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New Prince Andrew Amazon drama is like a horror movie – it piles more pressure on the royals worldwide, says expert
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A NEW Prince Andrew drama is like a "horror movie" and will pile more pressure on the Royal Family, claimed an expert.
After the success of Netflix's Scoop, Amazon Prime Video is releasing their own version of the story called A Very Royal Scandal.
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It dramatises the Duke of York's infamous Newsnight car-crash interview with Emily Maitlis.
During the notorious sit-down interview, Andrew told the BBC's Maitlis that he could not have had because on the day she alleged it happened, he was at Pizza Express in Woking for a kids’ party with daughter Beatrice.
He also insisted that due to a medical condition he claims to have developed while serving in the Falklands War as a Navy helicopter pilot.
Andrew also defended his relationship with Epstein, saying that knowing the financier had "some seriously beneficial outcomes", but added that his reason for meeting him in 2010 was to "put an end to the friendship".
Ahead of A Very Royal Scandal, The Sun's royal editor Matt Wilkinson said on the Royal Exclusive show: "It should have come out on Halloween, it's like a horror movie.
"It's a complete and utter take down of Prince Andrew, just when you think it couldn't get worse after the interview he gave, he's portrayed as very pompous, arrogant, childish."
Fellow royal journalist, Bronte Coy asked: "How do you think the Palace feel about this second Andrew story coming out?"
To which Mr Wilkinson replied: "They treat a lot of these thing with a shrug, but I think with this one, there's not a person in the world that doesn't know Prince Andrew has been cast out of the royal family over allegations with Virginia Giuffre, and Jeffrey Epstein.
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"Who doesn't know that he said he said 'I was at a Pizza Express that day' and 'I don't sweat'.
"But what it does is it just piles more and more pressure, and more scandal, onto the royal family, worldwide scandal and it damages the reputation.
"That's what Charles is trying to do at the moment, he's trying to leaver him out of Royal Lodge and make him go away.
"But Netflix and now Amazon proves it won't go away, there will probably be another dramatisation in the future."
But. another royal author on the show, Mark Borkowski, added: "I don't think it pies anymore pressure on the Royals' reputation, I think that was covered so well and they dealt with him by pushing him out.
"He's a non-person now and not connected anymore and every time he tries to knock on the door to come back and wear his medals, he's immediately put away.
"They've taken a very attitude to distancing. I get a feeling we're a bit bored of it. He's no where, he's gone.
"There's no way anyone would go anywhere near Prince Andrew, I think he just needs to continue playing golf and driving around the estate."
Key Moment Prince Andrew ‘Lost Composure’
By ABIGAIL WILSON
A BODY language pro has spotted the key moment Prince Andrew ‘lost composure’ during his ‘car crash’ Newsnight interview.
Back in November 2019, Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, sat down with Emily Maitlis to discuss his relationship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Following the sit-down BBC interview, body language expert Judi James told Fabulous about the key moment when Andrew realised things weren’t going to be a ‘walk in the park’.
Judi revealed that not even seven minutes into the interview, it was clear that things were going to go downhill for the royal.
She explained: “There is a subtle turning point in the tone of the interview and in Andrew’s body language responses as he first appears to show signs of a loss of composure as though sensing this might not be the mere walk in the park he might have been expecting.
“Up to this point, Andrew has appeared confident and in control, displaying several power signals to emphasise his royal status.
“His eye contact is quite strong, his brows are often raised, his affirmations firm and his hands are clasped in a steepling gesture that implies superior status and power.
“His authority is verbal, too, using phrases like ‘You have to remember…’”
After just six and a half minutes of the sit-down chat, Judi added: “At this point in the interview though, Emily starts to show her more forensic side and the chat begins to sound more like a grilling in court.
“She gets a series of one-word affirmations about Andrew having visited Epstein’s ‘Private plane?’ ‘Private island?’ ‘Home in Palm Beach?’ and ‘Ghislaine’s house?’
“Emily’s comment ‘Just for the record…’ makes the tone sound more serious though.
“Her words ‘In 2006 in May…’ is her forensic-sounding next point and it is here Andrew’s body language shifts [a] gear.”
As a result, Judi recognised: “His eyes perform an exaggerated eye-roll and he breaks his precision hand clasp to lean back and begin to rub his chin, which becomes a truncated gesture as he looks down to the side.
“It looks like a moment when the gloves come off and after mention of Epstein being invited ‘In July to Windsor Castle to your daughter’s 18th birthday party’, Andrew’s vocal tone drops and his expression looks suddenly cold as he tells Emily ‘I was asking Ghislaine’.”
