The charity boss says the money donated by the BBC will be used to honor Princess Diana’s legacy.
His broadcaster has made a total of £1.42 million in charitable contributions, split evenly between seven charities associated with the Princess of Wales.
After their divorce in 1996, Diana resigned her patronage or presidentship of all but six charities (Centrepoint, English National Ballet, Leprosy Mission, National AIDS Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital and Royal Marsden Hospital).
Donations are split between these charities and the Diana Award, which was established to further the Princess’ belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive of the National AIDS Trust, said: Without her, we wouldn’t be here today.
“We will ensure that the donations are used to advance issues that Princess Diana was passionately interested in.
“Princess Diana bravely challenged the stigma of HIV during her time with the National AIDS Trust. will do so.
“Diana bravely opposed injustice and believed in dignity and respect. I strive to do work that I believe will make me proud.
The proceeds came from the sale of a panoramic interview with Diana conducted by then-BBC journalist Martin Bashir in 1995, which made headlines worldwide as Princess Diana openly spoke about her marriage to the Prince of Wales. became.
Last year, Lord Dyson’s report concluded that the BBC covered up Bashir’s “deceptive behavior” to secure a shocking interview, leading to calls from the Duke of Cambridge to never air again.
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The BBC, which announced the donation on Friday, said:
“The BBC has now done so, and we believe this is the right and appropriate course of action given the findings of Lord Dyson.”
Great Ormond Street Hospital said the donation was “extremely beneficial” in treating critically ill children across the UK.
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Diana, Princess of Wales National was a Patron of the National AIDS Trust (Martin Keene/PA)
A spokesperson for the charity said: “Princess Diana was a vital supporter of the hospital, which she visited many times.
“The Prince of Wales and Princess Diana became patrons of the Wishing Well Appeal in 1986 and were appointed hospital directors in 1989.”
The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity said the donation will help ensure that nurses, doctors and research teams continue to provide the best possible care and develop life-saving treatments for cancer patients. “
“Making a difference in the lives of cancer patients is a cause that Diana, Princess of Wales, championed as President of Royal Marsden, and that role has been played by the Duke of Cambridge ever since,” the spokesperson added. I was.
Wayne Balpitt, chairman of the Diana Awards board, said he was “thankful” to the BBC for making a donation that was “very helpful” in further supporting the BBC’s work.
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Princess Diana of Wales supported many charities (PA)
A Centrepoint spokesperson said:
“This work would not be possible without donations, so we are grateful to receive this generous amount at a time when the most vulnerable young people in this country are truly suffering.”
In July of this year, the BBC vowed never to broadcast a clip of the interview “never again.”
Director Tim Davey said: “Now that I know the shocking way the interview was obtained, I have decided that the BBC will never air the show again.
Of course, it remains part of the historical record, and in the future it may be justified for the BBC to use short excerpts for journalistic purposes, but these are very few and meanwhile must agree to Executive Committee levels and sets are done in the full context of what is currently known about how the interviews were obtained.
“I urge others to exercise similar restraint.”
The company said the donation came from the BBC’s commercial income and not from licensing fees.
