Princess Diana thought she was being followed by Secret Service after Prince Charles split, new documentary reveals
PRINCESS Diana thought she was being followed by the Secret Service after her split with Prince Charles, a new documentary has revealed.
Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, and her biographer, Andrew Morton, discussed Diana's fears with ITV ahead of the 25th anniversary of her bombshell Panorama interview.
The 1995 interview saw Princess Di tell BBC journalist Martin Bashir “there were three people in this marriage, so it was rather crowded” as she spoke of Prince Charles’ infidelity.
The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess, explores how Diana grew increasingly concerned for herself and those around her following her marriage split.
Mr Morton said: “Diana certainly was very concerned about the Secret Services, about MI5, about MI6.
"There were bizarre things going on inside the households of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Her bodyguard, Ken Wharfe, who left her service… felt that he was being followed.
“Her confidante, Richard Kay, a Daily Mail journalist, he was burgled several times and he took to employing a private detective. My own office was broken into, so there's a catalogue of things.”
Princess Diana's former butler Paul Burrell confirmed she suspected she was being spied on.
Mr Burrell said: “The princess did suspect that she was being followed, that she was being watched. She was under surveillance, whether it was phone hacking or spying.
“There were occasions when we pulled up the floorboards and unscrewed the end of the telephones to see if there are any listening devices. The princess wasn't paranoid, but she was concerned.”
The documentary comes after a week of accusation over how Martin Bashir secured the 1995 Panorama interview.
The 57-year-old journalist is accused by a close friend of Diana's at the time of forging a letter from her stating she was not coerced into doing the interview.
He is also accused by Di's brother, Earl Spencer, of using forged bank statements to help get exclusive access to the princess – something the BBC says had no bearing on the fact Diana spoke with Panorama.
Mr Morton said: “Diana knew about the documents, they would have been proof positive that there were machinations against her or against others in her family and elsewhere, and they would underscore the credibility of Martin Bashir, who was insinuating himself into her life.
“I’ve spoken to friends of Diana who said we knew all about these statements before the interview and they had possibly tipped the balance when she was considering whether to do an interview or not.”
Mr Bashir has stayed silent on the allegations, with BBC bosses saying he is too ill to talk after recovering from a quadruple heart by-pass op.
But the journalist – who is also recovering from Covid-19 – was apparently well enough to pop out of his home on Friday to collect an Indian takeaway.
The BBC has pledged an investigation into the interview claims.
The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess is on ITV at 9pm on Tuesday.
Source: Read Full Article