It comes as acting legend Michael Sheen will play Prince Andrew in the new Amazon Prime drama.
A Very Royal Scandal covers Emily Maitlis’ interview of Prince Andrew from the perspective of the former BBC journalist.
This is different from Netflix's Scoop which was based on Newsnight producer Sam McAlister’s autobiographical book, Scoops.
The Prime Video series synopsis reads: "One night. One hour. One interview that sent shockwaves around the globe.
"Based on the real-life 2019 interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew over the scandalous accusations he faced regarding his involvement with Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre.
“A Very Royal Scandal follows the action of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in the lead-up to the interview, the ground-breaking event itself and the many questions left in its wake that would change their lives forever.”
Another big difference is that for Netflix's Scoop, Sam was an executive producer, while for A Very Royal Scandal, Emily is.
The journalist revealed what it was like having her story told on screen.
Emily told The News Agents podcast: "I felt terrified, obviously. Some of the scenes are quite poignant."
She continued: "You suddenly remember you're dealing with people's lives again, and it is kind of weird thing.
"I don't mean to be all po-faced, but it is a bit weird like that. But an amazing cast."
It comes as the key phrase Emily used to breakdown arrogant Prince Andrew in the interview, according to a body language expert.
And, the sick question the Duke of York asked the former BBC journalist before their sit-down chat has been revealed in A Very Royal Scandal.
Meanwhile, the latest on Prince Andrew is that the duke refuses to move out of Royal Lodge because it would admit his guilty part in the sex scandal, claimed a royal expert.
The disgraced Duke of York, 64, still lives on the sprawling Windsor estate despite stepping back from public-facing duties nearly five years ago.
Andrew hasn't received an income since becoming embroiled in sex allegations after his long-standing friendship with late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
And brother King Charles, 75, has been funding security and a living allowance for him since.
Last month The Sun revealed that Charles had laid off Andrew's ten-strong private security detail.
A palace insider told The Sun: "Everyone is speculating this means the Duke will have to leave the Royal Lodge."
The source added: "What other reason could there be to take his security away?
"They are all working the final weeks of their contract till the end of October.
"It’s not thought anyone is being lined up to replace them. It isn’t a secret that the King wants him out."
Earlier this year The Sun also exclusively revealed Andrew, who lives at the Lodge with ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, had rejected the chance to move to nearby Frogmore Cottage, former home of Harry and Meghan.
Palace sources have always insisted Andrew “remains the King’s brother” and is welcome at family events but will never return to public duty.
Speaking about taking on the role of Prince Andrew, Michael told The News Agents podcast: "Once I start the process of playing the character, I have to put all my personal opinions aside, and my job is to try and make that character as real as possible.
"So, when it comes to a story like this, obviously, where there's a mystery at the heart of it, we don't know.
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"There hasn't been a legal case. We don't know definitively what happened or what didn't happen, what he did or what he didn't do.
"And of course, that's incredibly rare."
Andrew's Bizarre Newsnight Claims
By KATIE DAVIS
PRINCE Andrew infamously claimed he couldn't sweat and rarely "partied" in his car-crash Newsnight interview - now immortalised by Netflix.
But photos appear to paint a very different picture of the Duke of York's younger days when he was branded The Playboy Prince.
The nation cringed as they watched Andrew offer bizarre defences to questions put to him by then BBC Newsnight host Emily Maitlis in 2019.
Asked about Virginia Giuffre's claims he was "sweating profusely" when they are said to have danced together at Tramp nightclub in London, the royal said he had a "peculiar medical condition".
That condition, he claimed, meant he "didn't sweat at the time".
His accuser Giuffre claims she danced with the Duke before going back to Ghislaine Maxwell's house on the night of March 10, 2001.
It was there that the notorious photo of the late Queen's favourite son with his arm around the 17-year-old Virginia was taken, as Ghislaine watched on.
Giuffre claims Jeffrey Epstein paid her around £8,000 after she had sex with Andrew.
He also famously claimed he could not have been at Tramps that night as he was at Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey.
In another cringe-worthy moment in the Newsnight interview - dramatised in the new Netflix film Scoop - Andrew claimed he rarely "partied" and wasn't a fan of public displays of affection.
But he was often snapped with his arms around glamorous women back in the day - including Heidi Klum and Chris Von Aspen.
Click here to see seven times the Prince was seen sweating and partying - despite his claims.
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