There haven't been too many occasions that the royal family has spoken publicly about Princess Diana. Since her death in 1997, The Firm has kept mum on all kinds of Diana rumors. Prince William and Prince Harry have both found their own ways to honor their mother's legacy throughout the years.
A new investigation into a controversial 1995 interview Diana had with journalist Martin Bashir has jarred a comment, however. The investigation comes after claims about the conditions under which she gave the interview have resurfaced.
Her brother, Charles Spencer, alleges that false documents were used to convince Diana that some of the people closest to her were being paid by British tabloids. It was supposedly after learning this that Diana agreed to the candid interview. It's best remembered for her comments about her "crowded" marriage to Prince Charles, who was having an affair at the time with Camilla (then Parker-Bowles), who would eventually become his wife.
William is speaking out on the investigation and what he hopes it achieves. His comments come just months after he and Harry announced a new commemorative measure for their mom. A statue of the Princess of Wales will be installed at Kensington Palace in honor of Diana's 60th birthday.
A recent investigation around Princess Diana's 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir has confused many royal fans. The unforgettable interview saw the Princess of Wales speak candidly about her and Prince Charles' extramarital affairs and her future in the royal family.
The investigation is meant to find out the truth about rumors that Diana was conned into doing the interview. An internal investigation into the matter was done in 1996, concluding that everything was on the up and up.
New information has caused a second look, however. Last month, The Sunday Times retold the story with a few new details many royal fans didn't know about. The false documents that were rumored to have been shown to Diana to convince her to do the interview were not, in fact, shown to her. Her brother, Charles Spencer, was an intermediary in the negotiations.
Journalist Martin Bashir showed the Earl Spencer two fake bank statements crafted by employees at the BBC. The bank statements were designed to make it look like a former employee of the Spencer family was selling stories about them behind the scenes. This led Charles to set up a meeting with Diana, himself, and Martin — one which he almost instantaneously regretted.
Martin allegedly painted the documents as part of a larger investigation into people selling information on Diana, playing into one of her greatest fears. Charles is again arguing that without those documents and the psychological manipulation they were designed to impart, Diana wouldn't have done the explosive interview.
Friends even tried to talk Diana out of the interview, questioning Martin's character. Her mind was made up.
The interview changed the course of things in more ways than one. It was Martin's big break, which later helped him score unprecedented access to Michael Jackson for another interview that would be career-defining in spite of the damage done to its subject.
For Diana, it was the last straw. She and Prince Charles began divorce proceedings just weeks later.
Earl Spencer has clarified that he's bringing this up now because he's only recently learned that not only were BBC employees involved in duping Diana, but the BBC lied about its knowledge of the matter.
"Many people are, quite understandably, asking why I've waited till now to come forward with the truth about how the @BBCPanorama with my sister came about. While I knew that Martin Bashir used fake bank statements and other dishonesty to get my sister to do the interview," he tweeted, "what I only found out 2 weeks ago, thanks to journalist Andy Webb's persistent use of the Freedom of Information Act, is that the BBC also knew. Not only knew about it but that they covered it up."
"[The BBC] have yet to apologize for what truly matters here: the incredibly serious falsification of bank statements suggesting that Diana's closest confidants were spying on her for her enemies," he said in a statement to People magazine.
"This was what led me to talk to Diana about such things. This in turn led to the meeting where I introduced Diana to Bashir, on 19 September 1995. This then led to the interview."
"The BBC have so far refused to acknowledge the above," he continued.
"They claim Diana wasn't misled. They have ignored my inquiry as to whether the apology over their false bank statements extends to the ones that actually persuaded Diana to meet Bashir."
The royal family has been quiet about the story as matters have unfolded over recent weeks. Now Prince William is speaking out about his own feelings on the investigation.
"The independent investigation is a step in the right direction," William said in a statement.
"It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time."
At the time the interview aired, William, then 13, was reportedly furious with his mom for airing the family's dirty laundry to over 23 million viewers. Royal expert Katie Nicholl talked about William's reaction in the documentary William and Harry: Brothers in Arms.
"William was exposed to everything from the interview and called his mother in a fury and a rage," she said.
"He simply could not believe that his mother had invited the television cameras into the home he had grown up in and loved, to betray his father and their family in such a public way," she continued.
Later, she recalled a quote from Diana's friend Simone Simmons.
"It was the one time William turned on his mother and said that he would never forgive Diana for what she'd done."
British Supreme Court Judge John Dyson has been hired by the BBC to conduct an independent investigation and get to the bottom of things once and for all.
"Formerly Master of the Rolls and a Justice of the Supreme Court, Lord Dyson is an eminent and highly respected figure who will lead a thorough process," said BBC Director-General Tim Davie in a statement.
"This is an important investigation which I will start straight away. I will ensure it is both thorough and fair."
