Richard Fitzwilliams, contributor on Diana: The Interview That Shocked The World, explores the lasting fascination with the People’s Princess
Richard Fitzwilliams, royal commentator, film critic & Editor of The International Who’s Who 1975-2001, was a contributor on our latest documentary Diana: The Interview that Shocked the World. He gives his views on the Panorama interview, Diana’s impact on society and the reason for the world’s lasting fascination with the People’s Princess.
Diana was electrifying when she appeared on Panorama and this interview still exerts a hypnotic effect on the viewer. The public continue to be fascinated by her as she achieved so much for so many who were less fortunate. This was despite being trapped in a nightmarish marriage to the heir to the throne which led to the destructive public wars between the couple. Diana was a deeply complex individual, despite her fears and neuroses she bravely spoke out about taboo subjects and the issue of mental illness is now championed by both of her sons.
Her interview on Panorama is probably the most audacious job application in history, as she wanted to use her global reach to represent Britain abroad. There is little doubt that Tony Blair’s government, which had taken office shortly before she died, would have found a use for her unique talents. Her openness in discussing her personal struggles mirrored the more tolerant, understanding era that a more diverse Britain was fast becoming and this has been reflected both in social changes and in the way the monarchy is functioning.
“Her interview on Panorama is probably the most audacious job application in history.”
Mystery still surrounds how much of the interview was rehearsed and there has been considerable criticism of how it was obtained by the interviewer, Martin Bashir. In sixty minutes on the BBC, the national broadcaster, Diana lobbed an incendiary device at the way the monarchy operated, using a series of memorable phrases which have since become legendary. It was a brutal revenge on Charles, whose handling of public relations had been disastrous. She also knew she had the ability to reach out to a mass audience. To do so she used a stunningly theatrical approach where her body language and make up were used, outrageously but effectively, to make her appear as the victim throughout. This also enabled her to avoid too many damaging admissions about her personal life. After she separated from Charles she became increasingly independent as well as dangerously unpredictable.
Nearly 23 million people watched the interview live and polls showed it had enormous popular appeal which was precisely what she intended. The version of events which is too easily accepted is that it failed, as it led to a divorce which she did not want. However, this was almost certainly inevitable anyway after her co-operation with the book by Andrew Morton which publicly revealed her unhappiness, the catastrophic visit with Charles to South Korea and their subsequent separation, all during the “annus horribilis” of 1992.
On the twentieth anniversary of her death, William and Harry made two documentaries to tell the younger generation about her achievements. Next year, when her statue will be unveiled in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace on what would have been her 60th birthday, the eyes of the world will be on them. They will undoubtedly be together at this event and there will be much speculation as to whether their devotion to her memory will help to heal the much-publicized rift between them.
“…when she so tragically and suddenly died, the public’s grief was unprecedented. Many of those whom she had reached out to when she was interviewed on Panorama, behaved as though they had lost one of their family..”
Diana also features in the fourth season of Netflix’s The Crown, which has been a huge success worldwide. This will not only reignite some of the controversies involving her, but also will remind today’s youth that when she so tragically and suddenly died, the public’s grief was unprecedented. Many of those whom she had reached out to when she was interviewed on Panorama, behaved as though they had lost one of their family. The scale of the response to her untimely death was surely unique in our long and eventful history.
Richard Fitzwilliams.
www.richardfitzwilliams.com
