Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:13Live from London. This is BBC
00:00:15News. Exit polls in two state elections
00:00:18elections in Germany show big losses losses for Chancellor Merkel's CDU
00:00:21CDU party. He describes the results
00:00:23results as a disaster for his party,
00:00:25party, with the AfD and Die Linke
00:00:27Linke making gains. Earl Spencer Spencer tells the BBC, writing his
00:00:31his book about his sister Princess Princess Diana was his duty as an
00:00:35an eyewitness to history and defends defends claims he made about the
00:00:38the King. I'm reporting every word
00:00:41word in this book. I report exactly exactly as I saw it and felt it at
00:00:45at the time. And I was surprised
00:00:48surprised at the giddiness of his his tone. That's what I'm recording
00:00:51recording there. At least two people people are killed in the Moscow region
00:00:55region in a massive Ukrainian drone drone attack. Russia says it's an
00:00:58an attempt to disrupt the country's country's parliamentary elections.
00:01:02elections. Ed Sheeran apologises apologises to fans for what he calls
00:01:05calls mistakes as he performs for for the first time since the support
00:01:08support act was dropped for making
00:01:10making pro-Palestinian remarks on
00:01:12on stage. Hello and welcome. I'm
00:01:22I'm Samantha Simmonds. The German German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz,
00:01:25Merz, says he takes responsibility responsibility for what he's called
00:01:28called a disastrous showing for his his party in the latest state elections.
00:01:32elections. But he's vowing to stay stay on in the job. Exit polls suggest
00:01:36suggest his Christian Democrats have have barely scraped enough votes
00:01:38votes to enter parliament in the
00:01:40the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in
00:01:44in the Berlin local elections, the the CDU secured the second highest
00:01:48highest share of the vote. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, the far right AfD saw
00:01:50saw significant gains in both polls
00:01:53polls and there were huge celebrations celebrations in Berlin as the far
00:01:56far left party Die Linke learnt of of the results. Die Linke or in English,
00:02:00English, the left was the best performer
00:02:03performer with 24.5% of the vote, vote, the first time it has topped
00:02:06topped polls in the state. But it it will need partners to take control
00:02:09control of the mayor's office. Its Its platform includes wanting to
00:02:13to nationalise housing from corporate corporate landlords and capping rents.
00:02:16rents. The AfD were also cheering cheering their gains in Berlin, a
00:02:20a traditionally liberal city. They
00:02:23They hit 16%. In recent years, the the party has gone from being a fringe
00:02:27fringe euroskeptic movement to the
00:02:28the country's most popular party. party. Here's how the chancellor,
00:02:32chancellor, Friedrich Merz, responded
00:02:34responded to the results. Haben.
00:02:37Haben. Today we witnessed two elections elections with very different outcomes.
00:02:41outcomes. We cannot sugarcoat the the result. In Mecklenburg-Western
00:02:44Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It It is a disaster. The CDU fought
00:02:47fought hard but in the end it was
00:02:49was the CDU that got crushed in the
00:02:52the polarisation between the SPD SPD and the AfD. Germany is capable
00:02:56capable of reform. I would even go
00:02:58go so far as to say that these reforms
00:03:01reforms are the antidote to the authoritarian authoritarian poison that, together
00:03:05together with a fascination for authoritarianism, authoritarianism, is penetrating
00:03:08penetrating ever deeper into our
00:03:10our society. What must be done now
00:03:13now requires backbone, steadfastness steadfastness and patience. I will
00:03:17will demonstrate these qualities qualities as chairman of the CDU
00:03:20CDU and above all, as chancellor chancellor of our country. Thank
00:03:23Thank you. Our correspondent, Jessica Jessica Parker is in Berlin and has
00:03:27has been reacting to the latest projected projected results. Yes. So here in
00:03:31in Berlin we should emphasise these these are projected results, not
00:03:33not final results. I guess you should should call them. Exit polls in the
00:03:37the United Kingdom here in Berlin Berlin where I am and I'm at the
00:03:41the CDU Friedrich Merz party sort sort of election night gathering. gathering. And I can tell you that
00:03:45that when those projections came came up on the screen behind me,
00:03:47me, there were no cheers. There's There's been no celebration. People People rallied a little bit as party
00:03:51party figures started to come out out and speak, but the atmosphere
00:03:54atmosphere was pretty flat initially
00:03:57initially because in Berlin it appears
00:04:00appears they've come second potentially potentially meaning they could be
00:04:03be squeezed out of the inevitable inevitable coalition talks that will
00:04:06will follow. Although one CDU lawmaker
00:04:08lawmaker I was speaking to insisted insisted they would still try to to see if they could find partners
00:04:12partners to form a coalition here
00:04:15here in the northeastern state of of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where
00:04:17where nobody expected the CDU to to be doing particularly well. They
00:04:21They are hovering around or just
00:04:24just above the 5% threshold that that you need to be at in order to
00:04:27to enter Parliament. If, as the night night goes on, they start to fall
00:04:31fall below that because they say say these are initial projections
00:04:34projections that would spell potential potential catastrophe for the CDU.
00:04:37CDU. A record bad result. So all
00:04:40all eyes I think will be on those those figures overnight. But as we've
00:04:43we've been hearing and seeing Chancellor Chancellor Friedrich Merz, he's been been under so much pressure over
00:04:47over his lack of popularity and his
00:04:50his party's falling popularity. He's He's been quick out the blocks tonight
00:04:53tonight to say that he's going nowhere. nowhere. Yeah. Give us a bit more
00:04:56more detail about what he's been been saying because he has said,
00:04:59said, hasn't he? He takes responsibility responsibility for what he's called
00:05:02called a disastrous showing in these these latest state elections. But
00:05:05But as you say, he is determined determined to stay on. We don't have
00:05:08have the full results, as you say, say, just exit polls at the moment.
00:05:11moment. How bad would it have to to be, do you think for him to see
00:05:14see a challenge? Well, it's a bit
00:05:20bit of a mysterious situation in in terms of the rumours that have have been swirling for months about
00:05:24about the idea of a Chancellor talk, talk, a Chancellor swap. I've been
00:05:27been sort of calling it the coup coup with no name because no challenger
00:05:30challenger has actually publicly publicly come out against him. In
00:05:33In fact, state premier CDU, state state premiers earlier this week
00:05:36week came out with a letter basically basically supporting the Chancellor,
00:05:40Chancellor, although some people people felt it was a slightly lukewarm
00:05:43lukewarm letter. But there is certainly
00:05:46certainly deep concern in the CDU CDU that Chancellor Friedrich Merz
00:05:50Merz is personally unpopular, that that he has failed in his stated
00:05:54stated mission really to try and and counter the rise of Alternative
00:05:57Alternative fur Deutschland. The The anti-immigration, Russia friendly friendly party that continues to
00:06:01to gain ground in a appears to have
00:06:03have topped the polls in Mecklenburg Mecklenburg Vorpommern in terms of
00:06:07of what happens next. Friedrich Merz
00:06:09Merz is due to have a series of meetings meetings with party figures, presumably
00:06:13presumably to try and shore up support
00:06:15support and his remarks. I think think tonight were designed by him
00:06:19him to get out there, get his message, message, his narrative across that
00:06:23that he believes and he's saying
00:06:25saying that he needs time to deliver
00:06:28deliver a reform programme that he
00:06:31he hopes can revive Germany and get get Germany back on its feet, which
00:06:34which might sound a strange thing thing to say about Germany, but Germany
00:06:37Germany is in a pretty gloomy mood mood at the moment. Its economy has
00:06:40has been stuttering for years. There's There's an insecure world outside.
00:06:44outside. People worry about the cost cost of living. The debate around
00:06:48around immigration remains extremely extremely fraught, but he's just just trying to make the case. Give
00:06:52Give me more time and I'm going to to turn around. This country's fortunes.
