Three decades after Martin Bashir's explosive interview with Princess Diana captivated over 20 million viewers, new revelations expose the profound emotional damage inflicted upon a young Prince William and the web of deceit that secured the landmark broadcast.
The Schoolboy's Heartbreak
When thirteen-year-old William watched his mother's intimate confessions on television from his housemaster's office at Eton College, the experience left him emotionally shattered. Royal biographer Robert Lacey describes in Battle of Brothers how the prince was later discovered 'slumped on the sofa' with his 'eyes red with tears' after viewing the programme alone.
The timing couldn't have been worse for the young royal, who was just two months into his first term at the prestigious school and already struggling with his parents' separation. So concerned was the late Queen Elizabeth II that she reportedly confided in palace staff about fears her grandson 'might have have a nervous breakdown' according to Tina Brown's Palace Papers.
A Mother's Failed Damage Control
On the eve of the broadcast, William's housemaster Dr Andrew Gailey made a desperate plea to Diana, urging her to personally prepare her son for the forthcoming revelations. Royal expert Ingrid Seward reveals the Princess initially questioned whether this was necessary, despite having previously visited William at his previous school, Ludgrove, for similar 'damage control' following Prince Charles' own public admissions.
When Diana finally visited Eton on November 19, the encounter was far from comforting. Paparazzo Mark Saunders witnessed the strained meeting where William met his mother's eyes with a 'sullen stare' before they attempted a private conversation behind a hedge. The young prince ultimately walked away without kissing his mother goodbye or saying farewell.
The Aftermath and Lasting Scars
The interview's broadcast triggered an even stronger reaction. William reportedly told a classmate that seeing his mother's face on screen overwhelmed him with 'a feeling of dread', while Prince Harry declined to watch entirely. When Diana telephoned Eton shortly after the programme aired, William refused to take her call.
Simone Simmons, Diana's confidante and faith-healer, revealed that William felt particularly humiliated by 'the idea of everything being on television' and feared ridicule from his schoolmates. The young prince was also deeply troubled by his mother's admission about Captain James Hewitt, her former riding instructor, whom she described as someone she 'adored' and was 'in love with'.
The confrontation reached its peak when William returned to Kensington Palace that weekend. Simmons recounts how 'all hell broke loose' as the furious prince shouted and cried, pushing his mother away when she tried to comfort him. Though William later apologised with flowers, Diana remained convinced the interview had permanently damaged their relationship, tearfully asking: 'What have I done to my children?'
The Unravelling Deception
The 2021 Dyson Inquiry exposed the shocking methods Bashir employed to secure the interview. The investigation revealed he had shown Earl Spencer forged bank statements suggesting palace staff were being paid to spy on Diana, and falsely claimed she was under MI6 surveillance. He even presented a fabricated 'abortion receipt' implying an affair between Prince Charles and royal nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke.
Though Bashir admitted showing the fake documents to Earl Spencer, he maintained Diana never saw them. The Princess herself wrote to the BBC insisting she had 'no regrets' about the interview and wasn't unduly influenced. However, the damage was done - the 54-minute conversation served as the final blow to the Wales' marriage, with divorce proceedings beginning less than a month later on the late Queen's advice.
A Legacy of Anger and Resolution
Prince William's bitterness towards the BBC has endured into adulthood. In 2021, he delivered a powerful statement describing how the 'deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said'. He condemned the programme as having 'no legitimacy' and demanded it never be aired again.
Prince Harry added that the 'ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life', while the BBC issued unconditional apologies to both princes and paid substantial damages to Tiggy Legge-Bourke for the baseless smears against her.
Despite William's plea that the interview never be broadcast again, Harry and Meghan used clips in their Netflix documentary, reportedly angering his brother. The contrasting responses highlight how the 1995 interview continues to shape royal relationships nearly thirty years later, leaving lasting scars that time has yet to heal.
