William and Harry are angry
Harry and William are angry. Not at each other, but at the BBC in general and at journalist Martin Bashir in particular.
Why? Do you remember that famous interview where Diana said that there were ‘three in the marriage and that it was a bit crowded’? That historic interview sharpened the knives between Charles and Diana and threw gasoline on the fire of an already not-so-smooth divorce. This then attracted hungry journalists, resulting in her tragic death.
So far nothing new. But what now appears is that Martin Bashir did not go about arranging this interview in a very nice way. He created false bank statements that made it seem as if the British royal family was paying people to keep an eye on Diana and then leak her actions (such as dates with other men) to the press. He cleverly played this through Diana's brother, who informed his sister and made her trust it more. She was, of course, upset and angry and decided to say ‘yes’ to the interview and was certainly willing to go all out with strong statements.
It now appears not only that she was lured into this interview under false pretenses, but also that the BBC was aware of this. They covered it up because this interview, whether obtained falsely or not, was worth far too much to them.
And so Harry and William are angry, very angry. This interview was the start of a deterioration in the relationship between Charles and Diana and also the beginning of the witch hunt that various media conducted against their mother.
Diana's brother, Earl Charles Spencer, is also furious. ‘The irony is that I introduced my sister to Martin Bashir on August 31, 1995, and she died exactly two years later, on August 31, 1997. And I see a clear link between these two dates.’
It has happened, we cannot change it. Except for never airing the interview again out of respect for the family and learning from it so that history does not repeat itself. And do you know what I hope for? That this brings William and Harry back together. Then it is still a tiny bit good for everyone.
On August 31, 1995, the then-unknown journalist Martin Bashir was introduced to Lady Diana.
More Diana? I once wrote about her iconic style and what you can learn from her.
And more William and Harry? They visit their mother's grave so often.
