Prince William, Harry Have Split Opinions About New Documentary Featuring Diana's 'Panorama' Interview: Report
KEY POINTS
- HBO and HBO Max will mark Princess Diana's 25th death anniversary with a new documentary, "The Princess"
- The network allegedly didn't ask Prince Harry and Prince William about the use of footage from Princess Diana's "Panorama" interview
- Prince William wanted the interview to never be aired again, while Prince Harry acknowledged it as part of their mom's story
Prince William and Prince Harry are not on the same page regarding the use of Princess Diana's "Panorama" interview in a new documentary, according to a report.
Aug. 31 will mark the late Princess of Wales' 25th death anniversary. HBO and HBO Max will commemorate the event with a new documentary, "The Princess," featuring thousands of hours of archive footage telling the life story of Princess Diana, including scenes from her infamous "Panorama" interview for the BBC with Martin Bashir.
An insider said Princess Diana and Prince Charles' two sons have different opinions about the use of the footage.
"William and Harry are united in their distaste for the BBC and Bashir's ethics regarding the interview. But they do have differing opinions," one palace insider told Page Six.
The Duke of Cambridge, 40, said he wanted the interview never to be aired again. However, the Duke of Sussex reportedly disagreed and was okay with the usage, according to multiple sources.
"Harry has more condemnation for the media in this case, rather than the actual interview, and is said to not want the footage erased from history," the source continued. "This is something that came together in the wrong way, but in the end, it is still part of Diana's story."
Palace sources were convinced that neither of the two got asked about the use of footage from Princess Diana's "Panorama" interview.
Last month, BBC director general Tim Davie released a statement via the network's website, over a year after an independent investigation looked into the tactics Bashir used to secure the interview. The network apologized to Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry over the controversial interview and acknowledged that "the interview was obtained improperly." Davie also said they would never show the program again.
"Instead, 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," read the statement from Davie. "Now we know about the shocking way that the interview was obtained I have decided that the BBC will never show the program again; nor will we license it in whole or part to other broadcasters."
Last year, Prince Harry and Prince William received letters of apology from the BBC over Bashir's conduct and subsequent cover-up over 25 years later. Kate Middleton's husband released a statement in response to the letter pointing out that the interview was not legitimate, influenced what his mom said and only contributed to his parents' divorce.
"It is my firm view that this 'Panorama' program 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 commercialized by the BBC and others," the future king added.
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.