''A Very Royal Scandal'' is a British three-part

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...

series from

Amazon MGM Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...

with

Emily Maitlis Emily Maitlis (born 6 September 1970) is a Canadian-born British journalist and former newsreader for the BBC who was the lead anchor of the BBC Two news and current affairs programme ''Newsnight'' until the end of 2021. She has since been a pre ...

as executive producer and starring

Ruth Wilson Ruth Wilson (born 13 January 1982) is an English actress. She has played the eponymous protagonist in ''Jane Eyre'' (2006), Alice Morgan in the BBC psychological crime drama '' Luther'' (2010–2013, 2019), Alison Lockhart in the Showtime dram ...

as Maitlis and

Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...

Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a younger bro ...

. It is written by

Jeremy Brock Jeremy Brock MBE (born 14 July 1959) is a British writer and director whose works include the screenplays '' Mrs Brown'', '' Driving Lessons'', '' The Last King of Scotland'', '' Charlotte Gray'', and '' The Eagle''. Brock has also written two ...

and directed by

Julian Jarrold Julian Edward Peter Jarrold (born 1961, Norwich) is a BAFTA-nominated British film and television director. Early life and family A scion of the Huguenot family originally from near Lyon in France, which founded Jarrolds of Norwich in 1823, ...

. ''A Very Royal Scandal'' was released on 19 September 2024 on the streaming service

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

Premise

It is a dramatic retelling of

' professional and personal journey leading up to the 2019 BBC television interview of

Prince Andrew Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a younger broth ...

by Maitlis for

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

news and current affairs programme ''

Newsnight ''Newsnight'' is the BBC's news and current affairs programme, providing in-depth investigation and analysis of the stories behind the day's headlines. It is broadcast weeknights at 10:30 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel; it is also avail ...

'' regarding the Prince's ties to human trafficker

Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( , ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American financier and child sex offender. Born and raised in New York City, Epstein began his professional career as a teacher at the Dalton School, despite lacking a col ...

Plot

Episode 1

In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein cops a plea to state criminal charges in Florida in exchange for federal immunity. Later, in December 2010, Prince Andrew's photo is taken in New York Central Park. The two had been meeting because Andrew was seeking

financial advice A financial adviser or financial advisor is a professional who provides financial services to clients based on their financial situation. In many countries, financial advisors must complete specific training and be registered with a regulatory ...

from Epstein. In spite of the Florida plea bargain with federal authorities, Epstein is re-arrested by SDNY federal authorities on revived federal charges in 2019. After Epstein's death in August 2019, Prince Andrew agrees to a BBC interview "

Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal "Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal" is an episode of the BBC's news and current affairs programme ''Newsnight'' broadcast on BBC Two on 16 November 2019. In the 58-minute programme, Prince Andrew, Duke of York was interviewed by Emily Maitlis ...

" in November 2019. The March 2001 photo of the 17-year-old-at-the-time

Virginia Giuffre Virginia Louise Giuffre (''née'' Roberts; August 9, 1983 – April 25, 2025) was an American Australians, American-Australian accuser of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and a campaigner who offered support to survivors of sex trafficking. ...

and 41-year-old-at-the-time Prince Andrew at a house on Kinnerton Street has been published in the lead-up to the interview. In May 2015, Virginia Giuffre contacts the London Metropolitan Police with accusations against Prince Andrew. The Met dismissed the case in 2016 because the activities were largely outside the United Kingdom. Maitlis considers this a "coverup." In a practice session with her colleagues before the interview, a colleague playing the

devil's advocate The (Latin for Devil's advocate) is a former official position within the Catholic Church, the Promoter of the Faith: one who "argued against the canonization (sainthood) of a candidate to uncover any character flaws or misrepresentation of th ...

as Prince Andrew retorts that even if he had sex with Virginia Giuffre in 2001 when she was 17, the age of consent in the United Kingdom was 16.

Episode 2

A few days before Prince Andrew's ''Newsnight'' interview, BBC ''

Panorama A panorama (formed from Greek language, Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any Obtuse angle, wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography (panoramic photography), film, seismic image ...

'' interviewed Virginia Giuffre. Andrew denies having danced with Giuffre at the nightclub

Tramp A tramp is a long-term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking all year round. Etymology Tramp is derived from a Middle English verb meaning to "walk with heavy footsteps" (''cf.'' modern English '' ...

in 2001. Andrew admits to having invited

Ghislaine Maxwell Ghislaine Noelle Marion Maxwell ( ; born 25 December 1961) is a British-French-American former socialite and convicted sex offender. She was found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with the deceased financier and ...

to the

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

and

Sandringham House Sandringham House is a country house in the parish of Sandringham, Norfolk, England. It is one of the royal residences of Charles III, whose grandfather, George VI, and great-grandfather, George V, both died there. The house stands in a est ...

in 2000. Andrew claims that Epstein was Maxwell's plus one. Andrew says that he was a patron of

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...

and didn't see any child sexual abuse. He owns up to his long friendship with Maxwell. He was hosted at Maxwell's home at the affluent

Belgravia Belgravia () is a district in Central London, covering parts of the areas of the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Belgravia was known as the 'Five Fields' during the Tudor Period, and became a dangerous pla ...

neighborhood of London.

Episode 3

After the state of New York passes the Child Victims Act of 2019,

files a

civil suit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. T ...

against Prince Andrew claiming that she feared death after her 2001 romantic encounter with the Prince. Emily Maitlis leaves the BBC at the end of 2021. The civil case against the Prince is decided to be settled before the

Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration in 2022 marking the Platinum jubilee, 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was the first time that any History of monarchy in the U ...

; he is excluded from the Jubilee.

Cast

Alex Jennings Alex Michael Jennings (born 10 May 1957) is an English actor of the stage and screen who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. For his work on the London stage, Jennings has received three O ...

as Sir Edward Young *

Joanna Scanlan Joanna Marion Scanlan (born 27 October 1961) is a British actress and writer. On television, she is known for her roles in ''The Thick of It'' (2005–2012), ''Big School'' (2013–2014), ''Puppy Love'' (2014), '' No Offence'' (2015–2018), ...

as Amanda Thirsk *

Éanna Hardwicke Éanna Hardwicke is an Irish actor and filmmaker. He began his career as a child actor in Conor McPherson's '' The Eclipse'' (2009). His films since include '' Lakelands'' (2022). On television, he is known for his roles in the BBC One series '' ...

as Stewart Maclean * Lydia Leonard as Esme Wren * Honor Swinton Byrne as

Princess Beatrice Princess Beatrice, Mrs Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi (Beatrice Elizabeth Mary; born 8 August 1988) is a member of the British royal family. She is the elder daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of King Ch ...

* Sofia Oxenham as

Princess Eugenie Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank ( ; Eugenie Victoria Helena; born 23 March 1990) is a member of the British royal family. She is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is a niece of King Cha ...

Claire Rushbrook Claire Louise Rushbrook (born 25 August 1971) is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Roxanne in the film '' Secrets & Lies'' (1996), and for playing Linda Earl-Bouchtat (Rae's Mum) in ''My Mad Fat Diary'' (2013–2015). Other ...

Sarah, Duchess of York Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959), also known by the nickname Fergie, is a British author, philanthropist, television personality, and member of the extended British royal family. She is the former wife of P ...

Clare Calbraith Clare Michelle Calbraith (born 1 January 1974) is an English actress, born in Winsford, Cheshire, and raised in Liverpool and Cheshire, whose appearances include roles in ''Vera'', the ITV period drama series '' Home Fires'' and ''Downton Abbe ...

as Sam McAlister * Robert Neumark Jones as Jason Stein * John Hopkins as

* Tom Arnold as Head Newsnight Cameraman

Production

The series is produced for

Blueprint Pictures Blueprint Pictures Limited is an independent film, indie film and television production company founded in 2005 by producers Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin. Sony Pictures Television has owned a small stake in Blueprint Television since 2016. ...

is the screenwriter and

the director.

is executive producer on the series alongside Karen Thrussell,

Graham Broadbent Graham Neil Broadbent is a British film and television producer. Career Broadbent co-founded Mission Pictures with Andrew Hauptman and Damian Jones (producer), Damian Jones. Broadbent produced ''Welcome to Sarajevo'' (1996) by Michael Winterb ...

, Pete Czernin, Diarmuid McKeown, Brock and Jarrold. The series is a

spiritual successor A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous product or work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue th ...

to '' A Very English Scandal'' (2018), about the Thorpe affair, and ''

A Very British Scandal ''A Very British Scandal'' is a 2021 British three-part historical drama series starring Claire Foy as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll and Paul Bettany as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. While not a direct sequel or continuation, its ...

'' (2021), about the Argyll divorce, both of which were also produced by Blueprint.

Casting

In November 2023, Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen were set in the roles as Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew with Alex Jennings, Joanna Scanlan and Éanna Hardwicke also in the cast. The cast also includes Clare Calbraith as Sam McAlister and Lydia Leonard as Esme Wren from '' Newsnight'', Honor Swinton Byrne and Sofia Oxenham as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Claire Rushbrook as Sarah Ferguson.

Filming

Amazon Studios started production on the series in the UK in November 2023.

Reception

On the

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...

website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, 85% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

, which uses a

weighted average The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...

, assigned a score of 66 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Very Royal Scandal, A 2024 British television series debuts 2024 British television series endings 2020s British television miniseries Amazon Prime Video original programming Biographical television series British English-language television shows Cultural depictions of presenters Prince Andrew, Duke of York Television series about princes Television series by Amazon MGM Studios Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series set in 2019 Television shows filmed in the United Kingdom Television series about television