Netflix documentary
Prince Charles’ Letters to a Pedophile: What the Royal Wanted from Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile and Prince Charles in 1998
© PA / Picture Alliance
A new Netflix documentary about British TV actor Jimmy Savile also sheds light on his relationship with heir apparent Prince Charles. The royal asked Savile for help.
A new Netflix documentary about British TV actor and presenter Jimmy Savile explores his life and crimes. Even during his lifetime, there were rumors that Savile was a pedophile.
But it was only after his death that the British police investigated the former BBC star. The results: cruel. Around 450 victims came forward, 80 percent of whom stated that they were minors at the time of the crime.
Netflix documentary: Prince Charles’ relationships with Jimmy Savile
The Netflix documentary “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story” not only deals with Savile’s crimes, but also sheds light on his relationship with the royal family. Prince Charles is said to have asked Savile in the 1980s to help him and his family with PR matters. In letters shown in the documentary, he appeals to Savile’s “straightforward common sense.” Specifically, Charles wanted help with public speaking and also hoped for support for Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson and his brother Prince Andrew, whose marriage and personal life have been repeatedly dominated by scandals.
“He [Charles] was fooled, as were all of us,” Netflix documentary director Rowan Deacon told The Times newspaper. “The letters show the trust Prince Charles placed in Jimmy Savile. He tried to appeal to and modernize the British people. And he saw Jimmy Savile as his mouthpiece for it. In hindsight, that was catastrophic,” says Deacon.
Cruel child molester
From 1986 to 2006, Savile helped Charles on and off. In a 1989 letter, the heir to the throne specifically asked the BBC man for support for Fergie. “I can’t help feeling that it would be extremely useful to her if you could. I have a feeling she could use some of your straight forward common sense,” he wrote.
Savile has long been revered for his charitable efforts in Britain, rumors about him nipped in the bud. After his death, it was revealed that he used philanthropy to abuse children. “There is no doubt that Savile is one of the worst, if not the worst, sex offenders that we have ever dealt with at the NSPCC,” said Director of Child Protection Peter Watt a few years ago. He has long used his notoriety and fame to abuse victims on BBC premises, schools and hospitals. As the new documentary shows, Prince Charles was also blinded by this fame.
Sources used: “The Times” / AFP
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