The Royal Family Could “Boycott” the BBC Over a New Documentary

The royal family is reportedly furious about an upcoming BBC documentary that could put the alleged feud between Prince William and Prince Harry into the spotlight, according to the Daily Mail. The documentary, The Princes and the Press, is a two-part film that will air on BB1 this Sunday. The publication says that the Queen was “upset” by the news that the documentary would air without allowing the royals to watch it before its premiere, and has joined with her grandsons in threatening to “boycott” the BBC as a result. 

Though the BBC has so far only said that the film will provide “context” for the brothers’ relationships with the press, the Mail says that sources inside the Palace believe that it will portray how Harry and William allegedly utilized the media against one another during the height of their feud. According to the Mail’s royal source, “There is upset about it. The households are all united in thinking this is not fair. No one at the Palace has seen it.”

This isn’t the first time a documentary has faced backlash for attempting to show the brothers pitted against one another. The Mail also reported that the July ITV film Harry and William: What Went Wrong? had to cut a scene just before it went live, in which Omid Scobie, a royal biographer, claimed that Prince William had planted stories about Prince Harry’s mental health struggles in the press. 

Representatives for both the Cambridges and Sussexes have repeatedly denied allegations that the brothers were “briefing” the press against one another. The Mail said that it is “understood” that, if the BBC documentary goes through with airing the alleged dirty laundry, the royal family will end its long, mutually beneficial relationship with the broadcasting network. The publication also mentioned that the three most senior royals have joined in their anger over the documentary, a rare “tri-household” stand against the network. 

Even though the BBC aired Prince William’s Earthshot ceremony, and broadcast the tribute Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, both earlier this year, it’s also not the first time the royals have disagreed with the broadcaster’s choices. Prince William has been recently outspoken about his anger over the ill-gotten Martin Bashir interview with Princess Diana that aired on the network in the 1990s. 

It also doesn’t help that the documentary’s presenter is Amol Rajan, who has previously expressed that he thinks the monarchy in general is “absurd.” He has reportedly conducted over 80 hours of interviews for the two-part film. 

The BBC has been tight-lipped about what the documentary will actually say about the brothers and their respective relationships with the press, but all will be revealed when it airs Sunday night.