00:06:55fortunes. The question is, will his his party give him more time? And
00:06:58And I think that's something we don't don't really know at the moment. moment. It depends whether anyone
00:07:02anyone does come out in the Open Open in the coming days, in the coming
00:07:05coming weeks, to pose a challenge challenge to the Chancellor. Jess
00:07:09Jess Parker their president Zelensky Zelensky has announced that he's he's to meet Donald Trump in New
00:07:13New York. The Ukrainian leader said said there was diplomatic momentum
00:07:16momentum towards ending the war. war. His comments came after Moscow
00:07:19Moscow suffered what the mayor described described as its biggest ever drone
00:07:22drone attack. At least two people people were killed and a major oil
00:07:26oil facility was hit. Here's Caroline
00:07:30Caroline Hawley. This is the dramatic
00:07:32dramatic moment when a drone flies
00:07:35flies towards and then strikes a
00:07:38a warehouse. And this the moment
00:07:43moment an apartment building is hit.
00:07:45hit. For Muscovites nearby, another
00:07:49another terrifying night with a wave wave of hundreds of drones and some
00:07:52some missiles. A message delivered
00:07:54delivered to Moscow with fire. This
00:07:58This oil refinery, just ten miles
00:08:00miles from the Kremlin, is the capital's capital's biggest supplying fuel
00:08:03fuel for the city and Ukraine says
00:08:05says for the Russian military to.
00:08:08to. Ukrainian officials say the aim aim is to bring Vladimir Putin's
00:08:11Putin's war home. Moscow's mayor
00:08:13mayor has called it an unprecedented
00:08:15unprecedented attack aimed at disrupting disrupting voting in parliamentary parliamentary elections, the first
00:08:19first to be held since Russia's full-scale
00:08:21full-scale invasion of Ukraine in
00:08:23in 2022 and always a tightly controlled
00:08:26controlled affair. Two people were were killed in this block of flats
00:08:29flats on the outskirts of
00:08:35Moscow. I just left the building building when the explosion happened. happened. Glass went flying. People
00:08:38People started screaming and shouting.
00:08:41shouting. Both sides have been hitting hitting each other's infrastructure. infrastructure. There's been a spate
00:08:45spate of Russian attacks on Ukrainian Ukrainian petrol stations, frightening
00:08:49frightening for anyone filling up.
00:08:53up. Of course I'm scared. Everyone's Everyone's scared. We're all human
00:08:56human beings. But we have to carry
00:08:58carry on living because we have nowhere
00:09:01nowhere else to go. Here in the eastern.
00:09:04eastern. City of Kramatorsk, a strike strike on a centre housing people
00:09:08people evacuated from the front line. line. This is a brutal war being
00:09:11being fought on different fronts. fronts. The human cost mounting all
00:09:15all the time. Both sides hurting
00:09:18hurting near Kyiv this afternoon, afternoon, another warehouse up in
00:09:21in flames after a Russian drone strike strike and four and a half years
00:09:25years in no end in prospect to any
00:09:28any of this Caroline Hawley, BBC
00:09:30BBC News. Princess Diana's brother brother Earl Spencer, has told the
00:09:33the BBC that he sees echoes of her her treatment by the media in the
00:09:37the coverage of the Duke and Duchess Duchess of Sussex. Speaking to Laura
00:09:41Laura Kuenssberg, Earl Spencer has has also rejected any perception perception he favours Prince Harry,
00:09:45Harry, insisting that he was on the the side of both his nephews. Here's
00:09:48Here's our royal senior royal correspondent correspondent Daniela Relph. And
00:09:51And just a warning that her report
00:09:52report contains some flash photography.
00:09:56photography. This is a brother's brother's story. Memories of his
00:10:00his childhood. A tribute to his sister
00:10:02sister Diana, one that has unsettled
00:10:04unsettled the Royal Family. And in
00:10:06in his BBC interview, Earl Spencer's
00:10:08Spencer's raw emotion showed. How
00:10:11How much do you miss her? Well, every
00:10:16every day, you know, that's the thing thing with sibling loss you never
00:10:18never get over it. In his eulogy
00:10:24eulogy to his sister at her funeral,
00:10:27funeral, Charles Spencer described described Diana as the most hunted
00:10:30hunted person of the modern age. age. And he now sees parallels in
00:10:34in the experience of Harry and Meghan. Meghan. He says under the sometimes
00:10:38sometimes harsh media spotlight. spotlight. I'm not here to speak
00:10:41speak for Harry and Meghan, but for
00:10:43for anyone who is being destroyed
00:10:45destroyed in this way daily, it must
00:10:48must be such a cancerous influence influence in their life. I saw it
00:10:51it with Diana, I saw Diana, I mentioned mentioned it in the eulogy, her tears
00:10:55tears of despair. One of the problems problems with Diana was she was very,
00:10:58very, very sensitive to criticism.
00:11:00criticism. And of course, I'm sure sure most of your viewers now think, think, oh, she had this splendid
00:11:04splendid life and it was all amazing. amazing. And she didn't. She was was so privileged and so perfect
00:11:08perfect in so many ways. But she
00:11:10she was really brought low by all all that criticism. And yeah, I suppose
00:11:14suppose it's a pity when I see echoes
00:11:17echoes of that now. In. By. The King
00:11:21King out on royal duty in Scotland Scotland in recent days has faced
00:11:24faced harsh criticism in the book book and interview. But Charles Spencer
00:11:28Spencer has doubled down on his account
00:11:31account of the King's behaviour after
00:11:33after the death of Diana. You write
00:11:36write that he was giddily elated
00:11:39elated like a lottery winner. I mean, mean, you're suggesting he was somehow
00:11:43somehow pleased that his former wife
00:11:45wife was dead? Well, I'm reporting
00:11:48reporting every word in this book. book. I report exactly as I saw it
00:11:51it and felt it at the time. And I
00:11:55I was surprised at the giddiness giddiness of his tone. That's what
00:11:58what I'm recording there. For Princes Princes William and Harry. Their
00:12:02Their uncle's story is a painful
00:12:04painful reminder filled with bittersweet bittersweet childhood memories and
00:12:07and the anguish of their loss from
00:12:10from Charles Spencer. This is, he
00:12:12he says, the end. This is my swan
00:12:14swan song, too. I'm not here to bang
00:12:17bang on about Diana. This is my final
00:12:20final word. Celebration of her. And
00:12:23And I will step off into the sunset
00:12:25sunset now and not be available for
00:12:29for comment. Well, Jennie Bond, who who was the BBC's royal correspondent
00:12:32correspondent at the time of Princess Princess Diana's death, gave her
00:12:35her assessment on the claims made made by Earl Spencer. Well, I think
00:12:39think as Daniela was saying, we've we've had a number of quotations
00:12:42quotations come out which have been been extremely sensational, have
00:12:45have drawn this response from the
00:12:47the palace. We have a war of words words reminiscent of the war of the
00:12:51the Wales's back then. But if you you do watch the full interview as
00:12:54as we just have, I also find it very
00:12:57very compelling. I've met Earl Spencer,
00:12:59Spencer, I've interviewed him. He
00:13:02He always exudes charm actually, actually, and a gentleness. And that
00:13:05that gentleness came through a confident,
00:13:08confident, quiet voice in which he
00:13:11he asserts, as Daniel has said, this
00:13:14this is his version, his memory, memory, and it's an honest interview.
00:13:18interview. I think it's also quite quite cutting in places, you know,
00:13:21know, he says. I know a lot of things
00:13:23things about the King that I have have not said. This is not a threat.
