Former Princess Diana chauffeur wins slander case against BBC

The case centred around baseless allegations made by journalist Martin Bashir during a meeting in 1995, aimed at securing an interview with Princess Diana for BBC Panorama.

Martin Bashir's unfounded claims, which resurfaced in the Netflix series "The Crown" (Season 5), falsely implicated Steve Davies in feeding information to the media. As a result, Steve Davies faced the devastating consequence of losing his job, with the termination of his employment shortly after the scandalous allegations surfaced.

In a Joint Statement read in Open Court, legal representatives for both Steve Davies and the BBC acknowledged the grave impact of the slanderous accusations. Persephone Bridgman Baker of Carter-Ruck, speaking on behalf of Steve Davies, expressed his profound regret over the Princess's belief in his betrayal, which tragically remained uncorrected until her untimely death. 

A Joint Statement in Open Court was read today by Persephone Bridgman Baker of Carter-Ruck on behalf of Mr Davies, and Samuel Rowe of 5RB on behalf of the BBC, before the Honourable Mrs Justice Steyn. Ms Bridgman Baker told the court that Mr Davies was “devastated by the termination of his employment with the Princess; he had maintained a close professional relationship with the Princess throughout the many years he had worked for her and he was given no reason
for the termination […] It is a matter of profound regret to him that, as he now knows, the Princess believed that he had betrayed her, and he was unable to correct the position before her tragic death.”Samuel Rowe of 5RB, representing the BBC, issued a formal apology, acknowledging the false nature of the allegations and their detrimental effect on Davies's reputation and livelihood. The BBC recognised that these allegations likely led Princess Diana to doubt Davies's loyalty and professionalism, potentially contributing to his subsequent redundancy.

Steve Davies, in his statement following the settlement, expressed relief at being able to clear his name after almost three decades of unjust suspicion. He emphasised the shock and dismay he felt upon learning of the false accusations and their role in his abrupt dismissal.

As part of the settlement, the BBC has agreed to pay substantial compensation to Steve Davies, along with covering his legal costs. This resolution marks a vindication for Davies, restoring his professional reputation and providing closure after enduring the repercussions of baseless slander for far too long.