No holds barred on royal scandal
Michael Sheen’s approach to portraying the Duke of York in A Very Royal Scandal draws on a striking image of Prince Andrew during his time as a celebrated figure after the Falklands War—grinning, self-assured, and carrying a rose between his teeth. This moment, which encapsulated a young prince seen as a “royal Romeo” and the apple of the Queen’s eye, served as Sheen’s inspiration for capturing the Duke’s character.
Sheen masterfully channels this self-confidence, contrasting it with the bitterness and disbelief the prince experiences during his notorious Newsnight interview, which marked the beginning of a dramatic downfall. His performance in this Amazon Prime three-part film is intense, as he portrays Prince Andrew railing against his diminishing status with a fiery sense of entitlement. Sheen’s interpretation stands out as he fearlessly depicts the prince using expletive-laden outbursts, a rarity in royal portrayals, giving a raw, human element to the disgraced prince.
Getty ImagesThe Crown may seem almost genteel in comparison to A Very Royal Scandal, which delivers a raw, no-holds-barred portrayal of palace life, pulling no punches when it comes to Prince Andrew’s downfall. The Amazon film offers an unprecedentedly harsh glimpse into royal affairs, making The Crown look like a mere costume drama in contrast to the venomous, high-stakes world depicted here.
Michael Sheen’s Prince Andrew is volatile and unfiltered, swearing profusely in a way no royal has ever been portrayed before. He seamlessly inhabits the role, blending vanity, vulnerability, and a glaring lack of self-awareness as his once-privileged life spirals out of control. Sheen’s version of Andrew is not only pompous and foul-mouthed but also desperately needy, oblivious to how ruthlessly he’s being exposed by Emily Maitlis, played with sharp precision by Ruth Wilson.
In this depiction, the infamous Newsnight interview is not just a “car crash” moment—it’s a full-on disaster, reducing Prince Andrew’s reputation to metaphorical roadkill. Sheen’s Andrew is utterly blind to the consequences of his arrogance, making his unraveling all the more painful and mesmerizing to watch.
Amazon/ MGMComparisons to Netflix’s Scoop are inevitable, as both films center around the infamous 2019 Newsnight interview. Rufus Sewell’s portrayal of Prince Andrew in Scoop has been likened to David Brent from The Office, emphasizing the deluded self-importance of the character. However, Michael Sheen’s take on the Duke in A Very Royal Scandal offers a deeper, more multifaceted interpretation.
Sheen’s Prince Andrew is more than just oblivious; he is a self-serving and emotionally tone-deaf figure, driven by ambition and fiercely loyal to his close family, while deeply distrustful of palace officials. His portrayal channels a Shakespearean level of complexity—part Richard III with his cunning and self-interest, part Alan Partridge in his awkwardness and desperation for approval. This blend adds layers of vulnerability to the character, painting Andrew as both egotistical and tragically out of touch with his surroundings.
One of the film’s most striking moments comes when Prince Andrew reacts to the news of Jeffrey Epstein’s death with self-centered detachment, asking, “Is this good for me or bad?” This perfectly encapsulates his warped priorities.
The tension between Andrew and his brother, the then-Prince of Wales, is another key theme. In one particularly charged scene, Andrew explodes with rage after a heated phone call, hurling insults and swearing vehemently, bitterly claiming, “Calls me a mummy’s boy, he’s the mummy’s boy.” The profanity-laden tirades and constant friction with his brother add to the portrait of a man deeply insecure, isolated, and disconnected from reality.
Getty ImagesA Very Royal Scandal offers a stark and unflattering portrayal of the monarchy, particularly through its depiction of Prince Andrew. He is shown as casually dismissive and rude to servants, while palace officials reflect on the royals’ profound detachment from normal life: “They’ve never been late for a train—because the train waits for them.” This observation underscores the pervasive sense of entitlement that surrounds the royal family in the film.
While the Newsnight interview forms the narrative core, one of the most pivotal moments arrives in the first episode, where Prince Andrew meets Jeffrey Epstein in New York. This scene, more than any other, exposes the prince’s vulnerabilities and desperation. In an excruciating exchange, Andrew is shown as awkwardly needing money while Epstein, played with chilling calculation by John Hopkins, toys with him, exploiting the prince’s financial troubles.
Sheen’s portrayal here is particularly gripping, as he shows Andrew completely out of his depth in front of Epstein’s malevolence. The discomfort and power imbalance between them is palpable, highlighting Andrew’s inability to navigate the dark and transactional world Epstein represents.
