The inclusion of an actor playing the late Princess Diana in the BBC’s Jimmy Savile drama is set to ‘displease’ the Prince William, it has been claimed.
The upcoming series, titled The Reckoning and starring Steve Coogan as the horrific paedophile, has sparked plenty of controversy since it was first announced, with many critics dubbing it a ‘hypocritical’ move from the broadcaster.
Prolific sex offender Savile, whose monstrous acts as came to light after his death in 2011, met several members of the royal family, including Prince Charles, Prince Philip and Princess Diana.
It’s been reported that the show is to depict Diana, who died in 1997, meeting Savile.
According to The Sun, it was hoped that the scene would be cut from The Reckoning, with a TV insider saying: ‘Prince William would have preferred not to see his mother feature alongside this vile monster at all.
‘But he would be particularly displeased that it’s in a BBC show – and one that’s proved so controversial.’
The insider added that while Diana was ‘one of the important people who Savile ingratiated himself with, there were many others whose influence played a greater part in him getting access to young people and hiding in plain sight’.
In a statement sent to Metro.co.uk, a BBC spokesperson said: ‘Prince Charles and Princess Diana do not have speaking roles but are seen briefly in a scene that reflects their presence at the official opening of the new Spinal Injuries Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital – where it later emerged that Savile had committed horrific abuse.’
It’s understood that the roles of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in the drama are to be non-credited and will be played by non-speaking supporting artists.
The Duke of Cambridge reportedly declined to comment.
In October, it was claimed that the duke felt ‘frustrated’ following reports that his mother’s BBC Panorama interview with Martin Bashir is to be featured in The Crown.
It was ruled last year that Bashir used ‘deceitful methods’ to secure the interview with Diana, with Prince William issuing a statement saying that it ‘should never air again’.
Metro.co.uk has contacted Kensington Palace for further comment.
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