The whole United Kingdom was rattled in 1995 when Princess Diana delivered a bombshell interview on the BBC’s Panorama that changed everything. Not only did she shock her countrymen, and especially the Royal Family, but the world at large was also taken aback by it as she candidly discussed her hardships and her marriage to Prince Charles while also talking about life as a member of the royal family.
Of course, not everyone liked this candid conversation, and certainly not the late Queen Elizabeth’s sibling, Princess Margaret.
There are so many things Princess Diana says in this interview that have parallels to what we see with with prince Harry and Meghan… And how they Royal Family responds.
” I won’t go quietly, I’ll fight till the end”
” It surprised them when I took myself out of the game” pic.twitter.com/FbCjbhVRLV
— Alexis is sowing discord in the West (@ArchewellBaby) May 6, 2023
Reports indicate that Princess Margaret felt deeply hurt by Diana’s words. She considered the interview a betrayal of the royal family’s values and traditions.
In Andrew Morton’s book, Elizabeth Margaret: Inside the Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters, it was mentioned that Margaret was so upset that she urged other family members to distance themselves from Diana.
Morton wrote that Margaret felt a “deep sense of hurt and betrayal” as she watched Diana share her story with the public. After this, Margaret decided to cut all ties with Diana. Not only did she stop communicating with her, but she also instructed her children to avoid any contact with Diana, whom she referred to as “the enemy.”
Diana famously regretted the Panorama interview. I love the BBC but Martin Bashir used tactics akin to tabloids News of The World or Daily Mail to manipulate Diana into her paranoia. Prince William saw the private fallout from the interview- he just wants the truth. pic.twitter.com/mTEG8vMkBR
— Toria (@toriaa_h) November 19, 2020
This decision had far-reaching implications for Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto. Sarah had been quite close to Diana, but after the Panorama interview aired, their friendship ended. Morton noted that the fallout from the interview affected Sarah deeply, as she lost a valued connection.
In his earlier book, Diana: Her True Story—In Her Own Words, Morton reveals much about the relationship between Margaret and Diana. In an interview, Diana told a friend how much she loved Margaret: “I’ve always adored Margo. I love her to bits and she has been wonderful to me from day one.” This affectionate relationship was, sadly, dissipated when the interview went to air.
Despite the storm it generated within the Royal Family, it is said that Princess Diana was generally pleased with the interview. However, as the years passed after the program was broadcast, investigations came to light about the problematic way in which the interview was conducted. An investigation discovered that reporter Martin Bashir had deceived Diana ,and had manipulated her brother, Charles Spencer, to obtain access to the Princess.
Princess Diana and princess Margaret now pic.twitter.com/LDxEWcjuIP
— queenkingprincessprince (@moonstar111110) August 23, 2024
Diana’s friends have dropped hints that she knew what the implications of her interview were. Journalist Richard Kay has alsp reported that he was told by Diana’s former boyfriend, Hasnat Khan, that she was aware of the implications. According to Kay, Diana knew how the royal family would react to her candid revelations.
He quoted her as saying, “I know how the royals react to this. I know what they’ll do,” indicating that she anticipated they would push her toward divorce.
Princess Margaret & Princess Diana, 1990 pic.twitter.com/qBdVk6rH0r
— Thomas Richmond 💙🎸🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@tommy_richmonnd) November 8, 2023
Diana’s openness about herself was a very bold move but it came with several personal costs. The breakdown in her relations with some members of the Royal Family such as Princess Margaret shows how natural it was for her to let go of some principles about royalty.
Diana wanted to live truthfully to her life and express contact with others beyond some restrictions imposed by the monarchy; therefore, she had to bear the price of being separated from those that she loved.
Princess Diana’s Panorama interview was a defining moment in Royal history. It revealed her struggles and highlighted the tensions within the Royal Family. The fallout from her candid remarks continues to resonate, illustrating how difficult it can be to navigate relationships when personal truths clash with familial loyalties.
