Martin Bashir won the BAFTA award for best talk show after the Panorama interview with Diana. However, Diana’s biographer, Andrew Morton said that “Princess Diana was scared half to death by Martin Bashir into doing an interview”.
The BBC has reported that in a recent inquiry into how Bashir got Diana to speak to him, it was found this week he gave Diana’s brother Earl Spencer, “fake bank statements showing payments from News International and a trust fund to his former employee”
“Lord Dyson, who carried out the independent investigation, also found leading BBC executives covered up Bashir's lies in an inquiry they carried out in 1996,” BBC reported.
Andrew Morton went on to add that there was a "mile-long queue outside Kensington Palace" to interview her and there was "no question at all that Diana was going to speak her mind". Mr Morton told Sky News, “..but when you think your life is in danger it was very potent. She was put in a state of fear and trepidation and that encouraged her to speak out.”
“She thought she was a target, she thought from what Bashir said she was under the gun, in the sights of the establishment,” he added. Interestingly, the author and journalist said he disagrees with Prince William and Prince Harry that what she said in the interview was influenced by Bashir.
"Diana wanted to speak her truth and she'd been stifled for a long time," Morton said.
As per the news reports, Home Secretary Priti Patel has refused to rule out criminal prosecutions following the publication of the Dyson report. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Bashir said he "never wanted to harm" Princess Diana with the interview, adding: "I don't believe we did." He said he is "deeply sorry" to Prince William and Prince Harry.
Meanwhile, news galore is abuzz that “BBC licence fee could be cut or suspended for five years as punishment for Diana cover-up”. But a senior Government source told The Times the BBC's status as a world-class broadcaster had now been "tarnished", and the £159-a-year licence fee payment could be frozen over the next five years or even cut.
The Queen was also reportedly “deeply upset” by revelations and repeated criticism made by Prince Harry in his new documentary series with Oprah Winfrey on mental health, it has been reported.
Royal sources were quoted saying, “Harry’s grandmother has taken this very personally and is deeply upset by what Harry has said, in particular, his comments about Charles’ parenting and suggesting his father knows no better because of how he was brought up.”
A news publication was cited saying that the relationship between the duke and the rest of the royal family was “hanging by a thread”.
