In the new royal drama A Very Royal Scandal, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are depicted in tears as they watch Prince Andrew’s infamous 2019 Newsnight interview.
The series, starring Michael Sheen as the Duke of York, illustrates how his daughters reacted to the career-ending broadcast.
Honor Swinton Byrne portrays Princess Beatrice, while Sofia Oxenham plays Princess Eugenie.
In a poignant scene, the two sisters are shown sitting together on a sofa, visibly emotional as the interview airs. While the show is largely based on real events, some moments have been dramatised for effect.
Notably, the York sisters have never publicly commented on the interview or expressed their views.
However, a friend of Beatrice and Eugenie told The Daily Beast: “Put yourself in their shoes.
“This film is going to traduce their father and if they say anything to defend him it will just make it worse.”
A friend of Princess Beatrice’s added: “There is nothing good you can say about it all.
“It’s ghastly for all of them. The girls are just getting on with their lives.”
In A Very Royal Scandal, the camera zooms in on Princess Beatrice’s face as the interview airs, with actress Honor Swinton Byrne closing her eyes while crying—perhaps symbolising the guilt Beatrice felt after the broadcast.
It is known that Princess Beatrice accompanied Prince Andrew to his meeting with the Newsnight team before the interview and even encouraged him to proceed with it.
Following the disastrous interview, Prince Andrew stepped down from public life and relinquished all his royal duties. In 2022, Queen Elizabeth II officially stripped him of his honorary military titles and medals.
