For decades, the British Royal Family managed to maintain a certain mystique and allure. Tabloid fodder and salacious stories leaked occasionally, but in the 1990s, the scandals surrounding Princess Diana and King Charles’ marriage almost caused the entire enterprise to collapse. However, the royals seemed to hit new heights in popularity in 2018 when Prince Harry married Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Yet, just a few short years later, it all crumbled. Queen Elizabeth II was ailing, Prince Harry and Meghan exited the royal family and Prince Andrew ‘s long relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced. Created by Jeremy Brock, Prime Video ‘s limited series “ A Very Royal Scandal ” is a frank and engaging examination of the shocking interview between Prince Andrew ( Michael Sheen ) and journalist Emily Maitlis ( Ruth Wilson ) that would lead to the Duke of York’s ousting from public life and define Maitlis’ career.
“A Very Royal Scandal,” the third iteration of Prime Video’s “Scandal” series, is the second time this year the story behind the Prince Andrew interview has been brought to the screen — in April, Netflix released its film, “Scoop,” which covered the same territory. While this limited series is from Maitlis’ perspective, “Scoop,” starring Gillian Anderson, was adapted from Newsnight producer Sam McAlister’s autobiographical book, “Scoops.” The Emmy-nominated film highlights McAlister’s pivotal but overlook.