Britney Spears praises Princess Diana amid Panorama interview controversy
The pop star called the late British royal 'one of the most remarkable women to date'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Britney Spears paid tribute to Princess Diana on social media in a heartfelt post amid harsh criticism of the BBC's 1995 Panorama interview from her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
"She never wanted to be the queen," the pop star captioned a photo of the late British royal.
"She wanted to be the heart of the people! She was more than class… she was sheer genius down to the way she spoke to the way she mothered her children," Spears continued.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The essence of being completely oblivious to her own power !!!! 750 MILLION people watched her get married on TV!!!! She will always be remembered as one of the most remarkable women to date," the "Toxic" singer concluded.
The timing of the 39-year-old's post is interesting considering the backlash regarding how journalist Martin Bashir and the BBC used "deceitful behavior" to secure the famous tell-all.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I never wanted to harm Diana in any way and I don’t believe we did," Bashir told the Sunday Times. "Everything we did in terms of the interview was as she wanted, from when she wanted to alert the palace, to when it was broadcast, to its contents ... My family and I loved her."
Martin Bashir interviews Princess Diana in Kensington Palace for the television program Panorama. ((Photo by © Pool Photograph/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images))
A report from The Telegraph concluded that Bashir "commissioned fake bank statements" that allowed him to get access to Diana by deceiving her brother, Earl Charles Spencer, to arrange a meeting in which Diana was later persuaded to take part in the interview.
Bashir has admitted to showing Spencer the forged documents, for which he says he is "deeply sorry," but claims had "no bearing" on Diana or the interview.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}BBC DIRECTOR DURING EXPLOSIVE 1995 INTERVIEW WITH PRINCESS DIANA STEPS DOWN FROM CURRENT ROLE
Diana famously said during the interview that there were "three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." Following the revelations, Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement recommending Diana and Prince Charles seek a divorce.
On Aug. 31, 1997, Diana died in a car accident in Paris while being chased by the paparazzi. She was 36.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Diana's sons, William and Harry, have both suggested Bashir's interview directly contributed to the Princess of Wales' untimely death.
William, 38, said in a video statement that Bashir made "lurid and false claims about the Royal Family which played on [Diana's] fears and fueled paranoia."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harry, 36, echoed his brother's comments in a separate statement, noting that the "ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life."
"Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed," Harry added. "By protecting her legacy, we protect everyone, and uphold the dignity with which she lived her life. Let’s remember who she was and what she stood for."