Prince Andrew, Fergie express 'serious reservations' about family portrayal in new series

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have expressed deep disappointment with how their family is depicted in a new series about the Duke of York’s career-ending interview.

The Amazon series, which premiered yesterday, features Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew and centers on his notorious 2019 interview regarding his connections with Jeffrey Epstein. 

Titled A Very Royal Scandal, the three-part series dramatises the 64-year-old’s Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, portrayed by Ruth Wilson. Maitlis also serves as a producer for the series.

The show chronicles the events leading up to the interview, the interview itself, and the subsequent fallout that impacted both Andrew and Maitlis. Prince Andrew was reportedly so eager to view the series that he hosted a screening party at Royal Lodge last night.

However, the excitement quickly turned to disappointment after the release, with the family expressing concerns over how they were portrayed.

A source told The Daily Express: “Andrew and Sarah are deeply disappointed by the entire family's portrayal in the series.

“Recollections may vary is an understatement to describe what has been portrayed from behind the scenes of the interview,” the source said, referring to a phrase the late Queen said following claims made by the Sussexes about the Royal Family in their Oprah interview.

The source continued: “There are some instances where there hasn't been a fair representation of what actually happened while other scenarios don't ring any bells at all.”

In the series, Fergie is depicted as a "thin-skinned lush," according to Alexander Larman in The Spectator. He also noted that Andrew is portrayed as "actively bad," contrasting with Rufus Sewell's depiction of the duke in Scoop as a "privileged imbecile who was easily led astray."

The series also shows Beatrice and Eugenie as "torn between their love for their father and their dismay at the scandal he has thrust upon them."

The infamous November 2019 interview with the former BBC presenter, in which Andrew strongly denied allegations of sexual assault against Virginia Giuffre, is a central focus. Andrew eventually settled out of court with Giuffre, but the settlement was not an admission of guilt and he accepted no liability.

The new series is part of a limited anthology that includes A Very English Scandal (2018) starring Hugh Grant and A Very British Scandal (2021), which dramatised the infamous divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, portrayed by Paul Bettany and Claire Foy.