Despite mounting pressure, the BBC remains steadfast in its refusal to unveil a potentially incendiary letter sent by Buckingham Palace just days before the airing of Martin Bashir's groundbreaking Panorama interview with Princess Diana.
The Mail on Sunday has unearthed that this letter, nestled in BBC archives for three decades, was dispatched to the then-director general John Birt a mere four days preceding the 1995 broadcast.
This revelation unfolds against the backdrop of escalating tensions between the Palace and the BBC during a pivotal juncture.
In the days leading up to the interview, Princess Diana had confided in royal aides about her decision to grant Bashir an exclusive interview detailing the disintegration of her marriage to Prince Charles.
The existence of the letter, believed to originate from the Queen's office, was acknowledged within the 10,000 pages of heavily redacted documents recently disclosed by the BBC.
This disclosure follows protracted legal battles under freedom of information requests, notably involving investigative journalist Andy Webb, who sought access to BBC correspondence surrounding Bashir's deceptive practices, exposed in 2020.
Historians and advocates are now urging the BBC to dismantle its veil of secrecy and release the Palace letter along with all related documents without further delay.
The Mail on Sunday can confirm that the letter was dispatched to Lord Birt on November 16, 1995.
It is noteworthy that Lord Birt, at Princess Diana's behest, chose not to inform BBC chairman Marmaduke Hussey about the impending interview, fearing Hussey would inadvertently disclose it to his wife, a senior lady-in-waiting to the Queen.
Although the newly disclosed files reference the 'Letter from Palace to DG – withheld in full', they do not contain the content of the document itself, leaving the timing and implications shrouded in intrigue.
The timing of the letter is particularly noteworthy, coinciding with the Queen's palpable displeasure over the Panorama interview.
In the aftermath of the broadcast, the monarch stripped the BBC of its exclusive rights to produce her annual Christmas broadcast, widely interpreted as a retaliatory measure.
With over 20 million viewers tuning in to the Panorama episode, the Queen subsequently penned a letter to Charles and Diana, urging them to initiate divorce proceedings.