00:13:27threat. He adds, and as Laura says, says, it sounds a bit like a threat,
00:13:31threat, but he has a lot of knowledge knowledge and he says he's decided
00:13:34decided not to put that in a book book and he's not going to say any
00:13:37any more. So it was a most interesting
00:13:42interesting interview and compelling compelling and I'm inclined to believe believe him. I think things are said
00:13:46said in the heat of the moment, the
00:13:48the heat of trauma and shock. And
00:13:50And it's possible that Charles did
00:13:53did say those words that Diana would would soon be forgotten. And one
00:13:56one other thing on that I thought
00:13:59thought that Earl Spencer's defence
00:14:04defence of that recollection was
00:14:05was also very honest. He said that
00:14:08that in his eulogy, the reason he
00:14:10he said at the end of his eulogy,
00:14:12eulogy, Diana, her beauty both inward
00:14:15inward and outward, would never be
00:14:18be extinguished from our minds. He
00:14:19He said. That was a direct rebuttal
00:14:22rebuttal to Prince Charles, as he he was then at whom he was looking
00:14:26looking from the pulpit. I find that that very interesting. It's also
00:14:29also interesting that you said you you do believe him and the words
00:14:33words that he said, Prince Charles Charles said to him at the time that
00:14:36that we'll forget her soon enough. enough. Did this interview change
00:14:40change that perception in your mind? mind? Because there's been lots of
00:14:44of people over the last few days
00:14:47days commenting on these words that that have been quoted in this book book and saying they actually don't
00:14:50don't believe him. But do you seeing seeing him in person, you said he
00:14:53he was very calm, very considered, considered, very composed and very very gentle. Did this interview change
00:14:57change that in your mind or did you
00:14:59you believe it? Anyway? No, I think think it did change it actually.
00:15:03actually. When you see the full interview interview because the Charles that
00:15:05that I have known over a number of
00:15:07of years is not that kind of character. character. Yes, he has a temper.
00:15:10temper. And yes, we say things in in the heat of the moment, but he's he's a gentle character. I mean,
00:15:14mean, it was quite interesting this this morning listening to Dame Julia
00:15:17Julia Cleverdon, who used to head head up one of his charities, and
00:15:19and I knew her in those years and and she said she lost her husband
00:15:22husband very suddenly two weeks after after Diana. And she had two children children the same age of William
00:15:26William and Harry. And when she got got back from the holiday during
00:15:29during which her husband had tragically tragically died, her phone, she had
00:15:33had three messages from the. From From the Prince as he was then he
00:15:36he could not wait to express his
00:15:38his grief and compassion for her her loss. So it isn't the character
00:15:42character of the man I that I recognise,
00:15:45recognise, but who knows what was was said in a conversation between
00:15:48between two men in the trauma and
00:15:50and shock of the most famous woman woman in the world suddenly being
00:15:53being killed in a car crash in Paris. Paris. And Jenny. What's your assessment
00:15:57assessment of why he has written written this book now his justification
00:16:00justification saying he wants to to put it on record that he's a historian.
00:16:03historian. He wants to put the truth truth out there. But nearly 30 years
00:16:07years after Princess Diana's death, death, many critics are saying, why
00:16:10why are you raking this up? It's It's so painful, not least for her
00:16:14her children Princes William and and Harry. But he's saying no. He
00:16:17He wants to make sure that it is is there on record. What do you make
00:16:20make of that? I don't know his motivation.
00:16:23motivation. We can choose to believe believe that it's because he's in
00:16:26in his 60s and he feels that mortality
00:16:29mortality is around the corner and and he wants to put this down. I
00:16:33I do think that raking up the past past in this way is not helpful or
00:16:36or kind to William and Harry. But But interestingly, in the interview interview he says that this will
00:16:40will not have come as a surprise surprise to William and Harry. And
00:16:43And when we were told that they only only knew that the book was being
00:16:46being published, not its content. content. Now what he said seemed seemed to be rather different to
00:16:49to that. He insists it's not about
00:16:52about money. I do think that if it's
00:16:54it's not about money. Fair enough. enough. Well then perhaps donate
00:16:58donate all of the profits to the
00:17:00the Diana Award. The. The charity
00:17:03charity in her name that would please please his late sister. Jennie Bond
00:17:06Bond there. Well, you can watch the the full interview with Earl Spencer
00:17:09Spencer a little later in the programme
00:17:12programme at 2230 BST here on the
00:17:14the BBC News Channel. Scotland's Scotland's efforts to tackle its
00:17:17its drug deaths crisis are being being challenged by a growing influx
00:17:21influx of powerful synthetic drugs. drugs. Experts warn new synthetic
00:17:25synthetic opioids are becoming increasingly increasingly widespread, raising raising concerns that the number
00:17:28number of drug related deaths could could rise when the latest figures
00:17:32figures are published this week. week. Here's our Scotland editor,
00:17:36editor, James Cook. This spotless spotless laboratory in Dundee seems
00:17:39seems a world away from the chaotic chaotic reality of illegal drug use.
00:17:43use. But scientists here are racing racing against the deadly and evolving
00:17:47evolving threat. They're examining examining samples of seized drugs
00:17:51drugs to find out exactly what's what's in them. And the answers are
00:17:54are worrying. With new substances substances emerging all the time.
00:17:58time. In terms of Europe, we are are seeing roughly about a drug entering
00:18:01entering into Europe context within within kind of every 1 to 2 weeks.
00:18:05weeks. Something new will arrive. arrive. I mean, it's pretty rapid rapid for us to be able to keep up
00:18:08up as scientists. And that must be be dangerous. Yeah, these drugs are are extremely dangerous. The illicit
00:18:12illicit drug supply in Scotland is is getting more and more dangerous
00:18:15dangerous as time goes on. They're They're particularly worried about
00:18:19about synthetic opioids called nitazenes, nitazenes, often hundreds of times
00:18:23times more potent than heroin. Criminals Criminals are mixing them with all
00:18:26all sorts of other substances, from
00:18:28from Valium style pills to powdered
00:18:31powdered cocaine. Last year, Police
00:18:35Police Scotland seized £80 million million worth of street drugs. This
00:18:39This year the figure has already
00:18:42already reached 78 million and we we can reveal detectives have raided
00:18:46raided suspected nitazenes labs in in Ayrshire and Midlothian, arresting
00:18:50arresting five people. This is not
00:18:52not just an urban problem. The rapidly
00:18:55rapidly changing nature of the drug drug supply is hitting rural Scotland
00:18:59Scotland too. We've come to the Kintyre Kintyre peninsula on the far west
00:19:02west of the mainland, to hear more
00:19:05more about what is a struggle to
00:19:07to save lives. There are all sorts
00:19:10sorts of ways to do that. This group group tries to treat trauma by helping
00:19:13helping former drug users reconnect reconnect with nature. But the staff
00:19:17staff say their job has been made made harder by the rapidly evolving
00:19:20evolving nature of drug supplies. supplies. Some of these substances
00:19:24substances are so potent that a grain grain would be enough to take somebody
00:19:27somebody over. And to kill them. them. And to possibly kill them.
00:19:31them. So this is a frightening new new landscape, really. It really
00:19:33really is. I mean, I think I mean,
00:19:36mean, it's not something I normally normally find myself saying, but but I don't think drugs have ever
00:19:39ever been as risky or as dangerous dangerous as they are now. People People just never know quite what
00:19:43what they're getting any more. And And it's a terrible thing to say, say, but with heroin it was better
00:19:46better the devil you knew. Quite Quite a statement and a reminder
00:19:50reminder of the scale of this crisis. crisis. We just want to think about
00:19:53about all those that we've lost through
00:19:56through substance use. So many lives
00:19:58lives lost. So much still to do to
00:20:01to save others. James Cook, BBC News,
00:20:05News, Kintyre. Thousands of people people in Spain have marched through
00:20:09through the streets of Barcelona Barcelona in protest against plans
00:20:11plans to expand the city's airport. airport. Earlier this week, the government
00:20:15government allocated more than $2 $2 billion to revamp the airport.
