11/20/1995 • 6 views
Diana’s 1995 Panorama Interview: A Candid Break with Royal Convention
On 20 November 1995 Princess Diana gave a landmark BBC Panorama interview in which she spoke openly about her marriage, mental health and life in the royal family — remarks that intensified public debate about the monarchy and her role within it.
On 20 November 1995, BBC Panorama broadcast an interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, recorded earlier that month by journalist Martin Bashir. The interview was unusual in its directness: Diana discussed her troubled marriage to Prince Charles, her struggles with bulimia and depression, and her views on royal life. Her phrase that “there were three of us in this marriage” — referring to Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker Bowles — became widely quoted and underscored the public impact.
Context
The interview occurred during a period of intense public and media scrutiny of the royal family. Earlier in 1995, Buckingham Palace had confirmed that the Prince and Princess of Wales were living separately; later that year Prime Minister John Major announced the couple’s separation. Diana’s decision to speak directly to Panorama was a break with the traditional discretion expected of senior royals and reflected her increasing use of media to shape public perception.
Content and immediate reaction
Diana spoke candidly about personal issues rarely aired by members of the royal family. She described the emotional toll of her marriage and acknowledged difficulties with mental health, including self-harm and bulimia. She also commented on royal protocols and expectations, and expressed concerns about privacy and the press. The interview generated intense public reaction: many viewers expressed sympathy for Diana, while others criticized the airing of intimate family matters. The palace and royal officials were seen to be deeply unsettled by the scope of her disclosures.
Significance
The Panorama interview had lasting effects on public discourse about the monarchy, the media’s role, and mental health. It contributed to a shift in how royal personal matters were discussed publicly and intensified scrutiny of relationships within the royal family. For Diana personally, the interview reinforced her public profile as a figure willing to speak about issues often kept private by royals.
Controversies and later developments
In subsequent years questions arose about how the interview was secured. In 2020–2021, an independent inquiry at the BBC examined the methods used by Martin Bashir to obtain the interview; the inquiry concluded there were serious failings and that fake documents had been used to secure access, prompting criticism of the BBC’s conduct and an apology from the corporation. Separately, the broader legal and institutional consequences for those involved were examined by various inquiries and reports. These developments complicated earlier narratives and led to renewed discussion about media ethics and the responsibilities of public broadcasters.
Legacy
The interview remains one of the most discussed royal television moments of the late 20th century. It is remembered both for Diana’s candid personal revelations and for the subsequent controversies over the interview’s procurement. Historians and commentators view the broadcast as a pivotal moment in Diana’s public life and in the evolving relationship between the royal family, the press, and the public.
Sources and accuracy
This summary draws on widely reported, verifiable facts about the 1995 Panorama interview, subsequent inquiries into how it was obtained, and public records concerning the royal household in 1995. Where accounts differ or where later investigations revised earlier understandings, this text notes that such developments occurred rather than asserting disputed specifics as settled fact.