Princess Diana’s brother links princess’s death to deceit used to secure BBC interview

Princess Diana’s brother says the BBC’s deceit left the princess vulnerable before her death

Earl Charles Spencer has renewed his criticism of the BBC, saying the network’s deceptive tactics in securing Martin Bashir’s 1995 interview with Princess Diana contributed directly to the circumstances surrounding her death.

Speaking to People in remarks published Nov. 24, Spencer said senior figures at the BBC “participated in securing this interview through appalling deception,” adding, “I am sure this led directly to Diana being left vulnerable in Paris on the night she died.”

The comments come four years after an investigation concluded that Bashir used forged bank statements and false claims to win Diana’s trust.

Those fabrications included suggesting that members of her inner circle, including private secretary Patrick Jephson, were being paid to spy on her.

Jephson told People he understood why Diana became so fearful.

“She was in a state of justified anxiety,” he said. “It’s not paranoia if you have reasonable grounds to believe people are out to get you.”

He added that the deceit pushed Diana to reject official protection, leaving her dependent on security staff who were “not competent.”

Bashir also falsely implied that King Charles III was having an affair with the royal nanny, even presenting forged documents claiming she had an abortion. Investigators later confirmed the allegations were entirely fabricated.

The BBC acknowledged the gravity of the findings, issuing a statement reaffirming its apology: “The BBC accepted its findings in full and publicly apologised for its part in the report’s conclusions.”

Bashir, who resigned after the scandal resurfaced in 2021, previously said it was “a stupid thing to do” and expressed deep regret for having mocked up bank statements.

Spencer’s renewed comments underline the lasting emotional fallout from one of the most consequential and controversial interviews in modern media history, and his belief that its effects shadowed Diana right up to the night of her fatal 1997 car crash in Paris.