00:20:18airport. Among the proposed changes changes is an extension of one of
00:20:21of the runways to accommodate more more long haul flights. Demonstrators
00:20:25Demonstrators are concerned about about the environmental impact as
00:20:27as well as a rise in visitor numbers
00:20:29numbers over tourism has been a growing growing issue in the city and Spain
00:20:33Spain more widely, with frequent
00:20:36frequent local protests. Ed Sheeran
00:20:38Sheeran has apologised on stage to to fans in Philadelphia and admitted
00:20:42admitted he made mistakes following following the controversy over his
00:20:45his world tour. The singer has been been dealing with the fallout after
00:20:48after his support act. American rapper rapper Macklemore was removed from
00:20:51from the line-up after making pro-Palestinian pro-Palestinian remarks on stage.
00:20:54stage. The other support acts then then dropped out. Ed Sheeran said
00:20:58said he questioned whether he wanted wanted to be an artist at all after
00:21:01after what happened. Carl Nasman
00:21:03Nasman reports. These songs are about
00:21:07about love, hope and unity. Ed Sheeran
00:21:10Sheeran is used to having the spotlight spotlight on his music. This is not
00:21:14not usually how I would open the the show. Taking the stage in Philadelphia,
00:21:17Philadelphia, the megastar apologised apologised directly to his fans for
00:21:20for the recent controversy surrounding surrounding his tour. This week.
00:21:23week. The criticism was about something something much more important and
00:21:26and I've had to take and make difficult
00:21:29difficult decisions and I am making
00:21:31making mistakes and I'm so, so sorry.
00:21:33sorry. He also clarified where he he stands on the situation in Gaza.
00:21:37Gaza. What happened in Israel and and at the Nova Music Festival on
00:21:41on October 7th was horrific and compounded
00:21:44compounded centuries of Jewish pain.
00:21:46pain. What is happening in Gaza is
00:21:49is a catastrophic and unjustifiable unjustifiable and disproportionate.
00:21:52disproportionate. My heart has been been broken by the scale of devastation
00:21:55devastation and loss of civilians
00:21:58civilians lives, of children's lives lives and the systemic injustice
00:22:02injustice we're seeing unfold in
00:22:03in the West Bank cannot be
00:22:07overlooked. Sheeran told the crowd crowd he wasn't quite sure how the
00:22:09the night would go. I didn't know
00:22:13know whether I'd be safe or you'd you'd be safe or. Moments later,
00:22:16later, the singer broke down on stage.
00:22:19stage. I'm so grateful. Sheeran also
00:22:28also addressed the musicians not not in the room, his backing band
00:22:31band and tour mates left in solidarity solidarity after the rapper Macklemore
00:22:34Macklemore was dropped over his pro-Palestinian
00:22:37pro-Palestinian views. He said he
00:22:39he was deeply worried about venues
00:22:41venues pre-approving content or performers. performers. This happens in so many
00:22:44many places that I perform around around the world, but it should never
00:22:47never happen in the free world. I
00:22:49I was in some of the front rows inside inside that stadium as Ed Sheeran
00:22:52Sheeran made that speech, and this this was clearly an emotional moment
00:22:55moment for him. He said he was worried
00:22:57worried about how he might be perceived. He stayed neutral and
00:23:00and I think he covered both sides sides nicely. I think everyone was
00:23:02was happy. To see what was inside inside of his heart just made it
00:23:06it even better. Sheeran is an artist
00:23:07artist who likes to stay out of politics,
00:23:10politics, but that has become increasingly increasingly difficult. Before the
00:23:13the concert, dozens of pro-Palestinian pro-Palestinian protesters near the
00:23:17the stadium only added to the pressure. pressure. Concerts have always been
00:23:20been a safe space. Sheeran said that that he wants his concerts to be
00:23:23be a place where everyone is welcome,
00:23:26welcome, and he likely hopes now
00:23:27now the focus can return to his music.
00:23:31music. Carl Nasman, BBC News. Now Now we've all heard of mother and
00:23:35and baby groups, but one new father father noticed there was far less
00:23:38less support available for dads, dads, so he decided to do something
00:23:41something about it. His Good Dads Dads Club gives fathers a place to
00:23:45to share the highs and lows of parenthood,
00:23:47parenthood, and it's grown to more more than 400 members. Our reporter
00:23:50reporter Robbie West has the story. story. Oh yeah, 100%. Pushing prams
00:23:53prams and putting the world to rights. rights. This is a group for dads
00:23:57dads to get together and have a walk walk and a talk. Even if some of
00:24:00of the kids they bring aren't as
00:24:03as chatty. Your wife? Know Luke is
00:24:08is one of the 40 men that's come come to the first meet up of the
00:24:11the Chelmsford Good Dads group. It's It's fantastic because it's giving giving dads an opportunity to connect
00:24:15connect with other dads. I remember, remember, you know, when we had a
00:24:18a bit of a tough time in the hospital hospital with the baby, there was
00:24:21was no real support network there there at the hospital or anything anything like that for so many to
00:24:24to turn out. It's fantastic. I mean, mean, I've even met one of the dads dads I've not seen for 17 years since
00:24:28since I was at school with him. So So you're getting to connect with with other dads and just have a chat.
00:24:32chat. And it's genuinely really quite quite a relieving feeling. The group
00:24:36group was started by a new dad looking looking for people going through
00:24:39through the same situation as him. him. There's so many good mums groups
00:24:43groups around. My wife threw herself herself into loads of them, but I
00:24:46I couldn't find anything for dads dads so I decided to start my own.
00:24:49own. You know, they've given amazing amazing advice. They've been through through exactly the same thing and
00:24:52and that's what it's about. We're We're not relying on AI or Google. Google. We're actually dads who have
00:24:56have been through it and are willing willing to share their experiences experiences and help other dads.
00:24:59dads. So it really is a great support support network. I've become a dad
00:25:03dad because of the dads in the group, group, and I hope that's the case
00:25:06case for a lot of other dads as well. well. It has amazing feedback from
00:25:09from everyone. It's been really, really, really, really. I'm just
00:25:12just so proud. It makes me choke choke you thinking about it. But
00:25:15But yeah, it it's just fantastic. fantastic. Members say it's not just
00:25:19just about getting them out of the the house. It's also about letting
00:25:22letting mums have some time to themselves. themselves. If you're a dad looking
00:25:25looking to meet new dads and you
00:25:27you want to get out and like talk talk about things and how you're
00:25:30you're feeling or whatever. Join Join Good Dads Club. It's just it's it's the best. I think we're going
00:25:34going to be on TV. Oh yeah. This
00:25:37This is a walk that isn't just about about getting from A to B, this is
00:25:41is a chance for dads to check in
00:25:42in on each other during a time that
00:25:45that can be particularly challenging.
00:25:47challenging. Robbie West, BBC News.
00:25:51News. That's it from me. Coming up
00:25:52up next we'll have Laura Kuenssberg
00:25:56Kuenssberg interview with Earl Spencer. Spencer. Do stay with us. Thanks
00:25:58Thanks for watching.
00:27:35of the week.
00:29:55means for you. Go online at bbc.com/business bbc.com/business to get the latest latest news wherever you are. Business
00:29:59Business on BBC News. Make the connection.
00:30:06connection. MUSIC
00:30:16She was the most famous woman
00:30:19in the world. And I can't go wrong.
