the times | Friday March 18 2022 21
News
The BBC has apologised and paid
£100,000 to the former private secre-
tary of Diana, Princess of Wales, as the
fallout from Martin Bashir’s infamous
Panorama interview continues.
Commander Patrick Jephson, 66,
will receive damages after the publica-
tion of a review of Bashir’s conduct by
Lord Dyson, a former Master of the
Rolls, last year.
The BBC and representatives for
Jephson declined to comment on the
value of the settlement, which the
former royal aide intends to donate in
full to charity.
Dyson exposed the trail of deceit left
by Bashir as he went about securing
access to Diana for his interview in- Bashir commissioned forged bank
statements purporting to show that
payments were made into the account
of Jephson from intelligence services
monitoring Diana’s movements.
The suggestion of a royal conspiracy
helped Bashir to convince Earl Spencer,
Diana’s brother, that he should be given
access to the princess.
The BBC said: “The BBC accepts and
acknowledges that serious harm was
caused to Commander Jephson as a
result of the circumstances in which the
1995 interview with Diana, Princess of
BBC pays £100,000
to Diana aide over
documentary lies
Wales, was obtained, which have be-
come apparent as a result of the Dyson
Report. The BBC apologises unreserv-
edly to Commander Jephson for the
harm caused to him and has paid his
legal costs. The BBC has also paid
Commander Jephson a substantial sum
in damages.”
Jephson said: “After more than 25
years, it is a relief finally to reach a
conclusion to this painful episode. I am
grateful to Lord Dyson and the journal-
ists whose tenacity has brought the
truth to light.” He is donating his dama-
ges to Ty Hafan, a children’s hospice in
Wales. Jephson helped arrange Diana’s
patronage of the hospice in 1995, the
year of the Panorama interview.
The Bashir scandal has become ex-
pensive for the BBC. The Dyson review
cost £1.4 million, and the corporation
also paid about £1.5 million to a charity
chosen by the royal family to make
amends for Bashir’s behaviour.
Matt Wiessler, the graphic designer
commissioned by Bashir to forge docu-
ments, reached a settlement potentially
worth £750,000 with the BBC last year.
He blew the whistle on the scandal and
has been cleared of wrongdoing.
Tiggy Legge-Bourke, the former
nanny of Prince William and Prince
Harry, was also expected to receive
damages over smears spread by Bashir.Jake Kanter Media CorrespondentThe Duchess of Cornwall has been
made royal patron of the National
Theatre, the first patronage formerly
held by the Duchess of Sussex to be
taken over.
The Sussexes handed back their
royal patronages and military appoint-
Camilla takes on Meghan patronage
ments in February 2021, a year after
moving to the US. The new duty for
Camilla, 74, is another sign of the
Queen’s faith in the wife of her oldest
son. Last month she endorsed Camilla
as a future Queen Consort.
The duchess, a longstanding sup-
porter of the arts, already holds patron-
ages at organisations such as the RoyalAcademy of Dance, London Chamber
Orchestra and National Youth Orches-
tra of Great Britain, among others.
Rufus Norris, director and joint chief
executive of the National Theatre, said
it was a privilege to welcome her as
their royal patron. “The duchess has
shown great support to our industry
throughout the pandemic,” he said.Charlotte Wace
CHRIS JACKSON/GETTY IMAGESBig moment
Gaia, aged 20
months, the
daughter of
Lieutenant
Colonel Rob
Money, upstaged
the Duchess of
Cambridge at
the Irish Guards’
St Patrick’s Day
Parade in
Aldershot