A Very Royal Scandal, on Amazon Prime, covers the BBC’s efforts in 2019 to secure an interview with Prince Andrew about his relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Unbelievably, and against Royal advice, Andrew (Michael Sheen) eventually agrees to the sit with reporter Emily Maitlis (Ruth Wilson), who is known for being somewhat of a barracuda. Although Andrew saw it as a means to exonerating himself, the interview completely backfired on him, causing Andrew to be stripped of his Royal duties, and doing permanent damage to his reputation with the public. The purpose of watching the series, instead of the actual interview, which aired on the BBC in November of 2019, is getting the backstory of Emily’s need for a “win”, and insight into Andrew’s life and friendship with Epstein (John Hopkins).
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Andrew
Prince Andrew, who is, as he likes to remind everyone, “the second son of the sovereign”, was well-known to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite child, and, indeed, he carries none of the gloom of now-King Charles. But as the “spare heir”, he also didn’t have much to do, and became a bon vivant, swanning in and out of Royal events, but mostly excelling at golf and having fun. If you watch The Crown, you’ll recognize a similar personality and lifestyle as Princess Margaret. What Andrew clings to as a legitimate contribution to England is his service in the military during the war in the Falklands. In A Very Royal Scandal, we see “behind-the-scenes” Andrew; rude to servants, insecure, subject to flattery, and petulant, although devoted to his daughters Beatrice (Honor Swinton Byrne) and Eugenie (Sofia Oxenham), and companionable with his ex, Sarah Ferguson (Claire Rushbrook). When one of Epstein’s victims, Virginia Giuffre, accuses Andrew of having sex with her when she was 17, Andrew cannot abide “letting the press have its day until the story dies out” as he is advised. Instead, he agrees to sit for an interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis in a bid to exonerate himself. Instead, the interview decimates his reputation and easy lifestyle.
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Emily
Emily Maitlis was a senior BBC journalist and news anchor, helming the current affairs show Newsnight on BBC2. When A Very Royal Scandal opens, we see Emily conducting an interview about Brexit in which she rolls her eyes on camera, for which she was censured by the BBC. Ambitious and a workaholic, Emily is desperate to land a scoop that will put her back in the good graces of her employer. When a photo of Andrew and Virginia Giuffre is published by the Daily Mail, Emily pursues the story of Andrew and Epstein’s relationship. Her request for interview continues to be denied until the heat on Andrew becomes so great that he feels the need to exonerate himself with a candid interview. A backstory about Emily’s experience with a stalker adds some depth to an otherwise two-dimensional character.
Our Take on A Very Royal Scandal
While the performances are fantastic, with Michael Sheen being a shoe-in for a BAFTA or EMMY, I’m not sure that making A Very Royal Scandal was necessary. The series doesn’t break any new ground regarding Andrew’s relationship with Epstein, and since the actual BBC interview exists, besides exposing some colorful details about Andrew’s life and personality, there’s not much point to the series. The Emily story is there for narrative balance, and Ruth Wilson does a nice job, despite the Elizabeth Holmesian voice drop, but let’s be real-we’re all here to leer at Andrew and Epstein. It’s possible that UK viewers will feel differently. That being said, A Very Royal Scandal is excellently written and produced, and there is no doubt that it is entertaining. But I think it will become known as the weakest of the A Very…Scandal series.
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