THE BBC allowed Netflix to film The Crown at its central London HQ — in a move which will further infuriate Prince William and the Royal Family.
Bosses let the streaming giant use Broadcasting House to recreate real-life scenes in the run-up to Martin Bashir’s 1995 Panorama interview with Princess Diana.
It comes with relations between the Corporation and the royals at an all-time low amid the fall-out from controversial documentary The Princes And The Press, the second part of which was screened last night.
The BBC’s decision to help Netflix also defies appeals from Prince William not to dramatise the Bashir interview.
Exclusive pictures show actor Richard Cordery, 71, portraying Marmaduke Hussey, who was Chairman of the BBC’s board of governors at the time.
He was filming with a small crew at Broadcasting House in Portland Place, Central London.
It recreated the moment Hussey turned up at the BBC in the aftermath of the discredited sit-down by disgraced Bashir.
Bashir will be played by Prasanna Puwanarajah, 39, while Elizabeth Debicki, 31, will portray Diana.
Netflix was allowed to film at Broadcasting House after seeking formal permission from BBC bosses.
Last night a TV source said: “It’s unbelievable that in the middle of a major fight with William and the Royal Family over its documentary, the BBC would allow Netflix to film on their property.
Read our Royal Family live blog for the latest updates
“The BBC and Netflix are joining forces to do the one thing William doesn’t want — dramatising the Panorama interview which is a part of his life he has said he does not wish to revisit.”
Last week The Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla, along with William and Kate, issued a robust joint statement criticising the BBC for airing “overblown and unfounded claims” in the documentary fronted by Amol Rajan.
Further claims accusing Prince William of briefing against his brother Harry were expected to be included last night.
After the first episode, we revealed BBC bosses were told that coverage of a Christmas carol concert hosted by Kate would be handed to ITV instead.
Reports suggest the BBC’s future access to Royal events, such as next year’s Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, could also be denied.
Diana’s interview with Bashir, which featured the withering “there were three of us in the marriage” line — a dig at cheating Charles and Camilla — has since been discredited after it was revealed he used fake documents to land it.
Earlier this year, William hit out at Bashir’s crooked tactics, exposed by the Lord Dyson report, that duped his mum.
Baron Hussey, who died in 2006, was horrified that the interview with Diana was filmed without Buckingham Palace’s knowledge.
The BBC and the Palace last night refused to comment.
