It was a legendary interview, but it only came about because of a lie. 27 years after an interview with Princess Diana, the BBC pays compensation to the former nanny of Prince William and Prince Harry. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to her, including Prince William and Prince Harry, for the way Princess Diana was deceived and the consequences for everyone involved," said BBC boss Tim Davie. Both sides have agreed on a settlement with the payment.
BBC covered up their reporter's wrongdoing
Former nanny Alexandra Pettifer - better known by her former name Tiggy Legge-Bourke - was alleged at the time to have had an affair with the heir apparent while she was Prince Charles' personal assistant. Pettifer regretted that legal action was needed before the BBC acknowledged "the serious damage" it had suffered as a result. Her lawyer said the rumors were allegedly planted as part of former BBC reporter Martin Bashir's dishonest efforts to get the Diana interview.
An investigative report released last year revealed that Bashir had used forged documents to gain access to Princess Diana. The BBC later covered up their reporter's misconduct.
Legendary Diana interview: "There were three of us in this marriage"
If the station had worked carefully at the time, Diana, who died in 1997, could have learned the truth while she was still alive, said Davie. "We failed them, the Royal Family and our audience."
In 1995, the prime-time exclusive talk drew around 23 million people in Great Britain in front of their television sets. The princess, who was separated from Prince Charles at the time but not yet divorced, described how she felt abandoned and sabotaged by the royal family and revealed her husband's affair with his current wife Camilla Parker-Bowles. "There were three of us in this marriage," Diana said to the camera.
