Britain’s Prince Harry has joined his brother William in welcoming a new investigation into how the BBC landed a famous and controversial 1995 interview with his mother, Princess Diana, and one source described it as a “boost. For the truth”.
A former Supreme Court judge is leading a new investigation into how the announcer obtained the interview and whether the executives covered up any wrongdoing after allegations the late princess was tricked into participating.
Prince William, second in line to the throne, said earlier this week that the investigation was a step in the right direction and a source close to Harry said Saturday that the prince was receiving regular updates.
The person familiar with the situation also questioned some British media reports asking why Harry, who lives in California with his wife Meghan and son Archie, had not joined his brother in welcoming the investigation earlier.
“Sadly, some people not only see this as a push for the truth, but they also try to use this as an opportunity to try and drive a wedge between the siblings,” the person said.
Diana’s Panorama interview with Martin Bashir was watched by more than 20 million viewers in Britain and became one of the defining moments of her failed marriage to Prince Charles.
It included an admission of an affair and the phrase that “there were three of us in this marriage,” referring to Charles’s relationship with his now second wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Earlier this month, Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, said the BBC had not apologized for what he claimed were forged documents and “other hoaxes” that led him to introduce Diana to Bashir.
The BBC has said the broadcaster is determined to get to the truth about Spencer’s claims and has appointed John Dyson, one of the country’s top retired judges, to lead the investigation.
Bashir has not made any public comment on the situation and the corporation says the journalist, who gained world renown for the interview, is currently on sick leave, recovering from heart surgery and contracting Covid-19.
Harry and Meghan moved to California after retiring from royal duties in January and signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix as part of their plans to become more financially independent.
The source added that the couple had decided to share their property in England, Frogmore Cottage, with their cousin Eugenie, but would be staying there when they visited the UK.
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