Nicholas Witchell retiring as BBC Royal Correspondent next year

Nicholas Witchell will retire as the BBC’s Royal Correspondent next year.

He became royal and diplomatic correspondent in 1998.

Witchell was the first journalist to broadcast the confirmed news of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and provided live radio commentary from outside Westminster Abbey at her funeral.

The BBC said: “After 47 fantastic years we will be bidding farewell to royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell, who will be retiring next year.

“Nick has reported from across the world and presented key BBC News shows. Thank you for your remarkable service!”

Witchell first joined the BBC as a graduate news trainee in 1976 after completing a law degree at Leeds University.

Between 1979 and 1982 Nicholas was a BBC reporter in Northern Ireland, working on major stories such as the assassination of Earl Mountbatten and the IRA hunger strikes.

In 1982 he became a news reporter for television news where he covered the Falklands conflict.

He covered Margaret Thatcher’s 1983 general election campaign for the BBC before returning to Belfast to become the BBC’s Ireland Correspondent.

In September 1984 he was, with Sue Lawley, one of the founding presenters of BBC’s Six O’Clock News.

The retirement of the @BBCNews's #NickWitchell after 47 years will be a very sad departure – he's one of the few people at #Auntie with gravitas. A good innings and worth a #GoldRolex for staying the course

— Dickie Arbiter LVO ?? (@RoyalDickie) October 3, 2023