The BBC has admitted to a misstep in editorial standards after failing to properly challenge claims made by Prince Harry during an interview last week.
The British broadcaster said Radio 4’s Today show did not interrogate the Duke of Sussex’s claim that removing his UK security was “an establishment stitch-up.”
Prince Harry sat down for an interview with BBC News last week after losing a legal appeal to reinstate his UK security. He criticized King Charles III for failing to resolve the issue.
In a statement, the BBC said: “Claims were repeated that the process had been ‘an establishment stitch-up’ and we failed to properly challenge this and other allegations.”
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Specifically, the BBC said Today failed to reflect the position of the Home Office, which is responsible for the security arrangements, and Buckingham Palace. “This was a lapse in our usual high editorial standards,” the BBC added.
During the interview, the Duke of Sussex said he wanted to reconcile with his loved ones, even though he acknowledged that they may never forgive his actions since 2020.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore, life is precious,” Prince Harry said. “I don’t know how much longer my father has [left to live]. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile.”
The Duke of Sussex, who moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020, said the decision to remove his automatic royal security would prevent him from bringing his children to the UK. “I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done… and I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland,” he said.
In a statement on the case, the Home Office said: “We are pleased that the court has found in favour of the government’s position in this case. The UK government’s protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals’ security.”
Buckingham Palace added: “All of these issues have been examined repeatedly and meticulously by the courts, with the same conclusion reached on each occasion.”