ITV in from the cold as royals drop BBC show

ITV chiefs are said to be delighted that aides have cancelled a BBC screening of The Duchess of Cambridge’s carol concert and turned to them instead.

Kensington Palace’s decision comes amid tensions over a controversial BBC two-part documentary about the relationship between William and Harry and the media.

It has brought ITV in from the cold two years after the commercial broadcaster made a documentary about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Africa which laid bare the couple’s frustrations and Harry’s rift with his brother.

Now the station is expected to televise the charity fund-raiser hosted by Kate at Westminster Abbey, on December 23 or 24.

William is expected to be in the audience – and there is speculation their children Prince George, eight, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three, might attend.

Accusations

The programme is due to be filmed early next month.

The BBC commissioned The Princes And The Press, and screened the first part this week – to accusations that it was “anti-William and pro-Harry”.

Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace, took the rare step of issuing a joint statement condemning the BBC for giving credibility to what they described as “overblown and unfounded claims”.

Richard Sharp, chairman of the BBC, stood by the documentary, saying: “We have tremendous respect for all aspects of the Royal Family.

“From time to time this organisation produces programmes which may or may not meet with full agreement with different parts of the establishment.”

Kensington Palace and the BBC declined to comment.