BBC Postpones Documentary After Royals Reportedly Intervene

The BBC said Wednesday it was postponing a controversial documentary about the royal family that was produced without the cooperation of Buckingham Palace.

According to a report from the Radio Times, the BBC made the decision after lawyers representing the royal family intervened.

The BBC2 two-part documentary, Reinventing The Royals, examines the public relations tactics of “spin doctor” Mark Bolland, who helped boost Prince Charles’s public image in the wake of the death of Princess Diana in 1997. The film drew attention because, unlike most documentaries about the royal family, it was not sanctioned by the Palace.

In a statement Wednesday, the BBC said it was postponing the Jan. 4 airing of Reinventing the Royals “until later in the New Year while a number of issues including the use of archive footage are resolved.” A BBC spokesperson declined to respond to the report that lawyers representing the royal family were involved in the delay.