The BBC has agreed to pay damages to the former nanny of Princes William and Harry over “false and malicious” claims made about her by the journalist Martin Bashir.
Last year, a report found Mr Bashir “deceived and induced” Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer to secure a bombshell Panorama interview with her in 1995.
As part of that process, Mr Bashir is alleged to have lied about Tiggy Legge-Bourke – who looked after the princes when they young – telling Earl Spencer that Ms Legge-Bourke had an affair with Prince Charles.
In the High Court this morning, representatives for the BBC apologised to Ms Legge-Bourke – whose married name is Alexandra Pettifer – and agreed to pay damages.
They said: “The BBC accepts that the allegations made against the claimant [Ms Legge-Bourke] were wholly baseless, should never have been made, and that the BBC did not, at the time, adequately investigate serious concerns over the circumstance in which the BBC secured the Panorama interview with Diana, the Princess of Wales.”