‘Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story’: Did the Disgraced TV Host Have a Romantic Relationship With Princess Diana?
It’s not the first time a beloved celebrity is revealed to be a predator and absolute monster. If you’ve not yet watched Netflix’s Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, you won’t believe this documentation of a well-respected on-screen and philanthropic legend who fooled the nation. It’s a disturbing watch and cautionary tale.
Jimmy Savile operated secretly for decades as a sexual predator behind the scenes. But his more public persona had him rubbing elbows with some of Britain’s most elite celebrity figures. He was especially close to Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Given the later understanding of his true nature, some wonder now if the disgraced TV host ever had a romantic encounter with Princess Diana.
Netflix’s ‘A British Horror Story’ brought Jimmy Savile back under the microscope
The Netflix documentary is bringing this Mark Williams-Thomas ITV story back to life. It highlights a disturbing underbelly of the UK’s celebrity side, more specifically related to TV host Jimmy Savile. But before revealing the truth, Savile had another image, one that included a successful TV career as well as headline-worthy charitable work and activism.
James Wilson Vincent Savile began his career as a radio DJ and television personality. He hosted BBC shows like Jim’ll Fix It and Top of the Pops, both hits for their time. More notoriety came with Savile’s charitable work, and he is credited with raising £40 million for charity.
Savile eventually set up two organizations, the Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust back in 1981 and the Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust a few years later in 1984. His success in fundraising led him to meet and mingle with some of Britain’s biggest stars and even the royal family.
Jimmy Savile’s relationship with Princess Diana and Prince Charles
The Scottish Daily Express recounts how Savile developed a close relationship with Prince Charles and Princess Diana. At one point, according to Williams-Thomas’ reporting, Savile assumed the role of the royal couple’s marriage guidance counselor and unofficial Chief Advisor, as Entertainment Daily UK reports. It wasn’t uncommon for Savile to just stop by the palace and have tea with the staff, either.
Being so close to Princess Diana, many wonder now if he’d ever been inappropriate with her or attempted to groom a relationship with her. Savile never dated Princess Diana. He also never attempted to pursue her as he did so many other female colleagues at the time. But Savile definitely crossed the line.
There is archived footage showing Princess Diana and Savile walking through the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1983. In this footage, a patient revealed a “sick joke” Savile made toward the Princess. The patient claimed the immobile spinal patients would “watch porn” all day. Another time, Savile licked her hand. It was awkward enough of an engagement that Princess Diana blushed and giggled uncomfortably.
A disturbing dark side of Savile revealed
It wasn’t until Savile died in 2011 that the allegations began to surface. It’s believed, despite having received so much praise from the royal family and other celebrities, that more than 400 instances of sexual abuse, rape, and misconduct occurred, revealing a more sinister side to Savile.
The heart of the Netflix documentary also points to how many of Savile’s colleagues knew of his predatory behavior. Criticism has fallen on many of the British elite, and even the royal family, including Prince Charles and Princess Diana, for having once praised Savile as a fundraiser and “common sense” PR professional who earned knighthood distinctions from Queen Elizabeth, as Daily Mail UK explains.
Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story is yet another tale of a celebrity predator going unnoticed for years. He may have fooled the royal family just as he did the entire nation.
