Ahead of its newly announced Sept. 19 release date, Amazon Prime is sharing a first look at Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew in the streaming service’s new series A Very Royal Scandal.
The show tackles the Duke of York’s infamous Newsnight interview back in Nov. 2019 with BBC journalist Emily Maitlis, who is played in the series by Ruth Wilson. Per Variety, A Very Royal Scandal will focus “on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations he faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Guiffre.” The show “follows the action of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in the leadup to the interview, the groundbreaking event itself and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever,” its synopsis reads.
Amazon
Prince Andrew “was widely criticized for his defense of his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his failure to mention Epstein’s victims” during the interview, Variety wrote. A Very Royal Scandal marks the second time in 2024 Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview has played out on screen — back in April, Netflix released its own dramatization of the events of five years ago with Scoop, starring Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Gillian Anderson as Maitlis.
Maitlis is an executive producer on A Very Royal Scandal, according to Variety, and the series “is understood to be told more from her perspective,” the outlet wrote.
A Very Royal Scandal is part of an anthology of limited series that includes 2018’s A Very English Scandal starring Hugh Grant and 2021’s A Very British Scandal, about the infamous divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argylle, played by Paul Bettany and Claire Foy.
Amazon
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
In the Nov. 2019 Newsnight interview, Prince Andrew spoke out for the first time about his relationship with Epstein and allegations that he had sex with Virginia Roberts (now Guiffre) when she was 17. He insisted he had “no recollection of ever meeting” Guiffre, and when Maitlis mentioned a photo showing the royal with his arm around Guiffre’s waist, Prince Andrew claimed “I have absolutely no memory of that photograph ever being taken.”
JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP/Getty
Soon after the Newsnight interview aired, Prince Andrew announced he was stepping back from public duties, and in January 2022, Queen Elizabeth stripped the Duke of York of his military titles and patronages amid Guiffre’s civil sexual assault lawsuit that has since been settled. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
