Royal Cover-up and BBC Lies Exposed After 20-Year Investigation
Presented simply as "An interview with HRH The Princess of Wales," with no indication of what was to follow, the programme became the BBC's most controversial broadcast. On a November evening in 1995, 23 million viewers in the UK and 200 million worldwide tuned in, expecting a typical interview with Diana.
However, recorded two weeks earlier, the programme was less an interview and more a staged performance—a carefully planned and rehearsed double act designed for a specific effect. Decades later, the broadcast remains unforgettable.
Diana's eyes are wide, like a hunted fawn's, as she declares: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
This line, delivered flawlessly, set the tone. Diana responded with unexpected ease and rehearsed soundbites, much like a seasoned TV personality. She skillfully handled questions, producing memorable replies such as:
"I'd like to be a queen of people's hearts. In people's hearts."
The questions were not always gentle. Reporter Martin Bashir asked if she had been unfaithful by having a relationship with her boyfriend, James Hewitt, during her marriage to Prince Charles.
"Were you unfaithful?" he asked.
"I adored him."
The interview’s staged nature and the impactful statements captured global attention but later sparked decades of controversy and scrutiny over how it was produced and edited.
Summary: The 1995 interview with Diana, Duchess of Wales, was a carefully crafted and rehearsed performance that remains the BBC's most controversial broadcast, blending staged drama with revealing personal confessions.
Would you prefer the summary to be more neutral or emphasize controversy?