00:30:23wrong. He's there with me. Married
00:30:26Married into the monarchy. Destined
00:30:28Destined to be queen. Her campaigning,
00:30:31campaigning, her chosen causes broke broke convention and touched millions
00:30:35millions of lives. There are many many trying to highlight a problem
00:30:39problem that's going on all around around the world. That's all. But
00:30:43But that. Fairytale became a nightmare.
00:30:47nightmare. Private unhappiness couldn't couldn't be hidden from the public
00:30:50public glare. Delight in her beloved
00:30:53beloved boys. One a future King came
00:30:56came with constant pursuit by the
00:30:59the press, admired and attacked on on a scale few public figures have
00:31:03have ever known. Diana was a phenomenon.
00:31:16phenomenon. Diana, Princess of Wales, Wales, has died after a car crash
00:31:19crash in Paris. But her extraordinary
00:31:22extraordinary life cut short her
00:31:25her death at 36 shocked the world.
00:31:27world. Her funeral stopped a nation.
00:31:30nation. It was her brother Charles Charles who spoke for her on that
00:31:34that day. I don't think she ever ever understood why her genuinely
00:31:37genuinely good intentions were sneered sneered at by the media, why there
00:31:40there appeared to be a permanent permanent quest on their behalf to
00:31:43to bring her down with an attack
00:31:45attack on those he says hunted and
00:31:47and harmed her and the palace establishment
00:31:49establishment that failed to protect. protect. The most modern of women.
00:31:52women. On a progress across Britain
00:31:54Britain with almost mediaeval overtones.
00:32:03overtones. It's only now Charles Charles Spencer is revealing his
00:32:07his full story, the tale of the woman
00:32:09woman he believes the world never
00:32:12never understood. Her former husband,
00:32:16husband, now on the throne. God Save
00:32:18Save the King. Receive the royal
00:32:21royal sceptre. His beloved sons are
00:32:24are bitterly split. A woman who will
00:32:27will always hold a place in all our
00:32:31our history. It's a silhouette of
00:32:41of Diana and a quote from something something she said just before she
00:32:44she died. People come from all over
00:32:47over the world. You know, it's astonishing astonishing to come and pay tribute
00:32:50tribute to Diana. There is this extraordinary
00:32:55extraordinary legacy that goes on on nearly 30 years on with people
00:32:57people feel this profound contact contact with her. And it's yeah,
00:33:01yeah, it's very humbling. These are are the grounds where Princess Diana
00:33:05Diana used to walk and play. This
00:33:08This is Althorp, the Spencer family's
00:33:10family's ancestral home. The quiet
00:33:13quiet place where now she is laid
00:33:15laid to rest. There was controversy
00:33:18controversy in her life. There was
00:33:20was controversy in her death. Her
00:33:22Her unhappiness with the man. Now
00:33:25Now King, her fame, her legacy still
00:33:27still bitterly argued over just as
00:33:31as disputes rage between the two
00:33:33two sons she left behind. You dedicate
00:33:38dedicate this book to everyone who, who, like you, has lost a brother
00:33:42brother or a sister. The difference difference for you is everyone knows
00:33:45knows how your sister died, but you've you've never really talked about
00:33:49about those awful errors. When the the news came through, when the horror
00:33:52horror of what happened became clear. clear. So let's go back in time.
00:33:56time. How did you find out? Well, Well, I was living in South Africa Africa at the time in Cape Town,
00:34:00Town, and I got a call in the middle
00:34:01middle of the night and it was my
00:34:04my sister Jane, and she said, don't don't worry, Diana's been in a car
00:34:08car crash, but it's not too serious.
00:34:11serious. And I thought, OK, well well even if it's not serious, I I can probably find out what's happening
00:34:15happening on the news. And then I
00:34:16I through the night I watched the
00:34:19the TV news unfurling and then I
00:34:21I kept getting more and more distressing
00:34:23distressing calls from home, from
00:34:25from my sister. And then it escalated
00:34:28escalated after a few hours to I I heard my brother in law in the
00:34:31the background who Robert Fellows Fellows used to work for the Queen Queen as her private secretary. And
00:34:35And I heard him go, oh, no! And then
00:34:40then my sister Jane said, I'm afraid
00:34:42afraid she's died. So that's how
00:34:44how it started in my life. In that
00:34:46that night as a little prang. And
00:34:49And then it became a broken leg,
00:34:52leg, perhaps a head injury and then
00:34:55then death. And in your book, you
00:34:58you recount how your little girl
00:35:01girl Eliza said, she's not dead in in real life, is she? Yeah. It was
00:35:05was really heartbreaking. I was alone alone in the house with my four children
00:35:08children who were very small at the the time, and my three little girls
00:35:11girls came tumbling through into into the kitchen, and Diana had just
00:35:14just been staying with us a few months months earlier in Cape Town. So when
00:35:17when I said, I'm afraid I got this this terrible news and they just
00:35:20just looked up at me and I said, said, yes, I'm afraid Aunt Diana's
00:35:23Diana's died. And that's what Eliza
00:35:25Eliza said. Not in real life, daddy. daddy. Utterly heartbreaking. But
00:35:29But as you were making preparations preparations to get back here to
00:35:32to the family ancestral home Althorp
00:35:35Althorp you had another call, a call call from Prince Charles. Of course.
00:35:39course. Now the King. What did he
00:35:41he say and how did he sound? Well,
00:35:44Well, I was rushing around the house house preparing the children and
00:35:47and all of that sort of thing for
00:35:49for the day ahead. And I remember remember picking up the telephone.
00:35:52telephone. I was upstairs in my house
00:35:54house in Cape Town, and he was telling
00:35:57telling me how he had told the boys, boys, William and Harry at Balmoral
00:36:00Balmoral and broken the news to them.
00:36:03them. And I. I felt, as I say in in the book actually I felt there
00:36:07there was a sort of giddy tone. I'd
00:36:09I'd had a lot of calls that day from
00:36:11from people who cared, who were stunned
00:36:14stunned like we all were. And I just
00:36:17just felt there was a lightness in in his tone about Diana's death that
00:36:20that really jarred with me. You write
00:36:23write that he was giddily elated
00:36:26elated like a lottery winner. I mean, mean, you're suggesting he was somehow
00:36:30somehow pleased that his former wife
00:36:33wife was dead? I well, I'm reporting
00:36:37reporting every word in this book. book. I report exactly as I saw it
00:36:40it and felt it at the time. And I
00:36:44I was surprised at the giddiness giddiness of his tone. That's what
00:36:48what I'm recording there. It's an
00:36:50an incredibly damning thing to say, say, though, about his reaction to
00:36:54to the death of the mother of his his children. And you go on to write,
00:36:58write, I suspect the prince's reaction reaction must have been to think
00:37:01think more of how this event might might free him to marry the woman
00:37:05woman he loved, rather than appreciating appreciating the loss of the one
00:37:08one he did not. You're suggesting suggesting there in black and white
00:37:12white that the now King felt that
00:37:16that Diana's death was rather convenient
00:37:18convenient because he would be able able to marry Camilla. That is how
00:37:21how I felt at the time. From the
00:37:24the tone of his voice. So I've only only ever had two calls from him
00:37:28him and they were both around this this time. One was on the day of
00:37:31of Diana's death and one was a couple couple of days later. But are you
00:37:35you sure that's what he was thinking? thinking? I mean, she cannot. Be
00:37:38Be sure. As I'm saying, that's what
00:37:40what I assume from the tone is a
00:37:43a possibility and that's all I can
00:37:44can do. As you mentioned, there was
00:37:48was then a second call, another phone
00:37:51phone call between you and the former former Prince Charles as you were
00:37:54were planning Diana's funeral. Now Now we know there were huge ructions
00:37:58ructions behind the scene at that that time of massive grief. What
00:38:02What kind of event should it be? be? Who should be in charge? And
00:38:05And there was an instruction from from the palace that her two beloved
00:38:09beloved boys should walk behind the
00:38:11the coffin through the streets of
00:38:13of London. You tried to stop that
00:38:16that happening, but what happened happened in that conversation with
00:38:20with Charles? I was having a phone
00:38:23phone conversation with a colonel colonel from the household at Buckingham
00:38:26Buckingham Palace. And as he was was about to finish our conversation,
00:38:29conversation, he said. And it's been
00:38:32been agreed that the two young princes princes will walk behind their mother's
00:38:35mother's coffin. And I said, well, well, of course that's not going
00:38:37going to happen. It just seemed so
00:38:39so monstrous. And he said, well, well, it's been decided it will.
