Prince Harry says ‘culture of exploitation’ took Princess Diana’s life & praises ‘step towards truth’ after Bashir probe

PRINCE HARRY has slammed the “culture of exploitation” – saying they took Princess Diana’s life following the BBC Panorama scandal.

The Duke of Sussex responded to Lord Dyson’s damning report on Diana’s interview, adding that the probe is the “first step towards justice and truth.”

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In a statement released from the US, Prince Harry said tonight: “Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.

“The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life.

“To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it.

“That is the first step towards justice and truth.

“Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these – and even worse- are still widespread today.

“Then, and now, it’s bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.”

The 36-year-old added: “Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed.

“By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life.

“Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for.”

It comes after William emphatically slammed the BBC for the Martin Bashir interview and its fallout, insisting: “They let down mum, her family and the British public.”

In a heartfelt outpouring, the Duke of Cambridge told of his “indescribable sadness” that his tragic mother had been tricked and deceived by Bashir, the Beeb and its leaders.

It comes as…

• Prince William savaged the BBC for letting his mother and family down  
• Prince Harry slammed the ‘culture of exploitation’ that took his mother’s life
• William revealed his ‘indescribable sadness’ that the BBC’s failures sparked Princess Diana’s “fear and paranoia”
• Royal insiders blasted the Crown for pushing a false narrative that Diana was “unstable”
• William’s full statement can be read in full here
• Martin Bashir was blamed for Princess Diana’s death by her brother Earl Spencer
• William and Harry put aside their differences to prove their mother’s letters were real
• Martin Bashir disguised himself as a tradesman to interview Princess Diana at Kensington Palace, Panorama reveals

Welcoming Lord Dyson’s bombshell report into how Bashir conned Diana into giving the 1995 interview, and the corporation’s cover-up into his behaviour, William said: “The findings are extremely concerning.

“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’ relationships worse.

“And has since hurt countless others.

“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.

“But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived. She was failed not just by a rogue reporter, but by leaders at the BBC who looked the other way rather than asking the tough questions.”

The Duke went on to accuse the Panorama episode of having “no legitimacy” – insisting it should “never be aired again.”

And he claimed the broadcast established a “false narrative” about his mum that has been running for decades.

He said: “For over a quarter of a century this false narrative has been commercialised by the BBC and others. This settled narrative now needs to be addressed by the BBC and anyone else who has written or intends to write about these events.

“In an era of fake news, public service broadcasting and a free press have never been more important. These failings, identified by investigative journalists, not only let my mother down, and my family down; they let the public down.”

William, who was just 13 at the time of the broadcast and 15 when his mother died, spoke candidly after the publication of Lord Dyson’s damning report into Bashir’s web of lies and the BBC’s shameless cover-up of his behaviour.

It found Bashir forged bank statements, told Diana she was being spied on and that Prince Charles was having an affair with Tiggy Legge-Bourke — Harry and William’s nanny.

Bashir spun malicious tales in a bid to win her trust and secure a world-exclusive interview amid her divorce from Prince Charles.

After finally agreeing to speak with Bashir, Diana referred to Camilla Parker Bowles, now Charles’s wife,  when she sensationally said: “There were three of us in the marriage.”

The revelation caused shock waves across the world and led to the princess being “cast adrift” and left to fend for herself outside the royal circle.

Two years later she died in a  car crash in a Paris tunnel.

In emotional revelations from royal sources, the Duke of Cambridge is said to harbour “sad memories” from the time of the bombshell interview, watched by 23 million Brits. 

And in a nod to the effect it had on his vulnerable mother, insiders said: “William remembers the majorly overwhelming sense of fear, isolation and paranoia Diana suffered in the final years of her life after that interview.

“The BBC majorly contributed to that.”

They added: “Diana was led astray to make statements and say things that  otherwise were not true and it formed a   narrative around her that she was unstable and a schemer.

“This narrative has been there for 25 years — and it is still inaccurately told today in TV shows such as The Crown. But the narrative is false.”