Stephen Davies, Princess Diana’s trusted chauffeur from 1989 to 1995, had long wondered why he was abruptly dismissed from his role at Kensington Palace . Decades later, an episode of Netflix’s The Crown provided him with the answer he’d sought for years.
The series dramatized the infamous 1995 BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir, revealing that Bashir had fed Diana false information to manipulate her into granting the interview. Bashir falsely claimed that Davies was leaking details about Diana’s personal life to the press. In one scene, Bashir is depicted telling Diana that ‘contacts at MI6’ had confirmed Davies was ‘in on it.’ According to Davies, watching that episode was ‘excruciating’ but illuminating. “It solved the mystery for me,” he said.
The repercussions of Bashir’s deceit were devastating for Davies. “The consequence for me was that I was forced out of a job I wanted to be my life’s work,” he shared. “Royal service is about trust, loyalty, discretion, and a sense of duty. Your reputation is everything. Bashir robbed me of mine.” The revelation led Davies to sue the BBC for slander, resulting in a financial settlement in May, as reported by Marie Claire . During the proceedings, the broadcaster admitted that the false allegations likely caused Diana to doubt Davies’s loyalty, contributing to his dismissal.
In May 1996, Davies was formally let go from his position. Until then, he’d spent months relegated to garage duty, unable to perform the job he cherished. Speaking to The Daily Mail , Davies recalled the moment his world was upended. “From driving her everywhere, I was banned from the wheel of her car,” he said. “I wasn’t even allowed to wash or hoover it. It happened overnight.” For months, Davies was paid to sit idle during his shifts, a reality he described as ‘heartbreaking’ and ‘humiliating.’
BBC settles slander claim with Princess Diana’s ex-chauffeur, Stephen Davies, which was used by Martin Bashir to Earl Spencer and may have led to Mr Davies’ dismissal BBC accepted the allegation ‘was and is wholly false’ https://t.co/B0FTwvg9E7 pic.twitter.com/oSMjk53I0u
— Codey369 (@Codeym369) May 14, 2024
“Someone ushered me into her drawing room at Kensington Palace. She said, ‘Bye Steve, thanks for everything,’ shook my hand and walked out.” Davies recounted. “She left me standing alone, without having said a word in return.” Reflecting on his time with Diana, Davies expressed a deep sense of loss—not just for his career but for the bond he shared with her. “I would have taken a bullet for her, died for her,” he said. “She died believing I had betrayed her, and that’s something I can’t ever forget or forgive.” Davies believes that had he been driving Diana on the night of her fatal car crash in Paris in 1997, she might still be alive. “I would have kept her safe,” he said.
Prince William has said Martin Bashir’s landmark 1995 interview with his mother, Princess Diana, contributed to the “fear, paranoia and isolation” she felt. Read more about this story: https://t.co/lhNYp2fVIf pic.twitter.com/bZugM2NpS3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 20, 2021
According to Davies, the then- Prince Charles showed more empathy. He met with Davies and expressed regret, explaining that he had tried to find a role for him in his own team but couldn’t make it work. The fallout from Bashir’s tactics extended beyond Davies. The Panorama interview marked a turning point in Diana’s life, exposing her struggles and vulnerabilities to the world. The episode deepened her mistrust of those around her, isolating her further in her final years. Prince William has since condemned the BBC’s actions, stating that the corporation’s failures “contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia, and isolation.” Prince Harry echoed the sentiment, asserting that “our mother lost her life because of this.”
