Prince William has accused the BBC of playing a major role in making his parents’ relationship worse and increasing "fear, paranoia and isolation" for his mother in her final years, after an inquiry found one of its reporters used fake documents to obtain an interview with Princess Diana.
The Duke of Cambridge is also calling on BBC executives to take never again air the infamous Panorama interview.
In a strongly worded statement released by Kensington Palace, the Prince said he welcomed the findings but is extremely concerned about the tactics used by the company and its employees.
"It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said. The interview was a major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse and has since hurt countless others," he said.
"It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC’s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.
"But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions."
"It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others."
"This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events."
The 38-year-old concluded: "In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down too."
Prince Harry also shared his deep concerns and while he thanked those for taking some accountability he believes the unethical practices by the BBC is widespread across all British media.
"Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest," he said.
"The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.
"To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these—and even worse—are still widespread today. Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.
"Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life.
"Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for."
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