Summary
An enlightening adaptation, A Very Royal Scandal peels back what happened behind closed doors. Michael Sheen and Ruth Wilson turn in excellent performaces, disappearing into the roles of the disgraced Prince and Emily Maitlis.
Prince Andrew’s interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis is an example of utter self-destruction, leading to the Prince’s downfall, irreparable damage to his reputation, and his likelihood of never being allowed on royal duty again. Prime Video’s dramatization of events in A Very Royal Scandal is the second one to come out this year after Netflix’s Scoop but alters its focus to Emily Maitlis, played by Ruth Wilson, and Prince Andrew, played by Michael Sheen.
The three episodes offer a broad look at the build up to the interview, the interview itself and the firestorm that followed, and let viewers get engrossed in what’s happening. While the show is based on the events themselves and not anything else, it offers a sense of authenticity, as Emily Maitlis herself is an executive producer. Maitlis’ perspective gets shown in-depth, allowing audiences in on the life of the journalist that managed to bring down a Royal.
Amazon’s version of the infamous Prince Andrew interview is split into three parts, with the first episode dealing with the build-up and preparation of the interview, the second part showing the interview being filmed, and the third part showing the immense fallout that occurred for Prince Andrew but also Maitlis, which isn’t something that’s typically given much thought.
The first episode focuses on events before the interview, setting up important context for later. Andrew’s visits to Epstein, the damning photograph of him with Virginia Giuffre, and hints of his true nature are displayed. Maitlis seems to be going after it even before Epstein’s death, pushing for an interview a lot sooner. It’s something that they’re struggling to get. In one scene, Epstein’s death is reported to the world, and in a hilarious moment, Andrew awkwardly asks his Private Secretary Amanda Thirsk if it’s good for him. As it turns out, it was not.
Episode 2 focuses on the interview itself, with Prince Andrew clearly getting tired of all the media speculation about his relationship with Epstein. Thirsk ignores the advice of Sir Edward Young, Private Secretary to the Sovereign, and pushes Andrew to tell his side. What’s shocking is that this drama suggests that Prince Andrew’s ridiculous alibi about visiting a Pizza Express in Woking was something that Thirsk insisted the BBC include, even forcing the BBC to re-edit their interview to include it.
The third episode is the explosive fallout of the interview, with Thirsk getting a hint at what the reaction would be at the end of Episode 2. But it shows how the interview had consequences for not just Prince Andrew, with Thirsk and Prince Andrew’s daughters getting caught in the crossfire. It’s something that audiences might not have considered before.
Something else audiences might not have thought of is how it affected Maitlis. As she’s an excutive producer on the show, she’s able to inject a large amount of honesty into what audiences are watching, with how the sudden fame reopened old wounds. This is something the audience likely won’t have known about, giving reason why Prime Video adapted this very recent event, proving more than a cash grab.
Throughout A Very Royal Scandal, the two main actors, Michael Sheen and Ruth Wilson, turn in fantastic performances. Sheen melts into the role, disappearing completely. He inhabits Prince Andrew, adopting his mannerisms and his ways of speaking. Wilson is similarly captivating, adopting Maitlis’ familiar tone of voice and drive.
While the events are dramatised, the show captures the essence of what happened during those tense days. And, because Maitlis is involved as an executive producer, it carries a strong sense of authenticity. Prime Video has another excellent season of their scandalous series.
For more on A Very Royal Scandal, check out our complete breakdown of the ending, which includes comparisons with Netflix’s Scoop.
