Princess Diana’s BBC Panorama scandal explained: why Prince William spoke out about the controversial 1995 interview being investigated for fake bank statements
When Princess Diana was interviewed by Martin Bashir, she revealed gritty details about her marriage to Prince Charles and his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles – but did he strong-arm her into the interview with fake bank statements?
Over two decades later, new revelations have emerged surrounding the ethics – and legality – of how such an exclusive interview with the late British royal was secured in the first place.
Sources allege that Bashir commissioned the creation of counterfeit bank statements to get Diana to open up about all the salacious details of her royal life and marriage. Diana’s brother, Earl Charles Spencer, also reportedly claims that Bashir made up lies about the royal family so that Diana would participate in the interview.
This month, an independent inquiry was set up to investigate the explosive 1995 interview. But what exactly are the allegations against Bashir, and why kick a 25-year-old hornet’s nest?
Why do counterfeit bank statements matter?
Not only is the act of forging a bank statement illegal, but the counterfeits were shown to Diana with the intention of compelling her to consent to the interview.
These statements, which falsified payments made to members of the royal staff in exchange for private information about her, may have played on Diana’s fears that the security service were listening in on her private conversations.
Why now?
