Prince William ignores question about Martin Bashir’s apology

Former BBC journalist says he is ‘deeply sorry’ to Diana’s sons, the dukes of Cambridge and Sussex

Prince William ignored a reporter’s question about Martin Bashir’s apology for the now-infamous <em>Panorama</em> interview with his mother, Princess Diana.

The Duke of Cambridge is continuing his visit to Scotland on Sunday, where he tried his hand at woodworking at the Grassmarket Community Project in Edinburgh.

The project provides sanctuary and support for vulnerable people through community innovation and social enterprise, and was developed in partnership between Greyfriars Kirk (Church of Scotland) and Grassmarket Mission in 1982. It became a standalone charity in 2010.

As William left, he was asked by a reporter if he had seen Mr Bashir’s apology over the 1995 interview, but the prince did not respond.

Earlier this week, the duke made a hard-hitting personal response to Lord Dyson’s findings that Bashir lied in order to obtain the interview and the BBC covered it up.

He condemned the manner in which Bashir obtained the interview with Diana “deceitful” and said it was a “major contribution to making my parents’ relationship worse”.

“It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC’s failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her,” he said.

William also called on the BBC to never air the Panorama interview again as it “holds no legitimacy”, adding that the broadcaster “not only let my mother down and my family down; they let the public down too”.

Prince Harry also responded to the report by Lord Dyson, describing Mr Bashir’s method as part of a “culture of exploitation and unethical practices” that “ultimately took” his mother’s life.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Bashir said he “never wanted to harm” Diana and did not believe the Panorama programme did.

He said he was “deeply sorry” to the dukes of Cambridge and Sussex.

William began his week-long visit to Scotland on Friday and will be joined by his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, on Monday for the rest of the tour.

Additional reporting by agencies