Prince William’s extraordinary attack on the BBC

The tone of his delivery was subdued, which belied the severity with which the future king, Prince William, battered an institution that has historically striven to please and not provoke his family.

There was not one bit of comfort for the BBC in the 315 words uttered by William. This was the most damning criticism a senior royal has ever unleashed on the national broadcaster. Once lauded for its Diana scoop, the BBC will now forever be haunted by the accusation that its failures contributed significantly to the ‘fear, paranoia and isolation’ that Diana experienced in the final years of her life.

William’s statement was both damning and audacious. At its heart was a bold attempt to recast recent royal history. He argued that the deceit deployed by Martin Bashir ‘substantially influenced’ what Diana said in the infamous Panorama interview.