Lord Hall has resigned as National Gallery chairman following the outcry over the inquiry into Martin Bashir’s Princess Diana interview. The inquiry found that Bashir used deception to secure the 1995 scoop, and Lord Hall’s continued presence as chairman would be a distraction. The inquiry described an internal probe led by Lord Hall in 1996 as “woefully ineffective”. Diana’s brother has asked the Met Police to investigate the BBC for blackmail and fraud.
The independent inquiry found that Bashir was unreliable and dishonest, and the BBC fell short of its high standards in answering questions about the interview. The Duke of Cambridge blamed BBC failings for worsening his parents’ relationship, while the Duke of Sussex spoke about the hurt caused by the interview. Julian Knight, chairman of the House of Commons committee scrutinizing the BBC, wants to know why Bashir was rehired and promoted. The BBC defended rehiring Bashir after a competitive process.
The inquiry found that Bashir faked documents to gain access to Princess Diana and that the BBC covered up how he secured the interview. Princess Diana spoke candidly in the interview about her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles. Lord Hall, who had been chairman of the National Gallery board, resigned and apologized for the events of 25 years ago. The National Gallery thanked him for his work, and the BBC has issued an “unconditional apology” for the way the interview was secured.
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