Charles urged to speak out on Diana TV ‘scandal’
IT IS “high time” that Prince Charles spoke out about the BBC Panorama scandal, a royal expert urges today.
Author Margaret Holder also said the BBC would be “very, very afraid” should the royals unite over the Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana.
Harry viewed the inquiry into how Bashir got the scoop – amid accusations his mother and uncle Earl Spencer were tricked into agreeing to it – as a “drive for truth”. He is said to be receiving regular updates.
Meanwhile, William has already welcomed the inquiry, saying it “should help establish the truth” as he backed his uncle’s campaign into what the BBC knew and whether there had been a cover-up.
The brothers’ joint interest could be a sign of a thaw in their relationship after speculation it became strained over Harry and Meghan’s decision to quit their royal duties and move to the United States.
A source said that Harry would not comment publicly on the BBC investigation but supports it.
The insider said: “You do not need a public statement to imagine how he is feeling. People know how much his mother means to him. He has spoken out in the past about loss and grief, and the immense impact it has had on him.”
Kensington Palace previously said that the independent probe, led by retired judge and former master of the rolls Lord Dyson, is “a step in the right direction”.
In the BBC interview, conducted two years before her death in a Paris car crash, Diana famously described Camilla Parker Bowles as the “third person” in her marriage and spoke of her doubts over Charles’s suitability to be king.
But the BBC now stands accused of mocking up bank statements to convince both Diana and Earl Spencer that staff were selling stories about her or were spying on them.
A month later, the Queen urged
the separated couple to divorce, which they did in 1996.
Harry’s involvement comes as he was warned that he could face over half his annual income being swallowed up in taxes after spending more than 183 consecutive days in the US.
Earlier this month he passed the threshold and is liable to pay state and federal taxes, and could also have to declare to the IRS what
income he receives from Charles’s Duchy of Cornwall estates.
Beverly Hills tax attorney David Holtz said: “In his best-case scenario, he’s looking at paying at least 50 per cent in tax, if not more. “But his big worry has to be that the IRS will be able to access any bank accounts he has here and can demand access to the sources of any other revenue streams he has – including his family back home.” When Harry and Meghan quit the UK, they also vacated the recently refurbished Frogmore Cottage, in Windsor, which is now the new home of an expectant Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank.
Yesterday, Eugenie’s father, Prince Andrew, was seen driving into the Windsor Castle estate and may have been visiting the newly relocated couple. A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said of Eugenie’s move: “Frogmore Cottage is a private residence for the Sussexes and any arrangements are a matter for them.
“They have covered the cost of the refurbishment and rental – it remains their UK home.”