Prince Charles furious that ‘lurid lies’ from Princess Diana interview took 27 years to be corrected

PRINCE Charles is furious that “lurid lies” from Panorama’s interview with Princess Diana took 27 years to finally be publicly corrected.

The BBC has written to the Prince of Wales to apologise for Martin Bashir’s “deceitful” tactics in securing the interview and agreed to never show it again.

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Bashir’s underhand tactics included highly damaging and untrue claims that Charles was “in love” with William and Harry’s nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke and that his valet was pushing to sell stories to newspapers.

A friend of the Prince of Wales said: “The narrative that came from that interview about Charles needs to be changed.

“He is privately furious that it has taken 27 years. The interview and allegations caused long-term damage to the future king and his household.”

In a letter sent by the BBC’s current Director-General Tim Davie to Prince Charles, the Corporation apologised for Bashir’s “lurid and untrue claims” about the prince, members of his staff and other members of the Royal Family.

The letter said the BBC accepts that Bashir made claims “intending to play on the princess’s fears, in order to arouse her interest in him, and without concern for the impact on those he maligned”.

Charles is not going to react publicly, a friend said.

Bashir’s interview with Princess Diana came weeks before it was revealed she and Charles were to divorce.

In it, she questioned his suitability to be king and also referred to his relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, saying “there were three of us in this marriage”.

Lord Dyson’s report into Bashir’s 1995 interview revealed the BBC knowingly “covered up” what it subsequently learned about his behaviour.

The BBC has vowed never to show the full programme again but it is understood Prince Charles, 72, is irritated that clips are being shown on BBC news reports.

Clarence House did not want to comment.