00:38:43will. And I said, but my sister wouldn't
00:38:44wouldn't have wanted that. And he
00:38:47he sort of coughed politely and the the conversation came to an end.
00:38:50end. And then quite soon after that,
00:38:53that, a sort of dedicated phone line
00:38:54line in my office went again. And
00:38:57And it was the then Prince of Wales Wales saying, I gather you've got
00:39:00got a problem with the funeral service. service. And I was thinking, no,
00:39:04no, I haven't, because I was thinking thinking of the structure of the
00:39:07the actual service in Westminster
00:39:09Westminster Abbey. And then he said, said, but I gather you don't think
00:39:13think William and Harry should walk walk behind Diana's coffin? And I
00:39:15I said, well, of course not, sir.
00:39:17sir. She wouldn't want it. And then
00:39:20then he said, well, I walk behind behind Lord Mountbatten's coffin.
00:39:23coffin. And I said, yes, but you you were 30 and he wasn't your mother.
00:39:26mother. And then to be I mean, he
00:39:29he went ballistic would be the right right term and started really going
00:39:33going for my family as a whole about about their sense of duty not being
00:39:37being adequate enough and ranted
00:39:40ranted for a while. I have no idea idea how long, but it was a significant
00:39:43significant period and I just listened. listened. And then he stopped and
00:39:46and I thought, oh, now now he's going going to pull himself together and
00:39:49and say something more appropriate.
00:39:51appropriate. And then he said, we'll
00:39:53we'll forget her soon enough. What
00:39:59What went through your mind? Well. I'm not sure I can say exactly exactly what went through my mind,
00:40:03mind, but I really was so stunned.
00:40:05stunned. And I just after a stunned
00:40:08stunned silence, I said, I cannot cannot believe you just said that.
00:40:10that. And I hung up on him. You know
00:40:16know that. Buckingham Palace has
00:40:20has already said with a degree of
00:40:23of fury. That that didn't happen.
00:40:26happen. I just haven't. Actually, Actually, Laura, they've sort of of smudged that one haven't they?
00:40:30they? They've said that recollections recollections may vary. Well, let
00:40:33let me read you exactly what the
00:40:35the palace has said. They've said
00:40:39said His Majesty is mindful that
00:40:41that the pain of fraternal grief
00:40:44grief can cloud reason affect judgement
00:40:47judgement and colour memory in ways
00:40:50ways others do not recognise. Even
00:40:53Even many years after such a loss.
00:40:56loss. The King is plainly furious.
00:40:59furious. Buckingham Palace almost almost never issues any kind of statement.
00:41:02statement. Well, is he. Furious or or is he embarrassed? Because I can
00:41:05can tell you here and now those are are exactly the words he said. I've
00:41:08I've only ever had two calls on the the line with Prince Charles at any
00:41:12any stage of my life. I was hyper hyper alert to what he was saying,
00:41:15saying, and those are precisely the the words he said. And I promised
00:41:18promised that to you. Now, genuinely, genuinely, that is what he said.
00:41:21said. I don't hear him saying he
00:41:24he didn't say that. Did you write
00:41:28write it down? Did you keep a diary? diary? Do you have evidence that
00:41:32that that is what he said at the the time? Because to be fair, this
00:41:35this was a time of massive shock
00:41:37shock and emotion for both of you.
00:41:41you. I told friends and family straight straight away close friends and family
00:41:44family about what had been said because because it was so monstrous. And
00:41:48And then beyond that it very much much informed. This was just before
00:41:52before I really tackled the eulogy.
00:41:53eulogy. You can see evidence of that
00:41:57that conversation in the final eulogy.
00:41:59eulogy. I really stress Diana's sense sense of duty. Duty comes across
00:42:03across very clearly in the eulogy, eulogy, and then it culminates in
00:42:06in something which I think really
00:42:08really underlines the truth of my my assertion here can I? Which is
00:42:12is if you get to the final bit of
00:42:14of my eulogy, it is, you know that
00:42:19that her fantastic qualities will will never be extinguished from our
00:42:21our minds. It was a direct rebuttal rebuttal of Will forget her soon
00:42:25soon enough. Above all, we give. give. Thanks for the life of a woman.
00:42:29woman. I'm so proud to be able to
00:42:31to call my sister the unique, the
00:42:35the complex, the extraordinary and
00:42:37and irreplaceable Diana whose beauty
00:42:39beauty both internal and external,
00:42:41external, will never be extinguished
00:42:43extinguished from our minds. Which Which Charles are the public meant
00:42:47meant to believe? Are they to believe
00:42:49believe you or are they to believe
00:42:52believe the King, the head of state state of this country who's giving
00:42:55giving the impression very forcefully
00:42:59forcefully that this didn't happen? happen? Who are we to believe? Well,
00:43:02Well, I'm telling the truth. To the
00:43:06the King is giving an impression impression to the country. That's
00:43:09That's not true. Misleading people, people, even lying. I can hardly
00:43:13hardly be responsible for what Buckingham Buckingham Palace says. All I can
00:43:15can tell you is what was said and and what I heard and what shocked
00:43:19shocked me. What else would have
00:43:21have made me hang up on the King
00:43:23King that day? It was something as
00:43:25as outrageous as that slur against
00:43:28against Diana. What do you think
00:43:32think that her sons, his sons, your
00:43:36your nephews who you vowed so publicly,
00:43:37publicly, so movingly to protect
00:43:41protect will think when they hear
00:43:43hear you saying that revealing these
00:43:45these words nearly three decades decades on which you know, are bound
00:43:49bound to stir up huge amounts of
00:43:51of pain and anger. Well, I don't
00:43:55don't like to talk about what I've I've been speaking about to William
00:43:58William and Harry, but this will will not be a surprise to them. I
00:44:01I will tell you that these words
00:44:03words will not be a surprise to them.
00:44:06them. But what are they to make of
00:44:10of that? As human beings, you're
00:44:12you're telling the world their father
00:44:14father said, don't worry, everyone
00:44:17everyone will forget your dead mother. mother. I have a duty. You know,
00:44:19know, I was an eyewitness to history
00:44:22history and it's my duty in my. The
00:44:25The final season of my life. This This was very much a spur for me
00:44:28me to write. This now was. Both my my parents died in their 60s. I'm
00:44:32I'm in my 60s. I'm aware of mortality
00:44:35mortality and I wanted to just put put things down once and for all
00:44:39all that were true. And part of the
00:44:43the spine of my book is the construction
00:44:45construction of my eulogy. I know
00:44:48know this is not a threat. It's a
00:44:50a fact. I know lots of things about
00:44:53about the King, which I chose not not to include in the book because
00:44:57because they were not relevant. I'm I'm a historian. I've worked for
00:45:00for decent news organisations like like yourself and it was just my
00:45:04my duty to lay it out. There is a
00:45:06a reason why those words were in
00:45:08in my eulogy, and I have to give
00:45:11give that reason. Sounds a bit like like a threat. If you're saying you
00:45:14you know other things about the King King that could be damaging to him.
