Princess Diana's former chauffeur has successfully settled a slander claim against the BBC.
Steve Davies was Diana's chauffeur in 1995 and was fired without cause after BBC journalist Martin Bashir made false allegations to Diana and her brother Earl Spencer.
The solicitors for Mr Davies, Carter-Ruck, said the former Princess of Wales and her brother were told Mr Davies "feeds Today newspaper … change your chauffeur," during a meeting in September 1995, to secure an interview with Diana.
On Tuesday local time, a joint statement in open court found the BBC made a "serious and unfounded allegation that Mr Davies was leaking confidential information that he obtained in his role as her chauffeur to the press and that she should terminate his employment as a result."
Carter-Ruck representative Persephone Bridgman Baker told the court 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," she said.
"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."
Allegations brought to light in Netflix drama
In a statement, Carter-Ruck said the allegations were brought to Mr Davies's attention after they were brought up in the fifth season of Netflix's The Crown.
Carter-Ruck said Samuel Rowe, who represented the BBC in court, apologised on behalf of the BBC.
"The BBC accepts that the allegation was likely to have caused HRH the Princess of Wales to doubt the Claimant's loyalty and professionalism and may well have contributed to the Claimant's redundancy six months later," Mr Rowe said in court.
"The BBC is sorry for the distress and harm suffered by the claimant."
The court statement said the BBC would pay Mr Davies's legal costs and a substantial compensation.