The instant Queen Elizabeth learned about Princess Diana’s conversation with Martin Bashir on Panorama, she reportedly felt a burning sense of despair.
The Queen: Her Life, a book by royal biographer Andrew Morton, has this revelation.
The November 1995 interview was described by him as “shocking” and “unforgivable” in his opening statement.
Princess Diana’s interview with Mr. Bashir apparently left the Firm with a bad taste. According to a source obtained by People magazine, Queen Elizabeth in particular felt hopeless, and her late husband Prince Philip became hysterical.
They believed that “something had to be done, not just for the monarchy but also for their grandchildren.”
Even though Queen Elizabeth liked to “stretch out the olive branch for so long,” this nevertheless happened. By the time it was through, she was “decided to sever the marital Gordian knot.”
The Queen informed Princess Diana that she had “consulted with the Archbishop of Canterbury, the prime minister, and, of course, with Charles, and we have decided that the best route for you is divorce” in a letter that she sent just one month later, the same book claims.
Prior to his conclusion, Mr. Morton also cited a line from Princess Diana, who joked that the Queen Elizabeth might “burn up in flames” if she accepted the invitation to Christmas the next year.