This toxic association with Epstein weaves through the entire film, casting a shadow over Andrew’s life. Despite his protests of innocence, the accusations close in around him like a tightening noose, culminating in his attempts to evade lawyers trying to serve him with court papers. This portrayal of a prince trapped by his own poor decisions, and forever linked to a scandal of his own making, emphasizes the self-inflicted nature of his downfall and his sheer inability to control the narrative surrounding him.
Amazon/ MGMA Very Royal Scandal offers a far more textured and compelling narrative compared to Netflix’s Scoop. While the latter focuses predominantly on the Newsnight interview, this Amazon Prime series delves deeper into the personal and emotional repercussions for those closest to Prince Andrew, including his ex-wife, the Duchess of York, and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Their loyalty to him is depicted with a sense of intimacy, showing them as a close-knit family caught in a scandal, distinct from the often detached image of the Royal Family.
The film beautifully explores how these events affect Prince Andrew’s inner circle, particularly his private secretary Amanda Thirsk, portrayed by Joanna Scanlan. Thirsk’s unwavering defense of the prince, even after losing her job due to the fallout from the interview, adds a poignant layer to the story. Their relationship is marked by a mix of co-dependency and scapegoating, drawing comparisons to the comedic yet complicated dynamic between Alan Partridge and his assistant Lynn.
This portrayal of Thirsk reflects the sense of loyalty and personal sacrifice involved, making her one of the most empathetic characters in the series. The film’s ability to humanize those around Andrew while still critiquing his behavior adds depth, creating a more engaging and emotionally resonant account of the events than its Netflix counterpart.
Amazon/ MGMIn A Very Royal Scandal, Prince Andrew’s downfall is centered on his disastrous Newsnight interview, which becomes the catalyst for his public unraveling. The film suggests that some of the now-infamous moments from the interview—like his bizarre claims about being unable to sweat and his alibi of visiting Pizza Express in Woking—almost didn’t make the final cut, emphasizing how close these critical missteps were to being left out in editing. These moments, which have since become widely ridiculed, were pivotal in shaping public perception of the prince’s defense.
However, the film doesn’t solely focus on the prince’s misfortune. Emily Maitlis, portrayed by Ruth Wilson, experiences her own set of doubts and reflections despite the acclaim she receives for the interview. As much as Maitlis emerges as the victor in the public eye, the film captures her inner conflict, particularly around the unresolved fate of Epstein’s victims. She raises the crucial issue of what has been done for the women affected by Epstein’s crimes and expresses concern over the lack of legal accountability or closure for them.
This narrative adds another layer to the story, shifting the focus beyond Prince Andrew’s fall from grace to the broader implications of the Epstein scandal. By bringing in this unresolved aspect, the film invites viewers to consider the far-reaching consequences of Andrew’s association with Epstein, which extend well beyond his own personal and public disgrace.
At the core of A Very Royal Scandal lies a central ambiguity: the unresolved civil case between Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre. The lawsuit ended in an out-of-court settlement, with the prince steadfastly denying any wrongdoing. Yet, crucially, neither party had their day in court, leaving many questions unanswered. This ambiguity runs through the film, which depicts Andrew’s decision to participate in the Newsnight interview as being motivated in part by his belief that it might disprove the infamous photograph of him with Giuffre.
The line between fact and fiction is another key tension in the drama. The film raises several moments of uncertainty for viewers—such as whether Prince Andrew really called his private secretary “Fatty” and challenged her to races, or if the Queen’s private secretary, Sir Edward Young, really uttered the memorable line: “We’ll be shovelling more shit than Dyno-Rod.” The film includes a disclaimer acknowledging that while it is based on real events and people, certain scenes have been fictionalized for dramatic effect.
The depiction of palace intrigue is further heightened by the dramatization of Andrew’s exclusion from Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. In the film, his absence is framed as a behind-the-scenes maneuver, using Covid as a face-saving excuse. In reality, though Covid was indeed cited, the Palace had already openly confirmed that Andrew, no longer a working royal, would not be present on the Buckingham Palace balcony—a decision that was, in fact, more publicly humiliating than the film portrays.
Despite these deviations from fact, the power of Sheen’s portrayal and the film’s sharp storytelling threaten to “overwrite” the actual history. Dramatizations like this have a way of reshaping public memory, and Sheen’s performance might leave an indelible mark on how Prince Andrew is remembered going forward, blending fact with the dramatic liberties that drive the narrative.
A Very Royal Scandal, streaming on Prime Video in three episodes from September 19, presents a complex, riveting look at a prince whose actions have led to one of the most damaging scandals in recent royal history.
