Jennie Bond

Portrait of Jennie Bond
David Surtees via Flickr

British journalist, broadcaster and royal commentator. BBC royal correspondent from 1989 to 2003.

What we have documented

We have documented 1 statement by Jennie Bond, in 1 case. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.

Case updates

Has the Palace said its last word on Earl Spencer's memoir?

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Statements by Jennie Bond

Portrait of Jennie Bond

Jennie Bond

Role at the time: Royal commentator; BBC royal correspondent 1989-2003

Mixed or conditional

Response to this claim

During the phone call confirming Diana's death in 1997, then-Prince Charles "sounded giddily elated - like a lottery winner."

“I have no reason to disbelieve this is his memory of what happened, but there are usually two sides to a conversation and a story.”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Charles 'sounded giddily elated' after Diana died, Earl Spencer claimsClosing section, following the summary of the Daily Mail excerpts: the paragraphs carrying Dickie Arbiter's Newsnight remarks, Jennie Bond's BBC Breakfast remarks, and the note on Prince Harry's representatives.
Why we used this label

On whether Spencer's account of Charles's words and demeanour is accurate, Bond holds two materially different positions at once. She credits the account's sincerity ("no reason to disbelieve this is his memory of what happened"), which withholds any suggestion that Spencer is inventing it, and in the same breath withholds endorsement of it as an accurate record of the exchange ("there are usually two sides to a conversation and a story"). She also characterizes the account as "vindictive" and "extraordinary," a judgment about how Spencer has told it rather than about whether it is true. “Challenged the characterization” loses because she expressly does not dispute Spencer's rendering -- she declines to treat his memory as the whole of it, which is a weaker and genuinely two-sided position. “Condemned” loses because her criticism is of the memoir's tone and motive, not of the case's underlying matter.

A participant is a subject of the case. A speaker has a statement documented in it. A commentator has an opinion or editorial documented in it.

Case

Earl Spencer's memoir claims about King Charles's reaction to Diana's death

Relationship to this case: Speaker

Charles Spencer's memoir alleges then-Prince Charles told him days after Diana's 1997 death that the world would "forget her soon enough," and that he sounded "giddily elated" on the call. Buckingham Palace neither confirmed nor denied the account, citing grief's effect on memory.

MonarchyUpdated

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