Panorama interview with Princess Diana

Image: H.R.H Diana, Princess of Wales with Martin Bashir on a special Panorama edition - Panorama Special : An Interview With H.R.H The Princess Of Wales, 20 November 1995. 

Innocently billed as An interview with H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, Martin Bashir’s Panorama Special of 20 November 1995 contained explosive revelations from Princess Diana as she spoke at length about the state of her marriage to Prince Charles. She talked of Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles - saying "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded" - but she also admitted her own affair with James Hewitt. Diana doubted she would ever be Queen, but hoped instead to be "queen of people’s hearts". Her frank talk of struggles with bulimia and self-harming showed a willingness to admit vulnerability that was new in the Royal Family.

Diana’s interview came after Jonathan Dimbleby’s programme where Charles admitted his adultery, but went much further. Its controversial nature ensured that a very small team in the BBC knew of it, and the decision was taken not to tell BBC Chairman Marmaduke Hussey what was afoot, as his wife was close to the Queen. The public interest was undeniable as 23 million viewers tuned in. The Panorama interview hastened Charles and Diana’s divorce, which was finalised the following August.

Later in 2020, on the 25th anniversary of the programme, detailed revelations surfaced about the broadcast and how Martin Bashir had gained access to the Princess by use of forged documents and misleading allegations. This led to a full-scale independent investigation by Lord Dyson, published in 2021, after which the BBC officially apologised for the way in which the interview had been obtained and the unacceptable standards of its journalism.