Michael Sheen plays Prince Andrew in series revisiting Epstein scandal

In three episodes, A Very Royal Scandal looks back at the interview with the Duke of York that shook the English monarchy.

If The Crown had not ended after five seasons, it could not have ignored the scandal that rocked the British crown – that of the involvement of Prince Andrew, son of the late Queen Elizabeth II, in the sex trafficking of Jeffrey Epstein. An American multi-billionaire, the latter had organized a series of prostitution networks of minors that he shared with his friends. Indicted, he was serving a sentence in prison when he was found hanged in his cell in 2019. From there, new evidence revealing the Duke of York's involvement in the affair has emerged. The public is waiting for answers, and the Prince gives them some during the interview with “Newsnight” from the BBC – featured in new Prime Video series A Very Royal Scandal.

“One night. One hour. One interview that had the effect of an earthquake across the world.”

This is what the official synopsis reveals. First following the premises of this interview, with in particular the accusations made in 2015 by Virginia Roberts Giuffre who claims to have been abused by the member of the royal family when she was only seventeen years old, then evoking the effects of the scandal, the series will mainly rely on the interview given by Prince Andrew, played here by Michael Sheen (Good Omens) opposite journalist Emily Maitlis played by Ruth Wilson (Luther).

The mechanisms and cogs of this televised intervention are dissected. On each side, we see the strategies put in place and the power relations between a distinguished journalist who is about to bring down one of the heads of the English monarchy, and one of the most important men in the country. With this interview, the entire institution is threatened and risks collapsing. And neither of the two speakers will give up: one to proclaim his innocence and his friendship with the accused, the other to reveal the truth. Their lives will change in an instant.

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This is not the first time this story has been brought to the screen. Earlier this year, Netflix released Scoopstarring Gillian Anderson as the journalist and Rufus Sewell as the accused. But unlike the feature film based on the book written by the show's producer, Sam McAlister, the series A Very Scandal will be seen from the point of view of Emily Maitlis, also an executive producer on the series.

This is also part of an anthology series covering various British affairs. The first being A Very English Scandal with Hugh Grant and Ben Whishaw (Spectre, Women Talking) released in 2018, and the second A Very British Scandal with Claire Foy (The Crown) and Paul Bettany looking back at the high-profile divorce between the Duke and Duchess of Argyll amid sex scandals.

This third part will be available on September 19 on Prime Video.