Prince Harry has said that his late mother Princess Diana “spoke the truth” during her notorious 1995 Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, despite the controversy that surrounds the programme.
Bashir was found to have obtained the interview using “deceitful” means by the 2021 Lord Dyson inquiry, but speaking during the first episode of the new Netflix documentary series Harry & Meghan, the Duke of Sussex explained that the content of the interview was very much based on reality.
“I think she had a lived experience of how she was struggling living that life, she felt compelled to talk about it,” he said. “Especially in that Panorama interview.
“I think we all now know that she was deceived into giving the interview, but at the same time, she spoke the truth of her experience.”
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He added: “My mum was harassed throughout her life with my dad, but after they separated the harassment went to new levels. The moment that she divorced, the moment she left the institution, then she was by herself. Yes she may well have been one of the most influential and powerful people in the world but she was completely exposed to this.
“I saw things, I experienced things, I learned things,” he continued. “The pain and suffering of women marrying into this institution. I remember thinking: ‘How can I ever find someone who is willing and capable to be able to withstand all the baggage that comes with me?’”
The six-part series – the first three parts of which are now available on Netflix – chronicles the early days of Harry and Meghan’s relationship and explores the key factors that influenced their headline-making decision to break away from the royal family.
It also includes interviews with friends and family, many of whom are speaking publicly for the first time, in addition to commentary from historians on the royal family’s relationship with the press.
The infamous Panorama interview was recently dramatised in the fifth season of Netflix drama The Crown, with Elizabeth Debicki starring as Diana and Prasanna Puwanarajah playing Bashir.
Harry & Meghan: Part I is now streaming on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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