My sister Princess Diana was the victim of appalling BBC lies for Panorama – cops must investigate, says Earl Spencer
PRINCESS Diana’s brother has urged cops to investigate the BBC over the “agonising lies” it told to obtain his sister’s Panorama interview.
Earl Spencer insisted police “reconsider” their decision not to take legal action over the broadcaster after he said lawyers told him “unlawful and criminal behaviour” was “clearly” involved.
The Beeb this week publicly apologised to the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex for the “way Diana was deceived” to get the infamous chat with reporter Martin Bashir in 1995.
It came after an independent investigation revealed the “rogue reporter” forged bank statements and spun wicked tales to win vulnerable Diana’s trust and secure the chat.
But despite the findings, the Met said in September it had “not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence and will therefore be taking no further action”.
And the decision left Earl Spencer, 58, determined to continue is fight to get justice for his sister.
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Writing in the Mail on Sunday, he said: “I hope the police will reconsider their responsibilities in this matter.
“Only they have the power to get to the bottom of this terrible scandal, which led Diana to feel even more exposed and alone, and deceived her into forgoing those who cared for her and would have protected her.”
Bashir showed Earl Spencer the forged bank statements to gain access to his sister before telling her a string of lies – including that Prince Charles was having an affair with their nanny, the then Tiggy Legge-Bourke.
The BBC apologised to Ms Legge-Bourke, now Alexandra Pettifer, this week and handed her “substantial damages” over the “false and malicious claims”.
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Of his own experience, Earl Spencer said: “I feel that I was groomed… shown forged bank statements; I was told of underhand payments, of spying, and of appalling deception.
“But, all along I was the one being deceived in order for Mr Bashir to get to my late sister.”
He added that Diana was “extremely vulnerable” when she met Bashir because her secrets were appearing in the press.
And in devastating comments, he linked the Panorama interview with her death.
He added: “The agonising lies that she was told by the BBC before their cameras finally rolled ensured that she came into that Panorama interview with a very skewed and false view of the situation she was in, having been lied to repeatedly.
“This led to her speaking in a way that set her on a course where she was without due protection when she needed it most. All those responsible must be held to account.”
‘DEEP REGRET’
As well as apologising to Ms Legge-Bourke, the BBC this week issued a personal apology to Prince Charles, Harry and Prince William, for Bashir’s actions.
According to The Times, the Duke of Cambridge is understood to think the broadcaster has not gone far enough in questioning the “legitimacy” of the interview.
BBC director general, Tim Davie, said it was a “matter of deep regret” that the BBC did not “get to the facts” quicker.
He said in a statement: “I would like to take this opportunity to apologise publicly to her, to The Prince of Wales, and to the Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex, for the way in which Princess Diana was deceived and the subsequent impact on all their lives.
“It is a matter of great regret that the BBC did not get to the facts in the immediate aftermath of the programme when there were warning signs that the interview might have been obtained improperly.”
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “In March 2021, the Metropolitan Police Service determined it was not appropriate to begin a criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful activity in connection with a documentary broadcast in 1995.
“Following the publication of Lord Dyson’s report in May, specialist detectives assessed its contents and looked carefully at the law – once again obtaining independent legal advice from Treasury Counsel as well as consulting the Crown Prosecution Service.
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“As a result, the MPS has not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence and will therefore be taking no further action.”
The BBC has been approached for comment.
