Britney Spears Pays Tribute to 'Sheer Genius' Princess Diana
Britney Spears has paid tribute to "sheer genius" Princess Diana, amid a new wave of controversy over the late royal's 1995 interview with the BBC's Panorama.
The pop star, 39, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a snapshot of Diana—who died aged 36 in a Paris car crash in 1997—lauding her as "one of the most remarkable women to date."
"She never wanted to be the queen ... she wanted to be the heart of the people !!!!!!!!" Spears wrote of the mother of princes William and Harry.
Spears, also a mother of two boys, went on: "She was more than class ... she was sheer genius down to the way she spoke to the way she mothered her children.
"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."
Her tribute comes as it was found that then-Panorama journalist Martin Bashir had earned the trust of Diana's brother Earl Spencer by forging financial documents to suggest her staff had betrayed her, in a bid to secure his bombshell interview.
The interview remains one of the most talked-about royal moments, with Diana speaking of then-husband Prince Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, as she declared: "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
After the findings of an internal BBC investigation into the tactics used to secure the Panorama interview were made public, Diana's sons were vocal in their condemnation.
Prince William said in a statement: "It is my view that the deceitful way the interview was obtained substantially influenced what my mother said.
"The interview was a major contribution to making my parents' relationship worse and has since hurt countless others.
"It brings indescribable sadness to know that the BBC's failures contributed significantly to her fear, paranoia and isolation that I remember from those final years with her.
"But what saddens me most, is that if the BBC had properly investigated the complaints and concerns first raised in 1995, my mother would have known that she had been deceived."
He added: "It is my firm view that this Panorama program holds no legitimacy and should never be aired again.
"It effectively established a false narrative which, for over a quarter of a century, has been commercialized by the BBC and others."
Meanwhile, Prince Harry stated: "Our mother was an incredible woman who dedicated her life to service. She was resilient, brave, and unquestionably honest.
"The ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices ultimately took her life. To those who have taken some form of accountability, thank you for owning it.
"That is the first step towards justice and truth. Yet what deeply concerns me is that practices like these—and even worse—are still widespread today. Then, and now, it's bigger than one outlet, one network, or one publication.
"Our mother lost her life because of this, and nothing has changed. 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."
Spears was recently the focus of two documentaries—the New York Times' Framing Britney Spears and the BBC's The Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash and a Conservatorship.
Both documentaries covered a number of the personal issues in the star's life that led to her father, Jamie Spears, filing for conservatorship.
The singer took to Instagram earlier this month to slam the productions, as she wrote: "So many documentaries about me this year with other people's takes on my life ... what can I say ... I'm deeply flattered !!!!
"These documentaries are so hypocritical ... they criticize the media and then do the same thing????? Damn ...
"I don't know y'all but I'm thrilled to remind you all that although I've had some pretty tough times in my life ... I've had waaaayyyy more amazing times in my life and unfortunately my friends ...
"I think the world is more interested in the negative 🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️🤷🏼♀️ !!!! I mean ... isn't this supposed to be a business and society about THE FUTURE 🤧🤧🤧 ????
"Why highlight the most negative and traumatizing times in my life from forever ago ???? I mean DAMN ..."