00:45:18him. No. Not at all a threat. It's It's just the reality. I want to
00:45:21to give the context of what I said said and what I didn't say. I'm not
00:45:25not threatening. I've got no interest.
00:45:27interest. I'm not a salacious writer
00:45:29writer on any level. But I just the
00:45:32the point being that if I was a salacious
00:45:34salacious writer and wanted to write write that sort of thing, I have
00:45:38have plenty of other things I could could have said and really have no
00:45:41no interest in doing so. One of the
00:45:46the other things that your sister
00:45:48sister told you as her marriage was
00:45:51was breaking down, you recount a
00:45:53a story where she says she's going
00:45:55going to get divorced because, and
00:45:57and I quote, my husband is in love
00:46:00love with his valet. Now you say
00:46:03say you never asked who that was
00:46:06was or why she believed it. Yet you
00:46:09you have printed it repeating what
00:46:14what is an incendiary claim suggesting suggesting that the King, the now
00:46:17now King, was in love with, we assume
00:46:19assume would be a male member of
00:46:21of staff. Do you believe that to
00:46:24to be true? I know Diana said that
00:46:26that to me and that's why I recorded
00:46:28recorded it. So it's in the context context of a conversation where Diana
00:46:32Diana is telling me that her marriage marriage is over, and I remember remember it very well. We were at
00:46:36at a restaurant called San Lorenzo
00:46:39Lorenzo and in London and she said
00:46:43said to me, Carlos, which is what what she called me, I am going to
00:46:46to get divorced. And I knew her marriage marriage was rocky, but I had no
00:46:49no idea that that was where she was
00:46:52was headed. And so I just said to
00:46:54to her, look, I obviously I totally totally support whatever decision decision you made. I know it's not
00:46:58not a decision you'll have made lightly, lightly, but I do worry. I said,
00:47:02said, I do worry that the public
00:47:04public will really be in a way angry angry with you for killing the fairytale
00:47:08fairytale that they've all subscribed subscribed to. And those are the
00:47:11the words she said to me. You say say though in the book it was an
00:47:15an improbable claim and therefore therefore to include it in the book
00:47:19book when it is improbable, when when you know that this will be incendiary
00:47:22incendiary to many people's ears. ears. And also you're a historian
00:47:26historian of great renown and used used to dealing with sources and
00:47:29and evidence. Some people might wonder
00:47:31wonder if you have included that
00:47:34that claim, which you can't verify.
00:47:36verify. Well. I can absolutely swear
00:47:38swear that she said those words to
00:47:41to me. But in terms of proving that
00:47:44that that happened, I just wonder wonder and you know, this will be
00:47:47be the case that some people listening
00:47:49listening will wonder if you are
00:47:51are including some of these allegations
00:47:54allegations in order to create interest
00:47:58interest to sell your book, perhaps perhaps you may be accused of that.
00:48:01that. You know that. Of course, I've I've been accused of lots of things.
00:48:04things. I remember straight after
00:48:05after delivering the eulogy, I became
00:48:08became a bit of a tabloid punchbag. punchbag. So I'm used to when I speak
00:48:11speak up for Diana, I'm used to brickbats brickbats coming my way. That's what
00:48:14what happens. My job, though, is is at the end of the day, I think
00:48:18think we have to get back to why why I wrote this. It's a brother's
00:48:22brother's tribute, a loving tribute
00:48:23tribute to a sister. And I think
00:48:26think she deserves honesty. So that's that's what I've delivered. Do you
00:48:29you feel that people have sometimes
00:48:33sometimes misunderstood that? Of Of course she had these huge struggles,
00:48:37struggles, these huge agonies, but but actually there was another side
00:48:40side to her that, you know, leaps leaps off the many of the pages of
00:48:43of your book. She was just phenomenally phenomenally good fun. We grew up
00:48:47up together. I mean, it was never never a dull moment. We both have
00:48:50have ADHD. She was never diagnosed, diagnosed, but clearly we did. I
00:48:54I got a letter from a nanny recently recently who was lovely, and she
00:48:56she said you were a bit of a handful.
00:48:58handful. And I think we probably probably were, but the but not nothing
00:49:02nothing malicious, just a lot of
00:49:05of energy and humour. You see, I
00:49:07I wanted to get across that Diana Diana was such a breath of fresh
00:49:10fresh air. She was also a complicated
00:49:14complicated person and under all all of that pressure she did also
00:49:17also want to tell her story and you
00:49:21you introduced her to Martin Bashir.
00:49:24Bashir. Then of the BBC, the journalist journalist who conned her into giving
00:49:27giving an interview by using the
00:49:31the wildest of claims. Now, after
00:49:33after years of investigations, the the BBC has eventually apologised
00:49:37apologised for their part in all
00:49:38all of that. But do you think that
00:49:42that that interview, what happened
00:49:44happened then is linked even indirectly
00:49:48indirectly to her finding herself herself in Paris on the night of
00:49:51of her death, getting into that car
00:49:54car and ending up in that crash. crash. Do you make that connection?
00:49:57connection? I do make it as a connection,
00:50:00connection, not the connection. So
00:50:02So Diana was under huge pressure
00:50:04pressure and particularly after she
00:50:07she separated, I do think with Panorama,
00:50:11Panorama, yes, they conned Diana. Diana. They also conned me by showing
00:50:15showing false bank statements to
00:50:17to me to get to Diana by saying that
00:50:19that somebody else had missed had
00:50:22had been deceiving her. But what
00:50:26what happened? The consequences of
00:50:28of Diana being told you cannot trust
00:50:32trust anyone meant that she was alone
00:50:33alone that night. Really. And I think think that she was convinced that
00:50:37that her she got rid of her driver. driver. Totally innocent man was
00:50:40was told that he couldn't be there. there. He wouldn't have been in Paris.
00:50:44Paris. But police bodyguards, you you know, private protection officers
00:50:46officers they were got rid of too. too. And I think that's really it
00:50:50it all builds to people said, oh, oh, she was paranoid. She wasn't
00:50:53wasn't paranoid. She was convinced convinced that she couldn't trust
00:50:56trust people because the evidence evidence was there. And, you know,
00:50:59know, I think that left her vulnerable vulnerable that night. She had also
00:51:03also by that point she'd lost her
00:51:06her security. She'd had her title
00:51:08title taken away from her too, by
00:51:10by the Royal Family. That's happened
00:51:12happened to one of her sons, Harry.
00:51:15Harry. He's had his title taken away.
00:51:19away. He's losing a fight to get
00:51:21get his security back. How do you you think Harry and his family have
00:51:24have been treated by the Royal Family? Family? I would feel very reluctant
00:51:27reluctant to get involved in this
00:51:29this discussion. I would say that
00:51:33that I personally worry about the
00:51:35the fifth in line to the throne who
00:51:38who served in the military, not having having any police protection. It
00:51:41It does worry me not politically,
00:51:43politically, not because I can influence influence Ravec or whatever they're
00:51:47they're called the security people. people. But just as an uncle, I do
00:51:50do worry about the security aspect
00:51:52aspect titles. I, you know, less.
00:51:55less. I know I've got one, but I I don't really use it. So titles
00:51:59titles are not very important to
00:52:00to me. So I would just say from a
00:52:04a security aspect, as an uncle who's who's seen his sister die in very,
00:52:08very, very preventable circumstances
00:52:11circumstances that I would veer towards towards protection. But do you fear
00:52:15fear there is somehow an an echo echo of what happened to Diana? You
00:52:18You know, Harry has said on many many occasions that he hasn't felt
00:52:22felt supported by the institution institution over the choices that that he's made with his life. Do
00:52:25Do you worry about there being an
00:52:27an echo of what happened to your your sister? I think there's a perception
00:52:31perception in the media that I'm
00:52:32I'm on Harry's side. Well, I'm on
00:52:36on my deceased sister's son's side, side, both of them. And if either
00:52:39either of them wanted anything, then then I'd be equally there for them.
