Fresh twist in Andrew scandal as new Amazon drama trashes prince’s claim he didn’t sleep with Virginia Giuffre
A BOMBSHELL new TV drama on Prince Andrew’s disastrous interview with Emily Maitlis suggests that the royal DID sleep with a teenage Virginia Giuffre.
The Duke of York is portrayed as privately saying “How on earth is a bloke supposed to remember all the women he’s bedded?” when quizzed in A Very Royal Scandal.
It is based on Andrew’s car crash 2019 BBC interview, in which he denied going to his favourite London club Tramp in 2001 with Giuffre, who was then 17.
The royal, who is played by Michael Sheen, also denies anything physical happened between them.
In flashbacks, he is seen dancing in a club with his paedophile pal Jeffrey Epstein — played by Poldark and Midsomer Murders star John Hopkins — and a young woman, who looks like Virginia.
Later, he is seen climbing stairs at night in a house where the billionaire US financier is again present.
In one moment, Andrew looks nervous as he enters a room from which a female’s giggling is heard.
In another scene, the Duke apparently recollects being in a house with Epstein where young girls are seen wearing skimpy dresses.
When quizzed by Newsnight presenter Maitlis, played by Ruth Wilson, he insists he never saw anything during his time with Epstein that aroused suspicion of sex crimes.
As to his alleged dalliance with Virginia, he is heard to state: “It was nearly 20 years ago. I mean, honestly, at the end of the day, how on earth is a bloke supposed to remember all the women he’s bedded?”
The real Maitlis interview was such a disaster that it ended Andrew’s career as a serving senior royal.
It prompted legal proceedings from American-Australian Virginia, who claimed she was trafficked to the royal by Epstein — who mysteriously died in a US jail cell in 2019 — with help from the businessman’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The three-part Amazon drama, which comes just five months after the scandal was chronicled in Netflix show Scoop, ends with Andrew wanting to fight the case, which in real life was settled out of court for around £12million.
He says in the show: “If you don’t let me fight, I will forever look guilty. I should be allowed to clear my name.”
But Her Majesty’s private secretary Sir Edward Young then visits him and, in front of ex-wife Fergie and daughters Eugenie and Beatrice, humiliates him for even suggesting the idea.
Sir Edward — played by Alex Jennings — says: “I’m instructed to inform you that after today this case is closed, a statement is being prepared and will be released along with the announcement of the settlement . . . I’m not at liberty to divulge the amount.
“Her Majesty and the Prince of Wales are concerned to avoid any more negativity as we approach the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
“I’m afraid the time for fighting has passed, Sir.”
He goes on to tell Andrew that, given the circumstances, the Queen “feels it would be a distraction” if he attended the celebrations and that “the least embarrassing excuse would be Covid”.
Looking and sounding desperate, Andrew says: “Where do I go? What do I do? Tell me, what do I do?”
Sir Edward the tells the Duke: “You live with the consequences of your actions, Sir.”
- A Very Royal Scandal is available from September 19 on Amazon Prime Video.