Former BBC journalist Martin Bashir regrets the way he convinced Princess Diana to interview him in 1995. At the same time, Bashir insists that he never wanted to hurt the princess, and he also thinks that never happened.
An independent investigation earlier this week revealed that Bashir had used misleading information to entice Diana into the conversation. The former journalist convinced Prince Charles’s wife by showing her forged bank statements through her brother. This created the impression that people at the British court were being paid by the Secret Service to pass on personal information about her.
In an interview with The Sunday Times Bashir apologizes to Diana’s sons William and Harry and her brother Charles Spencer. Falsifying the documents is a big mistake, he says. “But this didn’t affect Diana, it didn’t affect the interview,” Bashir said.
‘Can’t Blame Me for Everything’
Bashir’s reaction follows harsh criticism from Prince Harry and Prince William, says correspondent Arjen van der Horst in the NOS Radio 1 News. “They say the interview contributed to their mother’s paranoia and the deterioration of the marriage to Prince Charles.”
Bashir believes he cannot possibly be blamed for everything “that went wrong in Diana’s life.” He also refers to the link that Spencer makes between the interview and the car accident in Paris two years later in which the princess was killed.
After the publication of the research report, the BBC that mistakes have been made. Bashir calls the suggestion that he is solely responsible for this “unreasonable and unfair”. He emphasizes that Diana set all conditions for the conversation and that she never complained about the broadcast afterwards.
Former BBC director has resigned
Following the commotion surrounding the investigation, Lord Hall, chairman of the National Gallery in London, has resigned. He was a director of the BBC in the 1990s. According to Van der Horst, it is not certain what the consequences are for other people who were involved in the preparation of the interview at the time. “Spencer would like to see a criminal investigation into this whole matter.”
The interview, which was broadcast in November 1995, attracted a record 22.8 million viewers. Diana and Charles split up shortly after the broadcast. The interview was Bashir’s breakthrough. The journalist left the BBC last month. A statement from the British broadcaster states that he left for health reasons.
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