Princess Diana Tapes Will Hurt Prince William & Harry: Channel 4 Slammed And Asked To Scrap Documentary
Princess Diana’s secret tapes are set to air on British TV next week. The palace, friends of the princess, and commentators have slammed Channel 4 for its decision to broadcast the recorded private interview where Di bared her soul more than two decades ago.
People who personally know or close to the Princess of Wales attested that the documentary contains truths that will open old wounds. This is because Diana did not hold back when she talked about her life in the palace.
Likewise, Channel 4’s insistence on releasing the new documentary has been heavily criticized, as it will definitely cause fresh heartbreak for Princes William and Harry. Insiders revealed there is no question that the royal brothers will be hurt and upset since their late mother had been really frank and open about everything.
Many commented that the impending release of the tapes just shows how insensitive the network is. Ingrid Seward, author of Diana: The Last Words, further stated that Channel 4 is just using Princess Diana to make money, and she is quite sure that even the princess would not want those videos to be released.
“I don’t see how it will help anyone. It will upset her children, her ex-husband, Camilla, the Queen and Diana would simply not want this at all,” the author said.
Seward added that when the princess sat down for that interview, Diana would have never thought that the recordings will ever be published like this.
The documentary is also worrying Buckingham Palace because of possible consequences, especially on the part of Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. The brothers recently opened up about the deep emotional turmoil they went through after losing their mother, and the intrusive tapes may open wounds that have not even completely healed yet.
In addition, such a revealing documentary may also damage the royals’ reputations, particularly of Prince Charles, Camilla, and Diana herself.
In the tapes, the princess talked about her failed marriage to Charles, their sex life, his affair with Camilla, falling in love with her bodyguard, and her fear of being separated from her sons. She also criticized the royal family at some points during the talk.
Apparently, the interview covered highly sensitive topics, so it was not meant for public viewing in any way. However, Channel 4 is firm on showing it to the masses in the guise of a documentary.
Author Penny Junor blasted the network by saying that the film is just “plain exploitation, ghoulish and immoral.” Another one of Di’s closest friends and confidantes, Rosa Monckton, disclosed that the confessional videos are actually part of Diana’s course of speech under Peter Settelen, and are also a form of therapy. Thus, using them is an intrusion and barbarity that violates the princess’ rights to privacy, the Guardian reported.
“It was very wrong of him (Settelen) to ask all those leading questions and it was naive of her to have agreed to do it, but nonetheless it was like a therapy and therapy should remain private,” she said.
Monckton is now trying to stop the airing of the footage by writing to Channel 4. She pleaded for the network to abandon its plan to broadcast the documentary next week.
Di’s brother, Earl Spencer, was also reported to have asked the TV network to refrain from showing the tapes, but he failed to make Channel 4 to reconsider its decision.
Meanwhile, the controversial tapes somehow ended up in the hands of the princess’ former butler, Paul Burrell, after her death. In the 2001 police raid on his home, the tapes were confiscated, and a long legal battle between the Spencers and Settelen ensued. Eventually, the court returned them to the public speaking coach.
He later sold it to NBC and now to Britain’s Channel 4. Peter Settelen does not want to be part of the new documentary, and his whereabouts are unknown. As of yesterday, he is believed to be in hiding.
[Featured Image by Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images]
