By Lauren Turner BBC News
- Published
The BBC's reputation has been "highly damaged" following an inquiry into the Panorama interview with Diana, Princess of Wales, Priti Patel has said.
The home secretary said it would have to rebuild trust and confidence following Lord Dyson's probe into how Martin Bashir obtained the interview.
The independent inquiry found Bashir used deception to get the interview.
Asked whether the corporation would survive, Ms Patel said it would have to "reflect and learn lessons".
She told The Andrew Marr show on BBC One it had been "utterly heart-breaking" to hear the dukes of Cambridge and Sussex speaking "in very personal terms" about their mother, following the publication of the report last week.
"There is no doubt this world-class institution, its reputation has been highly damaged," she said. "Lessons will have to be learned - there is no question about that."
The British public, she said, would be asking questions about why the leadership of the BBC was not "publicly giving confidence" in the organisation at this moment - and noted no-one from the BBC had been put forward to speak to Marr on Sunday.
The report will "go down as one of those key moments in the history of the BBC", she added.
Ms Patel also said that work has to be done on "regaining trust and confidence", adding that the mid-term review of the BBC's royal charter next year would look at how it is funded and run.
Former BBC journalist Martin Bashir has told the Sunday Times he "never wanted to harm" Princess Diana with the interview, adding: "I don't believe we did."
Bashir also said he was "deeply sorry" to her sons.
What did the inquiry conclude?
Lord Dyson's investigation found:
- Bashir had faked documents - bank statements designed to suggest Princess Diana was under surveillance - to win the trust of her brother Earl Spencer, and eventually gain access to the princess
- As media interest in the interview increased, the BBC covered up what it had learned about how Bashir secured the interview
- The 1996 internal probe, led by the then director of news Tony Hall, into initial complaints had been "woefully ineffective"
- A note written by Diana said she had no regrets about the broadcast and Bashir did not show her the faked documents. It was taken by the BBC as evidence that the forgery had not influenced her decision to be interviewed - but the inquiry said the BBC should have considered the possibility that the documents were shown to Earl Spencer to influence his sister
Diana's brother Earl Spencer has asked the Metropolitan Police to investigate the BBC.
Earlier this week, the force said it would assess the Dyson report "to ensure there is no significant new evidence", after previously deciding against a criminal investigation.
Asked about this, Ms Patel said she was not "going to prejudge anything" and that the Met "will do what they have to do".
- PRINCESS DIANA, MARTIN BASHIR AND THE BBC: Stream the Panorama investigation now on BBC iPlayer
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