Royal experts believe the Netflix film, Scoop, a retelling of their version of events with Prince Andrew’s interview on BBC’s Newsnight, is “embarrassing” for the Palace and an indication Prince Andrew is a “serious liability”.
The Duke of York, 64, is in the spotlight after the Netflix film highlights his interview with presenter Emily Maitlis, and experts have weighed in on the film which was released on the streaming platform on April 5.
Scoop offers a dramatisation of how the team at Newsnight secured their infamous interview with Prince Andrew back in 2019.
As reported in the Daily Mail, royal author, Richard Fitzwilliams, said: “The film conveys the extraordinary sense of entitlement that Andrew had. He is told by his aide Amanda Thirsk to ‘just be himself’ and he is – that’s the most damning thing.”
He added: “It is very embarrassing for the Palace and simply another indication that Andrew is completely unfit for the Royal Family he was born into.”
Biographer and investigative journalist Tom Bower thinks King Charles needs to act. Mr Bower said: “To save the Royal Family from more horrendous damage, King Charles will finally need to order Prince Andrew to permanently stay out of public view.”
He continued: “Senior officials also need to tell Andrew the truth. He is a serious liability and cannot be trusted or rescued. Unless King Charles firmly grasps this nettle it can only get worse.”
Actor Rufus Sewell plays Andrew while Gillian Anderson portrays Ms Maitlis in the film. Keeley Hawes and Billie Piper also star in the new Netflix film, which was released yesterday.
The drama, which has been highly publicised and features a star-studded cast, focuses on the Duke of York’s excruciating sitdown interview in 2019, where he was quizzed by broadcaster Emily Maitlis about his friendship with late billionaire convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
‘Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal’ was aired on Newsnight on the BBC in November 2019, and also questioned the Prince’s relationship with Virginia Roberts Giuffre who alleged he sexually assaulted her.
The Duke consistently and vehemently denies the allegations. He reaced an out-of-court settlement with Virginia, who had brought a civil case against the Prince for sexual assault. The settlement was not an admission of guilt and Andrew accepted no liability.
No longer a working royal, Prince Andrew has lost his HRH status, was stripped of his military titles and patronages and has stepped down from royal duties following the interview.
Just as a Netflix film about his Newsnight interview was released on the streaming platform on April 5, Prince Andrew was pictured on a morning horse ride in Windsor.
