also revealed that he had been unfaithful to her.
Diana and Charles formally divorced in 1996. She died in a car accident in Paris the following year. Charles and Camilla got married in 2005.
New reports have emerged alleging that Bashir used clandestine methods to persuade Diana to speak up, even claiming that members of her own staff were paid to spy on her.
The investigation will focus primarily on the role of Bashir, who was little known at the time but went on to have a global career.
Consideration will be given to “mock bank statements purporting to show payments to a former Earl Spencer employee … (and) alleged payments to members of the Royal Household.”
It will also look at the revelations Spencer made this month about Bashir to the Daily Mail, which said the reporter made “hair-raising claims” about Queen Elizabeth II, Charles and other royals.
Bashir, 57, who is now the BBC’s religious affairs editor, has not responded to the latest claims.
The BBC has said that he was in very bad shape after contracting the coronavirus and that he is also recovering from heart surgery.
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