New Zealand TV faces flak for Showing Diana film

WELLINGTON - Television New Zealand was under fire from critics for being insensitive by showing a film about the late Princess Diana while her son, Prince William, was still in country.

But TV officials defended the broadcast of the film, The Queen, saying they did not check the royals’ visit schedule before planning their programmes.

Britain’s William left New Zealand Tuesday after a three-day visit, his first solo official overseas tour representing his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

In this wake there was controversy about the national television channel’s decision to screen the film exploring the death of his mother, Princess Diana, while he was there.

Letters to newspapers published Tuesday condemned the screening as “grossly insensitive”, a “spectacular faux pas” and “plain bad taste.”

Television New Zealand broadcast The Queen, starring Helen Mirren, Sunday night, hours after William arrived, saying it had been programmed weeks ago and the timing was “pure coincidence.”

A Television New Zealand spokeswoman, Megan Richards, told the New Zealand Herald, “Nobody in TVNZ cross-checks our schedule with royal travel itineraries and there’s no reason why they should.

“It was a pure coincidence. Our view is that the chance of Prince William watching the television or bumping into it in any way, shape or form on his first night in the country, given his schedule, would have been remote in the extreme.

“To have pulled the programme at the last minute would have drawn unnecessary attention to it.”

Prince William’s main engagement was to open a new building for the Supreme Court in Wellington Monday.

He finished his visit Tuesday morning with a visit to the children’s ward at Wellington Hospital before flying to Australia.