Princess Diana knew Prince Charles and Camilla ‘were true love’ and spoke with BBC Panorama because she ‘wanted her story out there’ as she feared a gagging clause in her divorce, a royal correspondent has claimed.
Jennie Bond appeared on Lorraine this morning to discuss the Princess of Wales’ bombshell interview with Martin Bashir in 1995.
The televised tell-all has hit headlines 25 years later over new allegations made by Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, that he was shown false financial documents by then-Panorama reporter Martin Bashir to gain access to her.
Jennie said the princess told her most the information she revealed in the Panorama interview, five months earlier, including that she believed the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were a ‘true love match’.
The British journalist also asked Diana a year later, why she took part in the meeting, and said the princess admitted she feared a ‘gagging clause in her divorce’ and ‘wanted her story out there’.
Princess Diana (pictured during the Panorama interview) knew Prince Charles and Camilla ‘were true love’ and spoke with BBC Panorama because she ‘wanted her story out there’ as she feared a gagging clause in her divorce, a royal correspondent has claimed
Jennie Bond appeared on Lorraine this morning to discuss the Princess of Wales’ bombshell interview with Martin Bashir in 1995. Pictured, The Prince of Wales and Camilla marking their 15th wedding anniversary
‘She’d told me an awful lot that was in Panorama five months before, we had a long meeting, just the two of us at Kensington Palace in her sitting room,’ said Jennie.
‘And so what was in Panorama was largely known to me, but she asked me to keep it in confidence.’
Jennie added: ‘I’ve got notebooks of that meeting… it is June ’95 and right at the time I’ve written, “She says there was always from day one, three people in the marriage. She means Camilla.”
‘”She says she now understands that the relationship between Charles and Camilla was and is one of true love and it was always going to be stronger than any marriage Charles might’ve made.”
‘So she was very forthcoming in that interview with me but she asked me, annoyingly I have to say, to keep it confidential.
Jennie (pictured) said the princess told her most the information she revealed in the Panorama interview, five months earlier, including that she believed the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall were a ‘true love match’
The British journalist also asked Diana a year later, why she took part in the meeting, and said the princess admitted she feared a ‘gagging clause in her divorce’ and ‘wanted her story out there’. Pictured, Diana and Charles together in 1981
‘The very fact that she did tell me so much information before… I think she was kind of ready for this story to come out.’
The royal correspondent continued: ‘I asked her a year later, why did you do Panorama and she said “I felt that divorce was looming, it was going to be inevitable, and I thought there was going to be a gagging clause.
‘”I wanted to get my side of the story out. [Mr Bashir] was there at the right time and at the right place.”‘
Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana’s divorce was officially finalised on 24 August 1996, after a very public fall out.
Jennie’s remarks come after it emerged over the weekend that royal aides and others said to have been smeared by Mr Bashir to get his Princess Diana scoop may sue for ‘serious damages’.
Princess Diana’s interview with Martin Bashir in 1995 shed light on her marriage to Prince Charles, but a scandal broke out as to how Mr Bashir secured the interview
Legal experts said the BBC could even face a Scotland Yard inquiry over the supposed forgeries and lies used by the Panorama reporter to trick the princess before the famous 1995 interview.
Diana’s brother Earl Spencer is among those demanding an independent inquiry after revealing the 32 lies he says Mr Bashir fed the princess to clinch the interview.
In the weeks before the programme, the earl was approached by Mr Bashir and, in what are believed to be new details, Charles now claims he was shown ‘false bank statements’ that related to alleged payments made to two members of the royal household by the security services.
Allegations that other false financial documents relating to a former employee of the earl were produced were examined by an internal BBC investigation in the 1996, as it tried to determine whether or not the princess had been misled – with a key piece of evidence, a note, suggesting she had not.
Mr Bashir, now the BBC’s religion editor, is seriously ill with Covid-related complications and is not in a position to respond to the earl’s allegations, the BBC has said.
Martin Bashir (pictured), now the BBC’s religion editor, is seriously ill with Covid-related complications and is not in a position to respond to the earl’s allegations, the BBC has said
The BBC has said it will investigate the earl’s fresh allegations but he reportedly insists on an independent inquiry and has turned down the corporation’s offer to examine his claims.
In an earlier statement, a BBC spokeswoman highlighted an apology the earl has received from its director-general over the mocked-up documents relating to his former employee.
She said: ‘The BBC has apologised. We are happy to repeat that apology. And while this was a quarter of a century ago, we absolutely will investigate, robustly and fairly, substantive new information.
‘We have asked Earl Spencer to share further information with the BBC.
‘Unfortunately, we are hampered at the moment by the simple fact that we are unable to discuss any of this with Martin Bashir, as he is seriously unwell.
‘When he is well, we will of course hold an investigation into these new issues.’