Princess Diana’s 1993 Bombshell Interview
By Andrea Taylor
Press interviews can do so much when it comes to changing your image to the public. However, if conducted ineffectively, things can either stay the same or change for the worse. To this day there is one interview that shows that if an interview is strategized accordingly, not only people will remember you over time, but can also learn from it.
Press interviews are if not one of two things, either effective or major fails. However, if planned accordingly and executed effectively, press interviews can change the course of things. There are many press interviews out there that show how easily a narrative can change and some that haven’t. For instance, Meghan Markle’s interview after the royal tour, R Kelly’s Interview with Gale King, and Oprah’s interview with Ellen DeGeneres; However, to this day, there is one among the many that had the power to change the narrative completely.
That has to do with the 1993 “BOMBSHELL” interview Diana, Princess of Wales, gave to the BBC.
As a PR professional looking in, I can say it is quite an astonishing interview because it was planned and executed perfectly. From the questions Martin asked to the answers Diana gave. But, before I provide my view as to why this interview was done successfully, here is a bit of background. For those who don’t know, back in 1993, Diana, Princess of Wales, sat down with Martin Bashir, a journalist from the BBC. During this sit-down interview, Diana answers a few questions regarding her marriage, her struggles with mental health, and being part of the royal family (also known as “the firm”). Hoping to backfire on Charles’s previous interview regarding his infidelity and whether or not the firm considered her some kind of a threat.
I know what you are thinking, this interview might have been set up under false pretenses, and Martin Bashir should be punished for deceiving Diana.
Why I believe this “BOMBSHELL” of an interview was a game changer:
- It was televised in Diana’s home, Kensington Palace, and not somewhere else. As a PR professional, I believe that the interview stage has a clear meaning: we are about to learn about Diana’s private life through her own words — something that has never happened before. Talk about breaking down the privacy walls of the royal family! To clarify why this was a major, it’s because, during those times, the main topic of people’s speculations was about Diana and Charles’s infidelity to one another, and to that point, the public only had to hear it from Charles. In addition, what differs from Charles’s interview is that her interview didn’t feel forced at all, it felt natural.
2. The pauses and the smirks Diana gave during the interview, especially when asked about her marriage and the royal family, had a clear undertone. To some, it could be interpreted as a great way to pause and then continue; to me, it felt like it was a great way to allure people in and prepare them for what she was about to say. It’s like, “Get ready here is the tea you have been waiting for. “
3. The topics she discussed with Martin had the power to connect with millions. Diana, through her words, let the public know that even though she was royal, she still struggled like many others. As mentioned above, this was difficult to see, especially because “the firm” was very adamant when it came to showing emotions and discussing private matters in such a public forum. But Diana, being the “Queen of people’s hearts” wanted to relate to them, and this interview did just that.
4. Lastly, the words Diana used throughout the interview had a clear message behind them, such as “princess of people’s hearts,” “I don’t think he is fitted to be king,” or “It was three of us in the marriage.” The reason why is stuck in people’s minds and to this day still one of the reasons why people remember her is because it showed Diana’s honesty, and it gave power to what people were speculating during those times.
All in all, this interview was one of the best interviews, from the questions Martin asked/planned to the way Diana conducted herself. It was genuine, it didn’t feel rehearsed, and it tackled topics that many had questions about. But most of all, it shows somethings that the royals have never done before. Now that you had a chance to read it, here is a question for you, do you agree that Diana’s 1993 “BOMBSHELL” interview is one of the best interviews?