Prince William slammed by playwright for silencing Princess Diana

A British playwright has slammed Prince William’s plea to the BBC to never again air his mother’s bombshell 1995 interview with Panorama.

William made the request in 2021, after an inquiry known as the Dyson Investigation was ordered by the BBC into how the interview was obtained. It found that journalist Martin Bashir had deployed “deceitful behaviour” in an attempt to influence the princess to speak on camera.

The author of a new play about the interview and the bombshell revelations made within it by Diana—including the famous “there were three of us in this marriage” line, her discussion of experiences with an eating disorder and depression, and voicing her doubts over Prince Charles’ fitness to be king—has criticized William, accusing him of posthumously silencing his mother.

In an article for the Daily Mail published on Wednesday, former BBC broadcast journalist turned playwright Jonathan Maitland—whose new production, The Interview, debuts in London this month—claimed that Diana “knew what she was doing” when she gave her interview to Panorama, and that Bashir’s “deceit” only ensured that he got the scoop.

“Following the Dyson Report, Prince William said: ‘It is my firm view that this programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again,'” Maitland wrote.

“The BBC immediately agreed to his request and so the interview is now, in effect, banned. Anyone who uses chunks of it for a documentary, film, or indeed play, runs the risk of being sued for breach of copyright.”

The writer said he could “understand why the BBC caved into William,” but described the decision as “supine and undemocratic,” going on to call for the corporation to “reconsider.”

“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,” he said.

This is not the first time that William has faced criticism over his position on the Panorama interview, which was made clear in a rare public statement in 2021, read in person at Kensington Palace following the inquiry’s conclusion.

“The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others,” he said.

“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.”

In 2022, BBC Director-General Tim Davie offered a public apology to William, as well as Prince Harry and King Charles for the way that Diana was “deceived” over the interview, and went on to add: “As the Duke of Cambridge himself put it, the BBC failed to ask the tough questions. Had we done our job properly Princess Diana would have known the truth during her lifetime. We let her, the royal family and our audiences down.

“Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the programme again; nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters.”

Following the announcement, royal biographer Omid Scobie wrote in an online column that: “Diana’s decision to do a televised sit-down was rooted in a deep desire to be heard and finally dispel many of the false narratives told in the press.”

He added that “without being able to hear Diana’s own words again, I fear we may be about to enter what could potentially lead to the slow rewriting of her life.

“Diana fought for much of her royal life to share her side of the story and be better understood,” he continued. “She put everything on the line, and her braveness has inspired millions around the world. Sadly now, her voice has been silenced once again.”

In his 2022 docuseries for Netflix, Prince Harry gave his view of the interview. He said it presented a “false narrative.”

Discussing his own experiences with the hostile media, Harry referenced his mother’s desire to speak out against it, getting her personal story into the public domain on her own terms.

“She felt compelled to talk about it,” he said. “Especially in that Panorama interview. I think we all now know that she was deceived into giving the interview but at the same time she spoke the truth of her experience.”

The princess’ Panorama interview was pulled into public focus once again in November 2022, where the process of obtaining, recording and broadcasting the program was dramatized by Netflix for its hit royal show, The Crown.

Newsweek approached Kensington Palace via email for comment.

James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek’s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

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