Prince Andrew Documentary To Air During King Charles' Coronation Coverage

A documentary about Prince Andrew will air on Channel 4 as part of its alternative coverage of King Charles’ coronation on May 6th, with the channel saying it wants to “provide an escape from the pomp and ceremony” for its viewers. The two-part documentary series titled Andrew – The Problem Prince will feature two 60-minute episodes that will delve into some of the scandals surrounding the Duke of York, 63, including his infamous career-ending Newsnight interview back in 2019, as well as a look into his past, including his childhood and his time serving in the military.

Former BBC journalist Emily Maitlis is set to go into more detail about her infamous Newsnight interview with the disgraced royal, which saw her grill him on his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, while also providing some behind-the-scenes information about what went into it. As well as Maitlis, who is executively producing the documentary along with James Goldston, Sheldon Lazarus and Nina Davies, some palace insiders and former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister are also reported to be taking part in the documentary.

READ MORE: King Charles Is Reportedly ‘Tired And Furious’ With Prince Andrew’s Behavior As Sources Say He Doesn’t Want To Leave $37M Windsor Home 

Prince Andrew's Bombshell 'Newsnight' Interview

In the bombshell Newsnight interview which aired in November 2019, Prince Andrew and Maitlis discussed his relationship with Epstein, as well as his friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for child sex trafficking and other offences in connection with Epstein, her then-boyfriend.

One of the most infamous parts of the interview occurred when the disgraced royal said he had no recollection of ever meeting Virginia Giuffre (then Virginia Roberts) who claimed that Epstein trafficked her on three separate occasions, including when she was 17 and still a minor under US law. She accused Prince Andrew of having sex with her when she was just 17, but he denied her accusations by saying that he spent the day in question with one of his daughters at a Pizza Express in Woking.

Prince Andrew also tried to dismiss Giuffre's allegations as she claimed that he was "sweating profusely" while they were dancing at London nightclub Tramp, but he told Maitlis that he actually couldn’t sweat at the time. He said: "I didn’t sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War, when I was shot at. It was almost impossible for me to sweat."

The interview is currently being adapted by Netflix with Sex Education star Gillian Anderson playing the role of Maitlis and The Man In The High Castle actor Rufus Sewell portraying Prince Andrew. After the Newsnight interview aired in November 2019, Prince Andrew stepped down from public life after denying having sex with Giuffre.

In February 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth II stripped him of his military titles and royal patronages, including Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, one of the most senior infantry regiments in the British army, and it was also announced that he would stop using royal titles such as His Royal Highness in an official capacity.

The following month, he paid a financial settlement to Giuffre after she sued him for sexual assault. If you'll recall, in August 2021, Giuffre was one of the women who accused Epstein and Maxwell of sex trafficking, and she accused Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her on three occasions between 1999 and 2002 when she was a minor. Giuffre first filed court papers in Florida in January 2015, and the royal has always emphatically denied her allegations. Prince Andrew still denies the allegations, with insiders saying the settlement was not an admission of guilt, but just a way to put an end to the civil case brought against him in the US. A judge in New York signed the court papers on Tuesday, March 8th, marking the final stage of settling the sex assault case.

READ MORE: Prince Andrew Is Reportedly Writing An Autobiography To 'Set The Record Straight' And Fix His Reputation 

Channel 4's Alternative Coverage

Viewers will also have another chance to see Prince Andrew: The Musical, the parody musical which was first released at the end of last year. The Windsors will also be returning for a one-off special, with Harry Enfield reprising his role as King Charles. Hugh Skinner will be playing the role of Prince William, who will reportedly urge his father to scale back the coronation in light of the cost of living crisis.

Discussing the channel's alternative broadcasting, Channel 4’s chief content officer Ian Katz said: "Channel 4 exists to provide viewers with an alternative, so as the nation is engulfed by pomp, circumstance and forelock-tugging, we’ll be offering a rather less reverential slate of programmes, including Frankie Boyle’s case against the monarchy and The Windsors’ scabrous satirical take on the coronation."