When Britney Spears Remembered Princess Diana and Honored Her on Social Media: 'Sheer Genius'

Britney Spears once paid a heartfelt tribute to the late Princess Diana on Instagram. In her post, Spears included a picture of Diana and wrote, “She never wanted to be the Queen. 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. The essence of being completely oblivious to her power. 750 MILLION people watched her get married on TV. She will always be remembered as one of the most remarkable women to date!”

As per the Independent, the tribute came at a time when Princess Diana was back in the headlines due to an inquiry led by Lord Dyson that investigated how journalist Martin Bashir secured the infamous 1995 BBC Panorama interview. The final report concluded that Bashir used deceitful methods to obtain the interview, breaching the BBC’s editorial rules. These findings greatly upset Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

William released a scorching statement that read, "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. 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," as reported by Newsweek.

Harry echoed his brother’s sentiments, emphasizing, "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."

As per Fox News, Bashir, who received heavy backlash for his actions, claimed in his defense, "I never wanted to harm Diana in any way and I don’t believe we did. 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."