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.
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
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
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:
- Speaks of his regret that Bashir’s lies meant Diana died wrongly believing he had betrayed her;
- Tells of his devotion to the Princess and that he would have ‘taken a bullet’ for her;
- Describes joining Diana, Elton John and George Michael for an impromptu concert at Elton John’s mansion, and of meeting Mother Teresa at Diana’s insistence;
- Recalls the young Princes William and Harry ‘screaming with laughter’ as they sat on his lap as he did handbrake turns in a car on a field behind Kensington Palace;
- Claims Diana ‘would still be here today’ if he had been her chauffeur in Paris in August 1997 when she was killed in a car crash;
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.
At a meeting in September 1995, Martin Bashir (pictured) falsely told Diana and her brother Earl Spencer that Mr Davies was feeding a newspaper with information
Princess Diana went on to give Bashir an interview on prime time BBC television show Panorama in 1995
‘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.’
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