Fury as Netflix's The Crown to dramatise Diana's interview with Bashir - despite William's pleas

1 November 2022, 08:41 | Updated: 4 November 2022, 09:58

The new season of The Crown will feature two episodes dedicated to Princess Diana's interview with Martin Bashir - despite Prince William's pleas for it to never be shown again.

The bombshell broadcast generated controversy after it emerged that Mr Bashir had used deception to secure the royal one-on-one.

The Prince of Wales said it worsened Diana's paranoia and made his parent's relationship worse and asked for it to never be shown again after a BBC investigation into the controversial interview.

The Netflix's drama's new season of The Crown covers the saga and it was thought that it would only briefly be covered.

But the dramatisation of the 1995 interview lasts more than four minutes and alters some of Diana's quotes.

Ingrid Seward, the editor in chief of Majesty Magazine, and a friend of Diana's, told The Sun: "William will be furious. He said his piece when he said it should never be aired again.

"This is his mother and her memory they are doing this to. It must be very frustrating as he can't say any more because it will just give Netflix more publicity.

"They should have listened to him. The interview has no credibility after the investigation. Everyone knows it has no legitimacy now."

Read more: King Charles replaces Prince Harry as Captain General of the Marines

The drama will show Charles getting angry at the interview while William is asked by a teacher if he is upset.

Some of her quotes to Mr Bashir have been altered, with her phrasing changed or words replaced.

Speaking in April, in the wake of a BBC investigation into the Panorama interview with Diana, William said: "It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said.

"The interview was a major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse and has since hurt countless others.

"It is my firm view that this Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again. It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialised by the BBC and others."

The Crown has been embroiled in controversy about several scenes featuring Diana, including a row about how the fatal car crash in 1997 will be covered.

Read more: Meghan Markle says black women are stereotyped as 'angry' in latest podcast

Now the hit series is getting closer to the modern day, the impact of its dramatisation is under the microscope.

Calls from figures such as Dame Judi Dench for the series to make it clear the show is a fictionalised retelling of the royal family's history have been made.