When Princess Diana let the British catch their breath

Some praise her as a mixture of supermodels and Mother Teresa, others regard her as a vengeful wife: in a legendary BBC interview, Princess Diana rocked the British monarchy 25 years ago today.

In just one interview, Princess Diana rocked the British monarchy to its foundations 25 years ago. More than 200 million people around the world watched on television as the pretty and popular Diana chatted openly and freely about the emotional coldness at court and the infidelity of her husband, Prince Charles. Worse still: he said that the heir to the throne Charles probably wasn’t fit for the “best job”: being king. It would be better if son William later succeeded Elizabeth II directly on the throne.

Diana had been separated from her husband for three years, who had a long relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles. “I don’t want a divorce,” Diana said in a BBC interview on November 20, 1995. But she wanted clarity. “I’m waiting for my husband to decide which way to go.” Was it Camilla who caused their marriage to fail? “Well, there were three of us in our marriage. It was a little too much, “the princess said.

Open words, even about your relationship

Diana’s words were unusually frank. «I want to be queen in people’s hearts. But I don’t see myself as the queen of this country. “But she also vehemently shared:” I don’t think many people want me to be their queen. Above all, I mean the institution I got married into. To them I am a failure. “.

Diana rejected accusations that she wanted to destroy the monarchy. “Why should I destroy something that ensures my children’s future? I will fight for my children at all levels. ”She herself wanted to become a kind of special ambassador for her country.

The then 34-year-old also admitted to having been in a relationship herself: she sought consolation from riding instructor James Hewitt and was ultimately disappointed by his rumors. The relationship has pushed the boundaries of friendship, he said. “I loved it. Yes, I was in love with him. ”He also reported personal injuries – cuts to his arms and legs – and bulimia.

The queen was beside herself

The interview had consequences. Reportedly, Elizabeth II was particularly outraged that her daughter-in-law questioned Charles’s eligibility for the throne. Diana’s secretly organized television appearance was seen as a breach of trust in the royal family. Just a month later, it became known that the queen was in favor of a quick divorce for the couple. Charles accepted and made his spokesman say: “The prince has no intention of remarrying.”

The royals lost their reputation drastically after the interview, according to polls. The fact that Diana fought for the well-being of her “boys” Harry and William, then eleven and thirteen, and “did not want to disappear in silence”, made her so popular with the British.

A slap in the face of the royal family

Psychologists saw her as an ideal identification figure for frustrated women: she always tried to do everything right without being thanked. She also combined the “women’s struggle” with a fascinating charisma. The chief editor of the “Sun” tabloid even praised Diana as a mix between a supermodel and Mother Teresa.

Critics, on the other hand, have described the shy-eyed princess as a calculating woman. Nicholas Soames, a friend of Charles and later Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defense, spoke of the “spectacle of an alleged sacrificial lamb bordering on paranoia”. Good or bad: the interview was like a sonic slap in the face for the royal family. Instead, the BBC won the scandal: the broadcaster sold the interview in more than 100 countries.

The interview should be reviewed

Diana’s brother Charles Spencer accuses journalist Martin Bashir of obtaining the interview with his sister at the time using unfair methods, such as forged bank statements. These should give the impression that people have been paid to divulge information about Diana.

Take the allegations “very seriously,” BBC chief Tim Davie said now and announced an independent investigation a quarter century after the televised event. It will be headed by Lord Dyson, a former Supreme Court judge.

Prince William (38) described the investigation announced according to Kensington Palace as a “step in the right direction”. For health reasons, Bashir himself could not initially be questioned. According to the broadcaster, he still suffers from the consequences of a Covid 19 disease and a heart operation.

Charles and Camilla are popular today

A lot has happened since the interview 25 years ago. Despite Prince Charles’s assurances that he would never marry again, he entered the marriage again in 2005: to Camilla, who had previously been ridiculed in the British press as a Rottweiler.

Charles, once criticized as a snob, and Camilla are now held in high regard by most Brits. They are considered down-to-earth and engaged in charitable causes. Princess Diana’s life, however, was short. Less than two years after the spectacular interview, she was in a fatal accident – chased by paparazzi – in a car accident with her lover Dodi Al-Fayed in a Paris tunnel.

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