- Prince William and Harry issued separate statements in response to an inquiry into BBC's interview with
Princess Diana . - Harry said the media's "culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life."
- William said the BBC's "lurid and false claims" about the Royal Family added to Princess Diana's fear and paranoia, and worsened his parents' relationship.
Harry said in a statement that the media's "culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life."
"Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest," Harry said in a statement. "The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life."
He added: "To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it. That is the first step towards justice and truth.
"Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these - and even worse - are still widespread today. Then, and now, it's bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication."
The statement went on to say: "Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let's remember who she was and what she stood for."
In William's statement, he said, "It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said," adding that, "The interview was a major contributor to making my parents' relationship worse and has since hurt countless others."
"It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC's failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia, and isolation that I remember from those final years with her," the statement said.
William's statement added in part: "But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived."
-The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) May 20, 2021
Harry's and William's statement came hours after the BBC apologized. The inquiry found that Bashir had forged bank statements and lied to get the interview with Diana, during which she detailed her bulimia and the breakdown of her marriage with Prince Charles.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie said on Thursday that the interview "fell far short" of the company's standards.
"While today's BBC has significantly better processes and procedures, those that existed at the time should have prevented the interview being secured in this way," Davie added. "The BBC should have made greater effort to get to the bottom of what happened at the time and been more transparent about what it knew."
He added: "While the BBC cannot turn back the clock after a quarter of a century, we can make a full and unconditional apology. The BBC offers that today."
Bashir resigned from his role as the BBC's religion editor days before the inquiry was made public, Insider previously reported.
"Martin Bashir has stepped down from his position as the BBC's religion editor and is leaving the corporation. He let us know of his decision last month, just before being readmitted to the hospital for another surgical procedure on his heart," the BBC's deputy director of news, Jonathan Munro, wrote in an internal staff memo, according to The Guardian.
"Although he underwent major surgery toward the end of last year, he is facing some ongoing issues and has decided to focus on his health," the memo added.
More than 23 million people watched Bashir's "Panorama" interview with Diana, the BBC reported at the time.
It was the first time Diana publicly acknowledged Charles' affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, famously telling Bashir: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
After the interview, Queen Elizabeth II ordered Diana and Charles to push forward with a divorce - which was finalized in 1996.