News

Princess Diana’s former chauffeur has broken a 30-year-silence about his royal service to tell how his life was ruined by rogue BBC reporter Martin Bashir falsely claiming he was leaking confidential information.

Princess Diana’s former chauffeur has broken a 30-year-silence about his royal service to tell how his life was ruined by rogue BBC reporter Martin Bashir falsely claiming he was leaking confidential information.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Steve Davies revealed how Bashir’s lies poisoned the Princess against him and destroyed his career as one of the Royal Family’s most trusted drivers.

And he lambasted the Corporation for failing to tell him for years that he was another victim of the web of deceit Bashir spun to secure his 1995 Panorama interview with Diana.

Mr Davies was given no explanation when he was suddenly made redundant in March 1996 after eight years of impeccable service as a royal chauffeur, four of which were spent as Princess Diana’s personal driver. It was only two years ago, when he saw an episode of the Netflix drama The Crown that he learned the shocking truth.

At a meeting in September 1995, Bashir falsely told Diana and her brother Earl Spencer that Mr Davies was feeding a newspaper with information, part of his scheme to make her feel insecure and trust him with an interview.

Now, in an explosive interview that reignites the scandal and provides an extraordinary insight into a momentous period in the history of the Royal Family, Mr Davies:

Mr Davies said of Bashir’s deception: ‘I was forced out of a job I wanted to be my life’s work. Royal service is about being trusted and loyal, showing discretion, having a sense of duty. Your reputation, your good name is everything. Martin Bashir robbed me of mine by making those allegations to Diana.

‘I’m not the kind of man who wastes time and energy being bitter or angry, but she died believing I had betrayed her and that’s something I can’t ever forget or forgive’.

Mr Davies, a former soldier, joined the royal chauffeurs in 1988, and was dedicated to the Princess after she split from Charles, when he became a key figure in Diana’s inner circle. He was her driver on the night in June 1994 when she wore a stunning black gown dubbed the ‘revenge dress’ to a dinner, and was by her side when she and the young Princes visited Alton Towers.

‘I would have taken a bullet for Diana,’ said Mr Davies, who has never previously spoken of his time with the Royals. ‘My job was my life. I was always there for her.’

He said Bashir’s deceit ‘had a huge impact on my life’, adding: ‘I went from having the dream job to having to start again from scratch. And for almost 30 years I had no idea why. What Bashir did to secure his interview was appalling.’

In May, the BBC paid Mr Davies compensation after the High Court heard how he was ‘tormented’ by speculation about why he lost his job.

The BBC said last night: ‘When Mr Davies approached us, we resolved his complaint promptly by apologising to him via a statement in court and paid him damages.’

But a furious Mr Davies said: ‘They should have said something beforehand. [Am I] angry? Yes. Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No, because they covered up Bashir from the beginning.’

Related Posts

Michigan church fires its long-time music director after discovering his gay marriage – before parishioners’ surprising reaction

The beloved longtime music director at a northern Michigan church was fired just a few months before his retirement after officials learned he was in a same-sex marriage. Fred Szczepanski said he was fired on October 18 from St. Francis Church in Traverse City for marrying his longtime partner Bill Thompson in a same-sex ceremony in Nevada in 2020. Szczepanski – who had been the church’s music director for 34 years – was confronted by Rev. Michael Lingaur after church leaders received a letter from an unnamed person, according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

The Church of England’s most prolific abuser John Smyth beat scores of boys till they bled. GUY ADAMS asks… why did no one in authority tell the police about the abuse by top barrister who exchanged Christmas cards with Justin Welby for years?

You didn’t spend long in evangelical circles of the Church of England during the late 1970s without bumping into an outwardly charming young man named John Smyth. A famous barrister, who’d acted for morality campaigner Mary Whitehouse in blasphemy and pornography cases against Gay News, Channel 4 and the National Theatre, Smyth also chaired the Iwerne Trust, a charity which ran Christian summer camps in Dorset each year. His annual retreats, at which largely well-bred young men swam, played sports, and attended Bible study classes, were designed to attract ‘future leaders’ who might go on to greater things.

Trump supporters give AOC an education on why she is so similar to the president-elect

Donald Trump supporters surprisingly revealed how popular Democratic socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is actually very similar to the new president-elect. Ocasio-Cortez, 35, reached out to her supporters on Instagram Sunday, asking if any of her followers had voted for both her and 78-year-old Trump and why. ‘This is not a place of judgment. I’m not gonna like put your stuff on blast or anything like that or dunk on it… I actually want to learn from you,’ she said.

Progressive billionaire Mark Cuban deletes his tweets supporting Kamala Harris

Billionaire Kamala Harris supporter Mark Cuban has quietly wiped some of his social media comments endorsing the Vice President. The Shark Tank entrepreneur was one of the first from Camp Kamala to publicly concede defeat on election night, sending a message of congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump by about 1.30am. In the message, he also congratulated X owner Elon Musk, who emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken – and generous – supporters during his campaign.

Strongman filmed lifting a Ford Transit van and pulled tractor with his bare hands while claiming car crash had left him unable to carry shopping bags in ‘blatantly dishonest’ insurance claim

When champion strongman Scott Maw was hurt in a car crash, he told his GP he struggled carrying shopping bags. As he claimed for a whiplash-style shoulder injury, he failed, however, to mention he was still a dab hand at lifting logs, concrete balls and even a Transit van. The decision to seek compensation for his accident injuries, in what solicitors said was a ‘blatantly dishonest’ insurance claim against the other driver, has left him £25,000 out-of-pocket.

Who are Donald Trump’s cabinet picks? Meet the confidantes and advisers heading to the White House

Donald Trump’s second term as president will largely be shaped by the loyal allies who have stood by him during his four years outside of the White House. As the clock ticks down to his inauguration on January 20, all eyes will be on Mar-a-Lago as Republicans jostle for a cabinet spot or a senior role in the West Wing. And those are filling fast. In the past two-plus days, nine potential appointees have emerged for top Cabinet or West Wing roles and a handful of contenders for other vital positions have emerged.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *