A Very Royal Scandal (2024) s01e02 Episode Script
Episode Two
[clock ticking]
[dramatic music]
[distorted laughter]
[woman giggling]
[dog barks]
Do wuss-wuss for Daddy.
Come on.
Come on, Sandy,
do your wuss-wuss.
Go on, off you go.
[dog barks]
[dog whines]
[high tempo music]
Do your wuss-wuss.
Come on you little buggers,
come on.
Do your wuss-wuss.
[rain pattering]
[phone buzzes]
[sighs]
Charles. I thought you were
still in New Zealand.
[Charles speaking inaudibly]
I'm defending myself from
unfound
What do you mean blow it?
Blow what?
(high tempo music)
Is Mummy aware?
Yes, of course, Mummy's aware.
As a matter of fact, she thinks
it's a very good idea.
[dog barking]
[yelling] Calls me a fucking
mummy's boy.
- He's the fucking mummy's boy!
- Papa?
[Andrew yelling]
[door slams]
[banging, crashing]
[shouting continues]
Just one more.
[knocking on door]
Yes, I've told her.
Will do.
- Good man.
- [clears throat]
Well, Charles got wind of
the interview
and went full Tonto.
Prince Phillip's done his usual
ring round,
Edward's taking Charles' side
and Anne's on a horse
- somewhere unreachable.
- So, it's off?
We can but hope.
And Her Majesty?
Whatever Andrew wants.
My hands are tied.
If I go against Her Majesty's
wishes
well, obviously, I can't.
Keep an eye on Andrew,
I'll handle Charles.
Once more unto the breach,
dear friends.
[Sonique: "It Feels Good"]
[sirens wailing distantly]
[phone buzzing]
- Stew?
- Emily, I've just had a message
from the Palace. It's off.
- What?
- He's called it off.
- No.
- Yeah.
No.
(dramatic music)
We're only hours away
from filming.
If we don't do this interview
now, we'll never get him back.
No. He's called it off, Emily.
Well, he can't.
I mean, tell him if he doesn't
go on record,
the media will kill him.
I mean, they're killing him already.
Yeah, I've been telling them
that for ages.
Yeah, well, tell them again.
He can't just call it off
like that.
Emily, they just did.
Fuck.
Okay, boys, let's go.
Esme's calling, alright, I'll
text you if I hear anything.
Be ready to go just in case.
Emily
- are you listening?
- Yes, I'm listening.
Esme's calling.
She may know why, alright?
I'll get back to you.
Bye.
[door slams]
Shit.
What's Amanda saying?
Beatrice is on her way
to talk to him now.
- How long can we hold the slot?
- Uh, another hour max.
I've just told our BBC bosses
this was on.
If we lose it now, we look like
the worst journalists in the world.
Well, that's kind of
an achievement.
Yeah, not really.
[dramatic music]
[clock ticking]
[birds chattering]
[Fergie and Andrew arguing]
[Andrew] They tried to
wipe you out
and you're only still here
because I stood up for you!
[Fergie] That's not true!
[Andrew] Please, just give me
time to think about this.
I'm not saying anything else
until she gets here. Quiet!
Mummy, Daddy.
- Thank you for coming, darling.
- Of course.
Mummy's, um Mummy's told you
about Charles's call?
Only that he's angry with you
for doing the interview.
- What did he say?
- Oh
some nonsense about
damaging the firm's reputation.
He can talk. Mr Tampon.
No, that's really wrong of him.
He should be supporting you,
not telling you off. You're family.
As your great-grandfather,
King George VI once said,
this isn't a family.
My parents aren't my parents.
I don't have brothers
and sisters.
You don't have aunts and uncles,
for that matter.
Not in any way that makes sense.
And what's even odder,
because in all this,
in all the whatever it is
we actually are,
the one person
who's tried so hard
to protect me,
who's gone way beyond,
[clears throat]
way beyond,
is actually the least like any
other person in the world.
But even Her Majesty
has her limits.
Honestly, the happiest
I've ever been
was chucked about in the bottom
of a boat in the Falklands.
You don't believe that.
You love being a royal.
You love this family.
I love my mother.
I love you.
I love Eugenie.
Why haven't you talked
like this before?
I've never been in
this much trouble before.
[Andrew sighs heavily]
You've done nothing wrong.
Nothing.
So, just tell them the truth.
And Granny's behind it, yes?
Yes, yes, she is.
That's good.
That's good.
Well, I'd listen to
your loved ones.
[dramatic music]
[dog whining]
[dog barking]
Moody! Oh.
For Christ's sake, Moody.
There's nobody there. Moody!
[thump, smash]
Oh.
Go, get out.
Fucking fuck.
[uptempo music]
Good luck.
[phone pings]
[suspenseful music]
Shit.
Sorry I shouted.
[dog whines]
Okay.
[high tempo music]
[phone buzzing]
Yeah, yeah. I'm coming.
I'm coming.
[Esme] I've just had a call
from Amanda Thirsk.
- Are you ready for this?
- What, what?
She's got another alibi.
Apparently on the night he was
supposed to be at Tramp
with Virginia Giuffre,
he was at a Pizza Express
in Woking
with his daughter, Eugenie,
which just happens to coincide
perfectly with the transcript
of Virginia's Panorama interview
that we have in
our back pocket.
Oh, shit. So, he knows about
the Panorama interview.
Possibly.
Buckingham Palace, please.
But what what was he doing at
Pizza Express in Woking, anyway?
You may well ask.
He claims he was at a birthday
party for one of his daughter's friends.
Well, seriously,
who's gonna believe that?
He's insisting we include it.
No way, I'm not feeding him
bloody alibis.
If he wants to bring it up,
he can.
Okay, I've got to go.
[high tempo music]
[butler] Yeah, that's it,
all the way to the top.
[Edward] Donal, we're back on.
[camera equipment clicking]
- Amanda?
- Yes, Sir?
Have you still got that list of
questions you wrote?
- Yes, Sir.
- I'll take another look.
Okay, I'll just, uh two secs.
Got it.
Feels a bit like Game
of Thrones, all this
what do you want to call it?
You'll be wonderful, Sir.
I wasn't asking if
I'd be alright.
How should I look?
- Sorry? Look?
- For the interview.
I know what I have to say, hopefully.
The gist of it, as it were.
But, uh
obviously it's all you know,
it's all
how you look these days,
the angle.
Just be yourself, Sir.
You always come across
so confidently.
Cameras.
They got Nixon that way.
All those bloody close-ups.
You'll be fine, Sir.
What if I can't remember?
As we discussed
you say, I have no recollection
of whatever it is.
From a legal point of view,
that will be the best answer.
It's nearly 20 years
ago, Amanda.
And this damn photograph.
What does it actually mean?
Even if it is true, as it
were, which it isn't,
but I mean to say, I put my arm
around her, if I did.
That's all I did.
And honestly, I mean,
at the end of the day,
how on earth is a bloke
supposed to remember
all the women he's bedded?
Sorry, er, I'll pop back later.
[dramatic music]
- [Eugenie] Hey, you okay?
- He's doing the interview.
I know. Mummy told me.
It's right, Bea,
we need it gone.
You've got your wedding,
I've got work.
Frankly, I didn't ask for
any of this.
I I'm not saying it's
Daddy's fault, I'm just saying
No, I'm just not sure if Daddy
can handle this.
What do you mean?
Well, I just mean that sometimes
he says things
and he doesn't really
really think.
He just
honestly, I just want this
whole story to go away now.
[sighs] Totally.
It's a bloody nightmare.
What if he can't do it?
He'll be fine, Bea.
You worry too much.
- Bye-bye.
- Okay, bye.
Who the hell actually told
my brother
I was talking to Newsnight?
I'm not quite sure, Sir.
I suspect Donal McCabe
might have had something
to do with it.
Cunt. Excuse my French.
Notes.
Why the hell didn't we talk
more about any of this?
I did try.
Really, I think just
you're such a straight talking
person, Sir.
- Yep.
- All those business meetings,
you know, your your talks
with young entrepreneurs.
Just think of it like that.
If she asks me all
these questions,
we'll be there till bloody
midnight.
I was just trying to cover all
the bases.
Uh
Right. Let's do it.
- Shoes.
- Oh, oh fuck.
Let let me.
[bell tinkling]
[high tempo music]
All done.
- Sir.
- Fuck off.
[playful music]
[phone ringing]
- [Edward] Donal?
- Target in sight.
We're in England, Donal,
not Hollywood.
- Sorry. [clears throat]
- Stay close, don't speak.
- Record everything.
- Will do.
[people chattering]
- Emily.
- I'm so sorry I'm late.
Don't worry, don't worry,
are you okay?
I need the loo.
Uh, it's straight through there,
left at the chintz.
[clock ticking]
This interview has been
exceptionally rare.
Fuck.
Yeah.
[exhales]
[dramatic music]
[people chattering]
- [Sam] Okay.
- Sam.
[Esme] Good luck, Em.
So sorry I'm late,
Your Royal Highness.
- Amanda.
- Not at all.
I was just telling
your team here that, uh,
I was an engineer for my sins.
Uh, so all this technical stuff
I find rather interesting.
[laughs] Yes.
I'm just gonna pop that
on there.
Yeah. It's the most insane carpet.
- It's making me dizzy.
- Yeah.
Trump meets the Kardashians.
Who knew? You'll be fine.
Just focus on the Duke.
I've still got an hour?
One take straight through.
They're not budging on that.
- So, if I overrun?
- You can't.
Camera cards only last
for an hour,
so he's gonna try and talk
too much,
but just don't let him.
And if he denies knowing her,
take out the photo.
- Nothing's off limits, right?
- Right.
So sorry.
- There we go.
- Yeah.
[Andrew] You need to run that
round the back.
- Sorry?
- The lead.
He'll need to run it around
the back,
or it'll be in shot, I believe.
- Oh, yeah. Thank you. Yes.
- [chuckles]
Sorry.
That's all good.
Mrs Maitlis seems nervous.
She should be.
[chuckles]
What's Donal doing here?
I have no idea.
Shall I ask him to go?
No, leave it. Somebody sent him.
Probably the boss.
Oh.
- All set?
- Almost there.
I'd like to get on.
Shall we start?
Yeah, just just doing
last checks.
[uptempo music]
[dark music]
[crew] Okay. Positions please.
Standby.
Cameras.
[cameraman] Rolling.
[Stewart] Sound.
Speed.
Emily.
Your Royal Highness,
we've come to Buckingham Palace in
highly unusual circumstances.
Normally we'd be discussing
your work, your duty,
we'll come onto that.
But today you've chosen to
speak out for the first time.
Why have you decided to
talk now?
Because there is no good time
to talk about, um,
Mr Epstein and all things
associated.
Um, and we've been talking
to Newsnight
for about six months now, uh,
about doing something
around the work that
I was doing.
Uh, and unfortunately, we just
haven't been able to fit it
into either your schedule
or my schedule
um, until, uh, now.
Uh, actually it's a a really
good opportunity,
and I'm delighted to, uh,
be able to see you today.
As you say, all of this goes
back to your friendship
- with Jeffrey Epstein.
- Mm.
How did you first become
friends? How did you meet?
Well, I met through his
girlfriend, uh, back in 1999.
Uh, who and I'd known her
since she was at university in the UK.
And to some extent,
it would be a stretch to say
that, as it were,
uh, we were close friends.
I mean, we were friends
because of other people.
Uh, and I had a lot of
opportunity
to go to the United States.
Um, but I didn't have much time
with him.
I suppose I saw him once
or twice a year, perhaps,
maybe a maximum of three times
a year.
And quite often, uh, if I was
in the United States,
and I was doing something,
and if he wasn't there,
he would say,
"Well, why don't you use, uh,
my houses?"
So, I said, "Well, that's very
kind. Thanks very much indeed."
She's letting him talk too much.
But he had an extraordinary
ability to bring, um,
extraordinary people together.
And that's the bit
that I remember, uh,
is going to the dinner parties
where you'd meet, um,
politicians, uh, the academics,
people from the United Nations.
I mean, it was a cosmopolitan
group of US eminence.
He was your guest as well.
In 2000,
Epstein was a guest at
Windsor Castle and at Sandringham.
He was brought right into
the heart
of the Royal Family
at your invitation.
Yes but, but certainly at my invitation,
not at the royal family's invitation.
But remember it was his girlfriend
that that that was the key
element in this.
He was the, as it were,
plus one, uh, to some extent,
in, in, in that aspect.
Am I am I right in thinking
you threw a birthday party, um,
for Epstein's girlfriend,
Ghislaine Maxwell,
at Sandringham?
No, it was a shooting weekend.
A shooting weekend?
Just a straightforward
straightforward shooting weekend.
But during these times that he
was a guest at Windsor Castle,
at Sandringham, uh,
the shooting weekend
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
we now know that he was
and had been procuring young
girls for sex trafficking.
Uh, we now know that.
At the time,
there was no indication
to me
or to anybody else
that that was what he was doing.
And certainly, um, when I saw
him, uh,
either in the United States
or no
when I saw him in
the United States,
or when I was staying at his
houses in the United States,
um, there was no indication,
absolutely no indication.
