Was Princess Diana a Source for Royal ‘Smears’ in the Press?
Was it Princess Diana who previously spread bombshell allegations and rumors regarding the Royal Family?
BBC reporter Martin Bashir claims that it was the late, beloved princess who was the source for some of the royal "smears" he was originally blamed for spreading against the Royal Family in order to secure his famous 1995 interview with Diana, in which she revealed that Prince Charles was having an affair.
The BBC launched an internal inquiry led by Lord Dyson, the former Master of the Rolls, after notes from Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, surfaced this past November. The inquiry purports to discover what methods Bashir used to obtain the interview, as many believe that Bashir lied and used false rumors to obtain the in-demand interview.
According to documents obtained by The Telegraph, Spencer took notes just days before the tell-all interview. Spencer allegedly wrote down a series of rumors at a meeting with both his sister and Bashir. Some of the claims included that Queen Elizabeth had a heart problem and was ready to abdicate; Prince Charles was "in love" with his children's nanny; and that Prince William wore a watch that was bugged by his father.
Bashir has presented the inquiry with his notes. One of the notes has the headline, “Martin 19/9/95. At Samantha's flat,” which he claims references the location of his meeting with Diana and her brother.
In the new documents, Bashir alleges that all of the rumors were attributed to him by mistake and that they were supposedly comments made by Diana. She allegedly later revealed to him that she had spoken with mystics who gave her the false information, though the claim remains unverified.
Spencer also claims that Bashir forged bank statements that he used to gain his trust. The fake bank statements suggest that two Royals were being paid by security services to spy on his sister. Diana supposedly never saw the fake statements.
According to Deadline, the Royal Family will reportedly not pursue a criminal investigation against Bashir.