Never before has the future king had cause to show such raw emotion, but such an annihilating statement could prove to be a hammer blow for the nation’s broadcaster.
Its reputation utterly savaged by a heartbroken son who pulled no punches in laying the blame of his mother’s torment in her final years squarely at its door.
More than 23 years on from Princess Diana’s fateful appearance on the BBC Panorama programme, Prince William last night showed how the fallout from the lies and deceit employed by “rogue reporter” Martin Bashir and the “cover up” that followed, continues to wreak havoc.
By airing, in no uncertain terms, his strong held belief that the corporation’s flagship investigative programme should never air again, William launched a full scale attack on the establishment that would have seemed unthinkable in generations before him.
But despite this, and in the midst of all the heartache, William’s central held belief for fairness and rationality shines through.
In his words, “public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important”, which goes to show how carefully his words will have been considered.
Of course it begs the question, would Diana have granted such a sensational interview to the BBC, Bashir or another broadcaster altogether, had she known the methods used to land the scoop?
The odds are certainly in favour of her doing so, such was the increasingly toxicity of her relationship with Prince Charles and the institution.
Add to the mix Diana said herself she had “no regrets” in agreeing to the interview, despite the spectacular fallout which saw her abandoned by the royal family and into the arms of the lover she died beside.
But the most uncomfortable truth for the BBC, is the hurt and distress caused by falling short of its own standards of integrity and impartiality.
An indelible stain that will last longer than the foul legacy of the Panorama programme.
