The broadcast of a BBC documentary exploring the controversial tactics of Prince Charles’s former spin doctor Mark Bolland has been postponed after intervention from lawyers representing the royal family.
The BBC2 documentary, titled Reinventing the Royals, promised an in-depth examination of the shrewd PR tactics used by Bolland to boost Charles’s public appeal after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997.
Written and presented by the former editor of Panorama Steve Hewlett, who has also contributed articles to the Guardian, the two-part series was made without the involvement or co-operation of Clarence House or Buckingham Palace. The first episode was due to air on Sunday 4 January.
The documentary is understood to have been cleared by BBC lawyers, the corporation’s editorial policy team and at the highest level of management. However, it is understood the transmission was put on hold after a the BBC received a letter from representatives of Charles and his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall.
According to the Radio Times, which is due to publish a piece by Hewlett about the documentary, the last-minute decision to postpone the broadcast was made by the head of BBC news and current affairs, James Harding.
Separately, it is understood that issues remain in getting clearance for some archive footage featuring members of the royal family.
There is said to be an ongoing dialogue between the BBC and representatives of the royal family, with the corporation still intending to broadcast the series at a later date.
The documentary explores how Bolland, once described as “the real power behind the future king of England”, was the cause of much animosity among fellow staff members and other royals until he severed links with the palace in early 2003.
It will feature a series of interviews with figures such as journalists Tom Bradby and Richard Kay and the press secretary to Prince Charles at the time of Diana’s death, Sandy Henney.
Writing in the Radio Times, Hewlett quotes one royal commentator who described Bolland as a genius at pulling strings and manipulating the press, but said he was called “Blackadder” by Princes William and Harry.
The documentary will explore how William and Harry were part of Bolland’s agenda to win back public favour for Charles and Camilla.
This is not the first time issues have arisen between the BBC and the palace over a documentary relating to the royal family. Footage of the Queen edited in non-chronological order caused the Crowngate controversy in 2007.
A trailer shown to journalists for the BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary Monarchy: The Royal Family at Work created the false impression that the Queen had walked out of a photo shoot with Annie Liebovitz after being asked to remove her crown. The ensuing row led to a formal apology from the BBC to the Queen and the resignation of the BBC One controller Peter Fincham.
The BBC said it was delaying broadcast “until later in the new year while a number of issues including the use of archive footage are resolved”.