September, 19, 2024
Courtesy: PrimeVideo
"A Very Royal Scandal" is the latest television 3-part miniseries from Amazon MGM Studios in conjunction with Blueprint Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, premiering on Prime Video today with all three episodes. The latest installment is part of the "Scandal" series, which first premiered A Very English Scandal (2018) and A Very British Scandal (2021). The series dramatizes the professional and personal journey of veteran journalist Emily Maitlis leading up to Prince Andrew's infamous 2019 BBC television interview and the devastating aftermath for Andrew, his family, The Royals, and England.
Directed by Julian Jarrold with a screenplay by Jeremy Brock, Emily Maitlis serves as executive producer along with Karen Thrussell, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, and Diarmuid McKeown.
The series stars:
Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis,
Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew,
Alex Jennings as Sir Edward Young,
Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk,
Éanna Hardwicke as Stewart MacLean and
Thomas Arnold as Head Interview Cameraman
Courtesy: PrimeVideo
Prince Andrew's international and very public fall from grace took center stage when he was interviewed by Emily Maitlis about his scandalous relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the American billionaire who was convicted of multiple sex offenses in association with the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was also convicted of several federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy for helping Epstein procure underage teenaged girls. Rumors immediately began circulating when Andrew's relationship with a young woman named Virginia Giuffre came into question. The explosive 1-hour sit-down interview with Maitlis was supposed to clear doubt and assuage public fears that he did not have intimate relations with Virginia Giuffre at Jeffrey Epstein's house when she was 17. Instead, with an interview watched by millions, it had the opposite effect, with the bizarre recount of his inability not to sweat and his supposedly being at PizzaExpress in Woking, the interview was universally panned by both the media and the public, resulting in Andrew resigning from all public duties.
If the series feels familiar, Rufus Sewell and Gillian Anderson played the roles in Netflix's adaptation of the same premise. However, Prime Video's "A Royal Scandal" is effectively accurate with attempts at brutal honesty. Sheen masterfully portrays Andrew as callous, openly defiant, if not obtuse, with a steam of expletives that comes naturally for Andrew. Other portrayals of the Duke of York tried to duplicate with a thin interpretation; here, "A Royal Scandal" goes full throttle with its volatile characterization of Andrew with a mix of arrogance and pity at the disastrous implications and ramifications for the Royal family.
Courtesy: PrimeVideo
Telling the story through Maitlis' perspective added layers to the veteran broadcaster's story. The public knows about her work, but very few know about her personal life. While this series may be a dramatization based on what the public deems to be true, seeing Maitlis at home talking with her husband, seeing her kids, doing research, and being flustered gives personal characterizations to a public figure that is usually omitted when retelling stories about the Royal family. Wilson's portrayal of Maitlis and the pivotal interview with Andrew is right on the money.
A "Royal Scandal" offers an inside look leading up to the infamous interview that is contextually layered, and even with its dramatization of events, it's hard not to feel that it may be true. The scenes with Sarah Furguson and his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were also impactful as they dealt with the fallout as a family. Prince Andrew's fall from grace affected not just him but had rippling effects of those around him, especially his daughters. It's hard not to feel empathy for at least them, knowing they are the only true innocents in this nightmarish scandal.
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A Royal Scandal is currently streaming on Prime Video.
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