Book Alleges BBC Deception in Diana Interview Fueled Her Death

A new book alleges that deception by BBC journalist Martin Bashir to secure Princess Diana's explosive 1995 television interview fueled her paranoia and contributed to the circumstances of her death two years later in Paris.

Investigative journalist Andrew Webb details in "Dianarama: Deception, Entrapment, Cover-Up - The Betrayal of Princess Diana," published this week by Pegasus Books, how Bashir fabricated documents and spread falsehoods to gain Diana's trust for the Panorama interview, which aired on November 20, 1995. The program, viewed by millions, featured Diana's candid revelations about her failing marriage to then-Prince Charles and her role in the royal family. Webb, drawing from more than 10,000 documents obtained through a prolonged freedom of information battle with the BBC, claims the network's executives learned of Bashir's tactics but failed to warn Diana, leaving her isolated and distrustful of those around her.

At the time, Diana was navigating intense personal turmoil. Her marriage had unraveled amid public scandals, including leaked private phone conversations known as "Squidgygate" in 1992 and Charles's own admission of an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles...