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Privacy NoticeNearly half a decade ago, Prince Andrew’s life took a dramatic turn when he sat down for an intense interview with Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight. Now, the infamous conversation has been dramatised in a new series, bringing the Duke of York’s embarrassing moment back into the spotlight. The Amazon Prime show, A Very Royal Scandal, depicts Emily’s journey towards the interview with Prince Andrew and features Luther and Mrs Wilson star Ruth Wilson as the journalist and Michael Sheen portraying the Duke. This follows another drama, Scoop, which also revisited the story behind the interview from the viewpoint of BBC booker, Sam McAllister.
The show comes a few months after the release of Scoop of Netflix
As the show is released, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond spoke exclusively to OK! about how the Firm will feel about the interview being back in the headlines. “Andrew really is the problem that refuses to go away.” Looking at how this show is different from Netflix’s Scoop, Jennie says the reason behind this is Emily Maitlis’ involvement. “As Emily was so involved with this show – as opposed to the last one – it’s getting much more publicity than I imagined it would. I don’t imagine the King will watch it, but he will be made aware of its contents and any repercussions I’m sure. It’s bound to be a further embarrassment for all concerned.” Row over crumbling home
Royal Lodge is Prince Andrew’s home in Windsor
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Prince Andrew continues to reside in his 30-room Windsor home, Royal Lodge, which he shares with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Despite their divorce nearly three decades ago, the duo remains close, with Fergie even accompanying Andrew to church this Easter Sunday. In line with King Charles’ plans to downsize the monarchy, Andrew was offered a move from his mansion to the more compact Frogmore Cottage, recently refurbished by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. However, he may soon be compelled to vacate the property as Charles has reportedly informed a security team that their services will no longer be required at the lodge once their contract concludes in autumn. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond previously spoke exclusively to OK! about Andrew and the King’s dilemma, saying that Andrew should accept his brother’s “sensible” offer and move to a “property he can afford”.
The King and the Duke of York have reportedly been struggling to reach an agreement
“The King knows that having a disgraced Duke idling his time away in a 30 room mansion that requires up to half a million pounds of upkeep every year and something like £2 million in security costs to keep him there, looks bad. Andrew seems to spend most of his time either riding around the huge estate on horseback or reportedly sitting in front of a big screen watching live coverage of planes landing and taking off. It’s not a good look. She added: “So the obvious answer is to persuade him to move to the vacant Frogmore Cottage which has been magnificently refurbished for £2.4 million – which of course Harry and Meghan finally repaid. “It seems like a perfectly sensible and generous offer by the King to continue to pay the costs for his brother. The security would presumably be less at Frogmore because it is much closer to Windsor and within the I security cordon already in place around the castle and its environs. It’s time this grand old Duke of York marched down the hill to a property he can afford!”
The Duke still lives at Royal Lodge with his ex-wife, Sarah, Duchess of York
(Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Andrew faces escalating costs in his attempts to remain at Royal Lodge, and he has also been obliged to cover the maintenance costs of the 19th-century Grade II listed house, including a recent £200,000 bill for roof repairs. It’s understood that he has informed the King of his intention to ‘see out’ the remaining 55 years on a lease he signed at the £30million mansion two decades ago. While a comeback to royal duties seems unlikely, one noted royal author believes King Charles won’t turn his back on his sibling. Royal biographer Robert Hardman, who penned ‘Charles III’, hints that the royals prefer to keep Prince Andrew close, with one insider revealing: “Andrew could be far more damaging outside the loop.” Another source added: “The King will not just cast his brother adrift. He is very fond of his nieces [Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie]. And at least [Andrew] hasn’t been disloyal. But any return to public life is out of the question. His legal problems are not resolved, the public don’t want him and many people still remember his rudeness last time round.” Pushed out of royal life
The Duke of York’s fall from grace was very well publicised
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Prior to the Newsnight debacle, Andrew had a packed schedule of royal duties. In the year leading up to the disastrous interview, he undertook a total of 394 engagements – surpassing his nephew Prince William. Andrew’s primary responsibilities included promoting British businesses overseas and welcoming foreign dignitaries visiting the UK on behalf of the late Queen. He also played a key role in establishing and running the Dragon’s Den style initiative Pitch@Palace, which connected start-up business owners with potential investors during special events at Buckingham Palace, proving to be a great success. However, just days after the interview, Andrew dramatically stepped back from public life “for the foreseeable future”. In a statement approved by the late Queen, he acknowledged that his “former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.” He expressed sympathy for the victims of the convicted sex offender and disgraced financier, stating he “hoped they could rebuild their lives.”
The Duke’s fall from grace was well documented
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He stated: “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.” The decision resulted in him missing an honorary Navy promotion, and he was not awarded the rank of Admiral on his 60th birthday as expected several months later. Andrew now only makes brief appearances at royal events that are considered family occasions. These have included the late Queen’s funeral, the King’s Coronation and a memorial for the former King Constantine of Greece earlier this year. He has, however, been forced to miss other royal milestones, including Trooping the Colour, Remembrance Sunday and Commonwealth Day, with a case of Covid ruling him out of participating in the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. However, Andrew’s troubles seemed to escalate when Virginia Giuffre initiated a civil sexual assault lawsuit against him in New York in early 2021. She claimed that she was instructed by Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell to sleep with the Prince at Epstein’s New York mansion and other locations when she was just 17. The Prince has consistently denied these allegations, stating he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her. As the prospect of a court case became more real in early 2022, the late Queen called her second son for a crucial meeting. It was here that the former monarch informed him that he would no longer be referred to as His Royal Highness “in any official capacity”. This was followed by the removal of many of his military titles and patronage associations. Eventually, Andrew and his accuser reached an out-of-court settlement, rumoured to be worth £12million. The settlement did not include any admission of liability, guilt or wrongdoing on Prince Andrew’s part.Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnMeghan MarkleMichael SheenPrince AndrewPrincess BeatricePrincess EugenieEmily MaitlisA Very Royal ScandalWindsor CastleKing Charles III
