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Daily Record
Daily Record
Entertainment
Sophie Law

Prince William 'wept' watching BBC’s Diana interview after 'something snapped inside'

A young Prince William broke down and "wept" after watching the famed Princess Diana Panorama interview, a royal author claims.

William, then aged just 11, was said to have watched his late mother's interview with Martin Bashir and "something inside him snapped".

In 1995, the personal interview sent shockwaves through the Royal Family as the Princess of Wales shared candid about details of her marriage to Prince Charles and his relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles, his now wife.

In the shocking BBC interview, Diana was questioned about her relationship with James Hewitt and she said it was "more than friendship" and she loved him.

The 1995 interview is said to have had an 'extraordinary' impact on Prince William, then just 11.

The 1995 interview is said to have had an 'extraordinary' impact on Prince William (Getty Images)

"Before the 58 minutes ended, William was weeping," Robert Lacey writes in Battle Of Brothers: William, Harry And The Inside Story Of A Family In Tumult.

He claimed William's Eton housemaster, Dr Andrew Gailey, found him visibly upset.

"Gailey told Diana that he found her son slumped on the sofa, his eyes red with tears," Lacey wrote in the Daily Mail.

Simone Simmons, the Princess's confidante and faith-healer, said the Prince had 'hated everything being on TV,' according to Lacey.

Prince William has welcomed an inquiry into allegations that BBC journalist Martin Bashir forged documents to convince Princess Diana to speak with him for a Panorama interview in 1995.

The interview with Martin Bashir sent shockwaves through the Royal Family (BBC)

The Duke of Cambridge is said to have been in talks with the BBC over the past two weeks after the allegation once again reemerged.

Diana's brother Earl Spencer alleged that he was shown "false bank statements" by Bashir and they were used to help the reporter gain access to the princess.

According to the BBC, Diana wrote a note saying she did not see the false bank statements and they played no part in her decision to speak with Bashir.

Prince Charles and Princess Diana with their sons William and Harry (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

The BBC has said the investigation will begin straight away and seek to discover what steps the broadcaster and Bashir took to land the interview.

Prince William said on Wednesday: “The independent investigation is a step in the right direction.

“It should help establish the truth behind the actions that led to the Panorama interview and subsequent decisions taken by those in the BBC at the time.”

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