Prince William slammed for 'silencing his mother' after BBC caved to plea
Prince William slammed for 'silencing his mother' after BBC caved to plea
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Prince William has been slammed for "silencing his mother" after the BBC caved to his plea to never again air Princess Diana's controversial 1995 Panorama interview.
The Prince of Wales made the plea in 2021 after the Dyson Investigation was ordered by the BBC into how Diana's interview with Martin Bashir was obtained.
It found that Bashir had used "deceitful behaviour" to persuade the royal to give the interview.
The author of a new play about the interview has criticised William, accusing him of posthumously silencing his mother.
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Former BBC broadcast journalist turned playwright Jonathan Maitland, whose new production, The Interview, debuts in London this month, claimed Diana "knew what she was doing" when she gave her interview to Panorama.
He added that Bashir's "deceit" only ensured he got the scoop as opposed to any other journalist.
Maitland said: "Following the Dyson Report, Prince William said: 'It is my firm view that this programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again.'
"The BBC immediately agreed to his request and so the interview is now, in effect, banned.
Princess Diana gave a Panorama interview in 1995
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"Anyone who uses chunks of it for a documentary, film, or indeed play, runs the risk of being sued for breach of copyright."
Maitland said he could "understand why the BBC caved into William," but described the decision as "supine and undemocratic".
The playwright has called for the corporation to "reconsider" its position.
He added: "It's ironic that the eldest son she brought up to have the courage to speak out has silenced his own mother...who had the courage to speak out."
Prince William slammed the BBC after it was discovered Bashir had used 'deceit'
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The Prince of Wales said in 2021: "The interview was a major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse and has since hurt countless others.
"It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC's failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.
"It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again.
"It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others."