November 11th 2024.
After eight years of dedicated service, Steve Davies was suddenly let go from his job without any explanation. It was a crushing blow for the 61-year-old, who had been the former chauffeur for Princess Diana. In a shocking revelation, Steve has now come forward to reveal that he believes Diana would still be alive today if he had not been forced out of his job.
In 1996, Steve was pushed to take redundancy from his job after Martin Bashir, a disgraced BBC reporter, falsely claimed that he and others in Diana's inner circle were leaking information to the press. Bashir used these claims to lure the Princess into giving her infamous Panorama interview. At the time, these claims were not made public, but they would later resurface as a crucial factor in Diana's tragic death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
Steve, who had been Diana's trusted driver for eight years, recently opened up to the Mail on Sunday about the immense grief he felt upon hearing of her passing. He said, "All I know is that if life had taken a different trajectory, if I had been driving her that night in Paris, she would still be here today because I would have kept her safe." He added, "I'd have taken a bullet for Diana. My job was my life. I was always there for her. I went from having the dream job to having to start again from scratch."
However, it wasn't until decades later, thanks to the popular Netflix drama The Crown, that Steve would discover the true reason for his dismissal. In May of this year, he was finally awarded compensation from the BBC after they admitted to falsely accusing him of plotting against Diana. Steve deeply regrets that Diana died believing he had betrayed her and wishes he could have set the record straight before her tragic death.
The infamous Panorama interview, in which Diana spoke candidly about her failed marriage to Prince Charles, was a sensation that captivated the world. It was later revealed that Bashir had used fake documents to convince Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, that her former security chief had been taking money from a tabloid newspaper. Despite an internal investigation by the BBC clearing Bashir of any wrongdoing, an ITV documentary 25 years later reignited the controversy.
In 2020, an independent inquiry concluded that Bashir had indeed used deceitful methods, including the fake documents, to secure the interview. The BBC's own investigation was highly criticized, and Prince Harry has since stated that these manipulations contributed to his mother's death. The inquiry even mentioned handwritten notes taken by Earl Spencer after his meeting with Diana and Bashir in 1995. One note read, "Steve feeds [the] Today newspaper...change your chauffeur."
The Crown's writers adapted this saga for the screen in series 5, where Bashir tells Diana that his "MI6 contacts" had confirmed that her driver, Steve Davies, was also involved in the alleged leaks. In a dramatic scene, Diana sits up in shock and gasps, "Steve?" This was the first time Steve had seen the show, as his wife had to show him a clip that was sent to her daughter. This prompted him to look further into the matter and ultimately sue the BBC for slander.
After winning damages and an apology from the BBC in May of this year, Steve's lawyers stated that he had maintained a close professional relationship with the Princess throughout his years of service and was given no reason for his termination. He was deeply tormented by the loss of his job and the speculation surrounding the possible reason for it. It is still a matter of profound regret for Steve that Diana believed he had betrayed her, and he was unable to correct the situation before her untimely death.
Both Prince William and Prince Harry have condemned the BBC for their treatment of their mother, and the corporation has promised not to air the Panorama interview again. It is a tragic turn of events that Steve's loyalty and professionalism were called into question, leading to the loss of his job and ultimately contributing to the death of the beloved Princess Diana.
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