00:52:42them. And I never get involved in
00:52:45in one camp or the other except as
00:52:47as a benign figure. I hope that's
00:52:50that's my role. Do you think Diana
00:52:52Diana would identify with the attention, attention, the focus that has been
00:52:56been put on them? And with Meghan, Meghan, who said she felt like she
00:52:59she was the most trolled person in in the world, you know, they were
00:53:02were here during the summer not so
00:53:03so long ago. If you look at an article
00:53:06article in a tabloid about Diana
00:53:10Diana or the couple that you're mentioning, mentioning, Harry and Meghan, you
00:53:14you know, it's they can be really, really, really unpleasant. And I
00:53:18I think it would be really beholden beholden on people to learn from from Diana's example. I'm not here
00:53:22here to speak for Harry and Meghan,
00:53:24Meghan, but for anyone who's being
00:53:26being destroyed in this way daily,
00:53:28daily, it must be such a cancerous cancerous influence in their life.
00:53:32life. I saw it with Diana, I saw saw Diana, I mentioned it in the
00:53:35the eulogy, her tears of despair. despair. One of the problems with
00:53:38with Diana was she's very, very sensitive
00:53:41sensitive to criticism. And of course, course, I'm sure most of your viewers
00:53:45viewers now think, oh, she had this this splendid life and it was all all amazing. And she didn't. She
00:53:48She was so privileged and so perfect perfect in so many ways, but she
00:53:52she was really brought low by all all that criticism. And yeah, I suppose
00:53:56suppose it's a pity when I see echoes echoes of that. Now you've written
00:54:00written about the monarchy over the the ages and goodness knows in history
00:54:03history there have been plenty of of splits between the Spencers and
00:54:07and the Windsors. But there's now
00:54:09now a very bitter, difficult split split inside the Windsor family between
00:54:13between the two boys. You've said said you don't want to take sides,
00:54:16sides, but what do you think their
00:54:18their mother would say to them about
00:54:21about the division between them? them? There's a lot of reasons on
00:54:24on both sides why this has got to
00:54:27to this stage and as an uncle I hope
00:54:29hope one day it's resolved. But I I don't know. I certainly don't know
00:54:33know what's been done in the finer
00:54:36finer detail. And so I would feel
00:54:38feel intrusive if I got more involved involved than to say, of course a
00:54:41a mother would want her two sons sons to be happy together and love
00:54:45love each other. Do you believe in
00:54:48in the monarchy? Well, I believe believe it exists and I believe it
00:54:51it will continue to exist and. I
00:54:56I think monarchies are generally generally a. When they work, they
00:55:00they work really well. I'm married married to a Norwegian and they're.
00:55:03they're. Monarchy is absolute. It's It's so admirable. I really have
00:55:07have a lot of time for it. I. I haven't
00:55:10haven't got a. I think monarchy is is absolutely fine. I'm probably
00:55:14probably with the majority of the the British people. You think God, God, who do you get as a president?
00:55:18president? And that's quite worrying. worrying. Some of the politicians
00:55:22politicians who might go for that
00:55:24that role, who would be less appetising
00:55:26appetising than a monarch. I find find some of the flummery around
00:55:29around monarchy quite jarring. You
00:55:32You know, you mentioned the statement
00:55:35statement earlier. His Majesty says, says, I just don't think it's healthy
00:55:39healthy for a human being to be seen
00:55:43seen in such archaic servile terms.
00:55:45terms. So I'm a bit more I'm all
00:55:48all for monarchy, but I like a modern
00:55:50modern monarchy. Do you support this
00:55:55this monarchy and this monarch? Because Because some of the claims in your
00:55:58your book are incredibly damning
00:56:01damning of the monarch of this country,
00:56:03country, who also people watching
00:56:05watching will remember has been seriously
00:56:08seriously ill in this last year.
00:56:09year. The family has had illness
00:56:12illness and strife and upset and
00:56:15and division. Do you support this
00:56:18this monarchy? I do. You have a funny
00:56:21funny way of showing it? Well, I'm
00:56:25I'm not dealing with King Charles Charles as monarch in this book.
00:56:28book. This is all 30 odd years ago.
00:56:30ago. And what was said and done then.
00:56:32then. There are so many memories
00:56:34memories in the book and it's feels feels very meaningful to sit in this
00:56:38this house where much of what you you recount took place, even though though this wasn't your happy family
00:56:42family home. Well, my fondest memories memories of Diana tend to be from
00:56:46from our happy childhood home, which which was before this, which is Park
00:56:49Park House in Sandringham in Norfolk.
00:56:53Norfolk. Just it wasn't even though
00:56:55though we had the rupture of my parents
00:56:59parents divorce, it was such a happy happy home. And it's just those days,
00:57:02days, their carefree days. So not not an instance, but a period of
00:57:06of life. And I tell you, it really really breaks me up when I look at
00:57:09at old photographs of Diana as a a child and then think what happened
00:57:13happened to her? It's terribly sad. How much do
00:57:16sad. How much do you miss her? Well,
00:57:23Well, every day, you know, that's that's the thing with sibling loss,
00:57:25loss, you never get over it. Do you
00:57:33you think there may be a time where
00:57:36where you've used the phrase get
00:57:38get over, but reading the book and
00:57:41and given how this has all played
00:57:43played in public, there is a sense
00:57:46sense that somehow what happened happened to her has understandably
00:57:50understandably almost consumed you
00:57:51you at times. I have a very. Luckily
00:57:55Luckily I have a hugely diverse and and happy life. One of the reasons
00:57:58reasons I call this swansong actually actually is because it's my sign
00:58:01sign off. I have been Diana's brother.
00:58:04brother. This is my final take on
00:58:06on the situation and I have a wonderful,
00:58:09wonderful, happy life. Gorgeous children,
00:58:12children, fabulous wife and we live live this much more normal life than
00:58:15than this looks like. And that's
00:58:18that's my future. This is my swan
00:58:20swan song too. I'm not here to bang
00:58:23bang on about Diana. This is my final
00:58:25final word. Celebration of her. And
00:58:29And I will step off into the sunset
00:58:31sunset now and not be available for
00:58:34for comment. But there will be, as
00:58:37as we've discussed, a lot of turbulence,
00:58:41turbulence, a lot of anger, perhaps perhaps a lot of divisions stirred stirred up by some of the more eye
00:58:44eye catching claims that you have
00:58:47have made. And some people might
00:58:50might wonder just maybe, as maybe
00:58:53maybe in every family, some family
00:58:55family secrets are better left unsaid. unsaid. They certainly are. And they
00:58:59they have been left unsaid. Will
00:59:03Will you say more? You've said no.
00:59:04no. That's it. That's me done. Tears.
00:59:09Tears. My 62 year Athlos.
00:59:24MUSIC
01:00:13Live from Washington. This is
01:00:15BBC News. Tehran and Washington exchanged
01:00:18exchanged new warnings as their months
01:00:20months long stalemate threatens to
01:00:22to spiral back into open conflict. conflict. Ukraine attacks Moscow
01:00:26Moscow with hundreds of drones hitting
01:00:28hitting a major oil facility and
01:00:30and apartment blocks. And Germany's Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz
01:00:33Merz calls state election results results a disaster, but insists that
01:00:37that he'll stay on. Helena Humphrey.
01:00:48Humphrey. Good to have you with us. us. Iran says that it's received
01:00:52received indications that the United United States is preparing to resume resume military operations against
01:00:56against it. Tehran gave no basis basis for that assessment, but said said that any American