Royal family members criticize BBC for ‘exaggerated and baseless allegations’ in new documentary

[ad_1]

Members of the royal family have criticized a new BBC documentary, presented by presenter Amol Rajan (Image: GETTY/BBC)

A rare joint statement has been issued by the three main royal families criticizing the BBC for making “exaggerated and baseless allegations” in a documentary.

The first episode of the two-part Princes and the Press, presented by Amal Rajan, continued to stir controversy after it aired on Monday night.

It included suggestions that royal sources were briefing journalists behind the scenes, including the possible leaking of negative stories about other families.

But it stopped short of repeating the allegations made by William’s aides about his brother Harry in the wake of the younger prince’s decision to leave the royal family.

Despite this, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House and Kensington Palace said it was “disappointing” that the radio had given “credibility to baseless allegations”.

The controversial documentary – which explores the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex’s relationship with the media – angered members of the royal family before it aired, especially because they weren’t given a chance to see it before the rest of the nation.

In a statement provided to the BBC, and shown at the end of the programme, the three families said: “A free, responsible and open press is of vital importance to a healthy democracy.

“However, all too often unsubstantiated claims from unnamed sources that are presented as facts are too often inflated and it is disappointing for anyone, including the BBC, to give them credibility.”

To view this video, please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

It is rare for the three main families of the royal family to issue a joint statement (Image: Getty Images) Prince Harry and then his girlfriend Chelsea Davy – a private investigator said he was paid to conduct surveillance on her (Image: Getty Images Europe)

The show has studied the way the media treat William and Harry since childhood.

It included an interview with a private investigator, Gavin Burrows, who claimed he was working to monitor Harry’s girlfriend Chelsea Davy in the early 2000s.

During the programme, Meghan’s lawyer, the Duchess of Sussex, responded to 2018 reports about her alleged treatment of palace staff.

In March, The Times reported that the Duchess had allegedly fired personal assistants and staff on several occasions, which she denied.

Meghan’s lawyer Jenny Afia said the allegations that she was too tough as president were ‘false’ (Image: BBC)

An investigation has since been launched by Buckingham Palace, and the royal family has commissioned an outside legal team to assist the human resources team looking into the allegations against the former Suits star.

“These stories are false,” Jenny Afia, of the Schillings law firm, told Rajan on the programme. This narrative that no one can work with the Duchess of Sussex, she was so demanding and demanding as chief and everyone had to leave, it’s not true.

After the program aired, a report in The Sun claimed that William prevented his aides from giving a briefing against family members.

According to the newspaper, the Duke was “clear” he did not want his aides to say anything about the other families after seeing reports while his parents were separated.

To view this video, please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check out our news page.

Get the latest news, happy stories, analysis you need to know and more

[ad_2]