Prince William ‘frustrated’ with BBC for ‘helping’ The Crown with a controversial scene amid recent tension

Prince William is reportedly “frustrated” with the BBC for “helping” The Crown with a scene that holds incredibly painful memories for him amid tensions following a recent royal documentary.  

• The Duke of Cambridge is said to be “frustrated” that the BBC has allegedly given The Crown permission to film outside its London headquarters for season 5. 
• The Crown’s scene is said to follow on from Princess Diana’s infamous Panorama interview which aired when Prince William was just 13 years old. 
• This royal news comes as we revealed how Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton treat their royal roles differently, according to an expert. 

Prince William has allegedly been left “frustrated” by the BBC’s apparent decision to allow The Crown to film near a particularly iconic building. New Broadcasting House is the broadcaster’s London headquarters and producers are understood to have recently been spotted filming a scene for the upcoming The Crown season 5 outside. The Telegraph has claimed that BBC sources confirmed that they gave Netflix permission to film outside this building.

The scene in question is believed to feature actor Richard Cordery as Marmaduke Hussey, who was the Chairman of the BBC’s Board of Governors from 1986-1996. He was glimpsed getting out of a car and walking towards the building and the scene is said to be in the immediate aftermath of the broadcast of Princess Diana’s Panorama interview with journalist Martin Bashir. 

This aired back in 1995 and saw the late Princess of Wales shock the world with the remark, “there were three of us in this marriage”. Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s relationship had sadly ended in separation three years before, though the public’s fascination with the Princess remained as strong as ever. 

Subsequently, it’s been suggested that Princess Diana feared the interview was a “mistake”. Whilst the Duke of Cambridge has expressed his heartbreaking belief that the BBC interview worsened his parents’ relationship. He has also previously called for the interview not to be broadcast again.

Earlier this year an independent enquiry headed by Lord Dyson concluded that Martin Bashir had behaved in a "deceitful” way to convince Princess Diana to agree to sit down and talk with him. The supposed decision of The Crown producers to include a scene that follows directly on from this famous interview means that many now expect the interview itself to be included in the fifth season, which will see Elizabeth Debicki take over from Emma Corrin as the next Princess Diana actress. 

Already, there have been hints that The Crown season 5 could potentially cover Princess Diana’s final days. Now as people continue to question how accurate The Crown is, the suggestion that the Panorama interview could feature in a dramatic season 5 scene will likely be very painful for Prince William. 

Prince William’s relationship with the BBC

The reports of The Crown filming outside the BBC headquarters and claims that Prince William is “frustrated” come amid so-called tensions between the Queen’s grandchild and the national broadcaster. This follows the airing of a recent documentary, The Princes and The Press, which focused on the relationship between Prince William, Prince Harry and the media over the years. 

The documentary has seen Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and Clarence House issue a rare joint statement in response. It declared, "A free, responsible and open press is of vital importance to a healthy democracy. However, too often it is overblown and unfounded claims from unnamed sources that are presented as facts and it is disappointing when anyone, including the BBC, gives them credibility."

It’s since been claimed that Prince William and Kate Middleton have “banned” the BBC from broadcasting a Christmas Carol concert set to be hosted by the Duchess of Cambridge this month. Given the delicate situation unfolding in recent days, any scenes being filmed for The Crown outside the BBC headquarters come at a very difficult time. 

As reported by Metro.co.uk, a TV source has claimed, ‘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.”

“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,” they went on to further allege. 

The exact plotlines of The Crown season 5 have yet to be confirmed and Prince William himself hasn’t publicly addressed the idea of his beloved mother’s final years being depicted in it. Though there will no doubt be many royal fans wondering which moments will end up appearing in the fictional royal show when The Crown returns in November next year.