WILLS BETRAYED
Prince William’s heartfelt pleas ignored by The Crown and Netflix show will recreate Diana’s infamous Bashir interview
THE Crown has ignored heartfelt pleas from Prince William not to exploit the notorious Panorama interview with his mum — and has even put made-up quotes in her mouth.
The Netflix drama, due to air next week, has TWO episodes building up to the 1995 BBC bombshell and its aftermath.
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A young William is shown watching the interview, and being asked by a teacher if he is all right.
His father Charles is shown yelling as he watches, then crying.
It was thought that streaming giant Netflix had slashed the length of the recreation to tiny snippets lasting just seconds.
In fact, producers have taken the most inflammatory parts of Princess Diana’s hour-long 1995 interview and condensed them into a segment lasting four minutes, 23 seconds.
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They include Diana referencing the “crowded marriage” she endured while Charles was having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
She also says she wants to be “a Queen in people’s hearts” but does not think she will ever be queen herself.
An investigation later found interviewer Martin Bashir used forgery and deception to gain access to the Princess.
But in a move that will spark widespread fury the streaming giant has exaggerated the language and made up huge sections of conversation.
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Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine and friend of Diana, who died in 1997, said: “William will be furious. He said his piece when he said it should never be aired again.
“This is his mother and her memory they are doing this to.
“It must be very frustrating as he can’t say any more because it will just give Netflix more publicity.
“They should have listened to him. The interview has no credibility after the investigation. Everyone knows it has no legitimacy now.
“Charles will think they can say whatever they want about him but leave Harry and William out of it.
“He won’t give a stuff about how he comes across but just don’t attack his sons this way.”
The show’s tweaks and fabrications lay the blame for Diana’s plight squarely at the feet of the then Prince of Wales, and make the Princess, played by Elizabeth Debicki, sound more sympathetic.
Charles, played by Dominic West, is seen yelling and swearing during the interview, as the Princess casts doubt on his ability to be King.
The scene ends with him breaking down in tears as Camilla watches on helplessly by his side.
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The two episodes feature scenes with Prince William as a young boy and include the moment he sees his mother’s interview on TV while he was a pupil at Eton.
He is seen being asked by his schoolmaster if he is all right.
Visibly upset he says, “I’m fine” then walks away from the TV before the interview has ended.
FOUR OF SHOW'S FIBS
HERE are four times Diana’s words was elaborated upon in the show:
Discussing postnatal depression:
The Crown: “It gave people a marvellous new label to pin on me: I was crazy, should be sent to a home.”
Reality: “It gave everybody a wonderful new label — Diana’s unstable and Diana’s mentally unbalanced.”
Discussing never being Queen:
The Crown: “I don’t envisage myself ever being queen, no. I don’t think many people will be calling for that, when I say people I mean those at the top, on my husband’s side.”
Reality: “I don’t think many people will want me to be Queen. Actually, when I say many people I mean the establishment that I married into.”
On battling to the end:
The Crown: “I didn’t just marry into a family, I married into a system. But I’ll battle ’til the end.”
Reality: “I’ll fight to the end, as I believe that I have a role to fulfil, and I’ve got two children to bring up.”
On feelings post separation:
The Crown: “I don’t speak with bitterness or anger, but sorrow.”
Reality: “Deep, profound sadness.”
It is known that young William, now the Prince of Wales, was humiliated by the revelations about his parents’ private life being played out in public.
A spokesman for William did not want to comment last night.
But it is understood that the Prince made his feelings clear in a statement last April, accusing the programme of fuelling his mother’s paranoia and worsening his parents’ marriage.
He had said: “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.
“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.”
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Netflix said: “Season five of The Crown will dramatise events surrounding the Panorama interview, given the pivotal part it played during the time period the series covers.
“It will reflect what we now know about how the interview was obtained and how Diana was treated. The interview is not recreated in full.”
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THE CROWN'S VERSION
SCENE 1
Bashir: Your Royal Highness, do you genuinely believe that members of the royal household have been out to get you?
Diana: When I separated from the Prince of Wales I was seen as problem number one, the first of my kind.
SCENE 2
Bashir: When your first son was born, that must have been a very happy moment?
Diana: When William was born I became unwell with postnatal depression. I just wanted to stay in bed all day. I was in a very dark place.
Bashir: Did you reach out for help?
Diana: I suppose if you’re the first person in a family to ever feel low then it’s pretty hard to get the support you need, so you suffer alone.
SCENE 3
Bashir: What impact did the illness have on your marriage?
Diana: Well it gave people a marvellous new label to pin on me . . . that I was crazy, should be sent to a home. But what better way to break down a personality than by isolating it.
Bashir: Your husband is said to have rekindled his relationship with Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles around 1986, did this continue to the breakdown of your marriage?
Diana: Well there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded (smirks). Was I devastated? Yes. Did I feel like a failure? Mmm (nods).
Bashir: Reflecting back you say the Royal Family has effectively given up on you? Why do you think that is?
Diana: Because I don’t do things the way they do. Because I want to connect with people emotionally and comfort them in distress.
Bashir: And this isn’t something that the Royal Family provides?
Diana: You have to remember I didn’t just marry into a family I married into a system. But I won’t go quietly. I’ll battle till the end.
Bashir: What impact do you think the breakdown of your marriage had on Prince William?
Diana: Well, he’s a boy that’s a serious thinker so it’s hard to know the impact just yet, we’ll have to wait a few years to see.
SCENE 4
Schoolmaster talking to William at Eton: You all right?
William: Yes I’m fine (gets up and moves away from TV)
SCENE 5
Bashir: Do you believe Prince Charles will be King?
Diana: Who knows what fate will bring, it’s a very demanding and suffocating role and Charles was always conflicted about it . . .
SCENE 6
Prince Charles seen standing up as he watches TV and says: “Oh God.”
SCENE 7
Diana: . . . because I know him so well, I would think that the top job would put big limits on him and I’m not sure how he’d cope with that.
SCENE 8
Charles (yelling): What the hell is she doing?!
SCENE 9
Bashir: Some might view this as you taking revenge on the Prince of Wales . . .
Diana: But I don’t speak with bitterness or anger, but sorrow, because our marriage has failed.
SCENE 10
Charles seen holding head crying…
SCENE 11
Bashir: Do you think you will ever be Queen?
Diana: I’d like to be a queen of people’s hearts, in people’s hearts. But I don’t envisage myself ever being queen of this country, no. I don’t think many people will be calling for that, when I say people I mean those at the top, on my husband’s side, because they’ve decided I’m an issue, full stop. A liability. But someone’s got to go out on to the streets and give people the love that they need.
Bashir: Your Royal Highness, thank you.
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