A children’s hospice in Wales is set to receive a reported six-figure sum paid as a settlement to the former private secretary of Diana, Princess of Wales, as part of the fallout from her infamous Panorama interview in 1995.
Tŷ Hafan will receive the proceeds of a settlement paid by the BBC to Commander Patrick Jephson.
The amount of the settlement has not been publicly confirmed but The Times newspaper (£) reported that it was £100,000.
Lord Dyson’s report last year into the events surrounding the journalist Martin Bashir securing the interview with the Princess of Wales concluded that Bashir had fake bank statements showing payments into an account linked to Jephson that purportedly showed an alleged conspiracy against the princess.
This helped Bashir land the interview, Dyson found, although the journalist denied creating the fake bank statements.
The BBC has now apologised and paid damages to Jephson, which will go to Tŷ Hafan.
A statement from the broadcaster said: “The BBC accepts and acknowledges that serious harm was caused to Commander Jephson as a result of the circumstances in which the 1995 interview with Diana, Princess of Wales was obtained, which have become apparent as a result of the Dyson Report.
“The BBC apologises unreservedly to Commander Jephson for the harm caused to him and has paid his legal costs. The BBC has also paid Commander Jephson a substantial sum in damages, which he intends to donate in full to British charities nominated by him.”
Maria Timon Samra, chief executive of Tŷ Hafan, said the Princess of Wales was the charity’s first patron and she persuaded the opera singer Luciano Pavarotti to perform a concert at Cardiff Castle in 1995 to raise money towards the construction of the hospice building the charity now occupies.
“On behalf of the children and families we support at Tŷ Hafan, I would like to thank Patrick Jephson for his thoughtful and generous donation,” she said.
“This will help enable Tŷ Hafan to continue to provide vital care and support for hundreds of children with life-limiting conditions, and their families in Wales whom we work with every year.
“This donation is a great tribute to Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ invaluable contribution to Tŷ Hafan and will help us to ensure that her legacy of love lives on in Wales, helping some of the most vulnerable children and families to make the most of their short but precious lives.
“Princess Diana’s patronage transitioned to His Royal Highness, Charles, The Prince of Wales, in 2001 and he continues to support us in being a lifeline to those children and families who need our services.”