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Prince William is said to be deeply frustrated at Netflix's decision to air an episode during season five of The Crown depicting his late mother's interview with the BBC's Panorama programme in 1995.
The future king reportedly privately aired his grievances about the interview, which remains one of the most talked-about tell-alls in royal history, with Princess Diana famously telling journalist Martin Bashir that there "were three of us in this marriage", referring to her husband Prince Charles' then mistress and future wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles.
The duke has spoken out about it publicly before, saying the interview should never be shown again or commercialised upon, after an investigation by the BBC found Bashir's conduct to be unethical in securing the scoop.
Netflix however has forked out millions for the episode, which will see Australian actress Elizabeth DeBicki (31) replacing English actress Emma Corrin in the role of Diana.
"The Crown's creators see the interview as the keystone moment in series five," a source told the UK's The Sun. "To the writers, the stormy marriage between Charles and Di led up to her outpouring on Panorama, and the aftermath of that decision defined her final months. They are making a huge investment in that. The show has a track record of delving into areas of the royal family's history they’d rather be left alone.”
Earlier this year William lashed out at the BBC after Bashir's dishonesty was exposed in a report compiled by Lord John Dyson.
"BBC employees lied and used fake documents to obtain the interview with my mother; made lurid and false claims about the royal family which played on her fears and fuelled paranoia; displayed woeful incompetence when investigating complaints and concerns about the programme, and were evasive in their reporting to the media and covered up what they knew from their internal investigation," the prince said.
“This Panorama programme holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again."
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His brother, Prince Harry, who ironically has a multi-million dollar deal with Netflix along with his wife, Meghan Markle, backed him up. "The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life," he said.
Season five of The Crown started filming earlier this year and is due out next year.
Elizabeth has said it was a "privilege" to play the People's Princess. "Princess Diana's spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of many.
"It is my true privilege and honour to be joining the masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."
Sources: express.co.uk, www.bt.com, the-sun.com
