MPs have blasted the BBC’s decision to shelve a documentary about Britain’s Princess Diana.
The programme, entitled ‘Reinventing the Royals’, was reportedly pulled from the publicly-funded broadcaster’s new year schedule after lawyers who represent senior royals including Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, intervened, and government officials have warned a "dangerous precedent" has been set.
Jim Sheridan, a member of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said the BBC had "questions to answer".
He added: "We cannot now have the Royal Family deciding what can and cannot be shown on our national broadcaster. That is a dangerous precedent to set.
"The BBC is a publicly-funded broadcaster and if this programme is in the public interest then it must be shown."
Labour MP Paul Flynn added: "The BBC should have held firm. We are not being treated like adults when it comes to the royals.
"The BBC has no right to censor the truth about what is one of the most sophisticated PR operations in the country – and one we are paying for."
The two-part documentary, which was due to air its first part on Sunday (04.01.15) on BBC Two, was reportedly set to claim that "spin" was used to boost Charles and the royal family’s public appeal following the death of the Princess of Wales in 1997, while looking at the tactics used by his former spin doctor Mark Bolland and the prince’s advisers are said to have been concerned they had no input into the programme, sparking the legal intervention.
Though the documentary has been postponed, Mr. Flynn warned the actions could backfire on Charles.
He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "All this will do is whet the public’s appetite. This will greatly increase the amount of interest and coverage this story will get."
A spokeswoman for Clarence House didn’t comment on whether or not lawyers had been in touch with the BBC, saying: "Scheduling is a matter for the broadcaster."
MPs slam documentary axe