And if there was, uh, you have
to remember that at the time
I was patron the NSPCC's, uh,
Full Stop campaign.
So, I was close up with what was
going on at those, um, times
about, uh, getting rid of, um,
abuse to, to, to, to children.
Uh, and so I knew what
what was
what the things were to look
for, and I never saw them.
So, you would have made
that connection
because you stayed with him,
you were a visitor,
a guest on many occasions
at his homes.
And nothing struck you
as suspicious?
- Nothing.
- During that whole time.
Nothing.
Just for the record,
you've stayed on
his private island.
Yes.
[suspenseful music]
[Emily] You've stayed at
his home.
Yes.
You've visited
Ghislaine Maxwell's house
in Belgravia, in London.
Yes.
Do you regret the whole
friendship with Epstein?
Ah now, still not.
[whispers] Just apologise,
for God's sake.
And the reason being,
the people that I met
and the opportunities
that I was given
to learn either by him
or because of him,
were actually very useful.
He himself, not as it were,
um, as close as you might think.
We we we were
we weren't that close.
So, therefore, I mean, yes,
I stayed at his house,
but that was because of his
girlfriend, not because of him.
[suspenseful music continues]
In July of this year,
Epstein was arrested on charges
of sex trafficking
and abusing
dozens of underage girls.
One of Epstein's accusers,
- Virginia Roberts,
- Yeah.
has made allegations
against you.
She says she met you in 2001.
She says she dined with you,
danced with you at
Tramp Nightclub in London.
She went on to have sex with you
in a house in Belgravia,
belonging to Ghislaine Maxwell,
your friend.
Your response?
I have no recollection of
ever meeting this lady.
None whatsoever.
You don't remember meeting her?
No.
Do you know you didn't meet her?
Or do you just not remember
meeting her?
No, I ha well, I I don't
know if I've met her.
But no, I have no recollection
of meeting her.
[Emily] Because she was
very specific.
She described the dance that
you had together in Tramp.
She described meeting you.
She was a 17-year-old girl
meeting a senior member
of the royal family.
Never happened.
[mysterious music]
You seem utterly convinced
you're telling the truth.
Would you be willing to testify
or give a statement under oath
if you were asked?
Well, I I'm like everybody else,
and I I would have to take
all the legal advice
that there was before, um
I I was to do that sort
of thing, but
if push came to shove and the
[coughs]
and the legal advice
was to do so, then um, I would
be duty-bound to do so.
Do you recall any kind of
sexual contact
with Virginia Roberts then,
or at any other time?
I I I can't.
I've I've racked my brains.
I'm I'm thinking, oh, uh,
when the first allegation,
when the allegations came out
originally, I was like,
er well, that's strange,
I don't remember this.
And and then I've been
through it
and through it and through it,
over and over and over again.
And no, nothing.
It just never happened.
Epstein's housekeeper,
also in a Florida court
legal deposition,
said that you visited
the Palm Beach residence
around four times a year.
You got a daily massage
Four times a year?
That was what he said in
a Florida Court
- legal deposition.
- No.
Is there a chance that
those massages
might have been the services
of someone
who was being sexually exploited
or trafficked by Epstein?
N no.
I don't, I mean, I no, no,
definitely not, definitely not.
And I definitely did not visit
his Palm Beach house
three or four times a year.
Absolutely not.
How many times would you say
you visited?
Uh, in total, probably
four times in total,
uh, throughout the time
that I knew him.
Uh, and in fact, uh
probably that
that was the place that, um
if you see what I mean,
that he was there.
He was more in the house
there than in, um
than in other places
that I was at.
But it was usually because
I was going
I was going through,
and on to somewhere else.
So, it was a day.
That was it.
I mean, there are all sorts of
things on the internet
and out there
in the public domain,
and we'd just sort of go,
well, yeah,
but I'm afraid this
just never happened.
[mysterious music continues]
I wonder if you have any
sense now
of guilt, regret, or shame
about any of your behaviour
or your friendship with Epstein?
Well, as far as Mr Epstein
is concerned,
um, it was the wrong decision
to go and see him in 2010.
As far as my, uh, association
with him was concerned,
there were some seriously
beneficial outcomes,
uh, in areas, uh,
that have nothing
that had nothing to do with
what I would describe
as what we're talking
about today.
On balance, could I have
avoided ever meeting him?
Probably not.
And that's because of
my friendship with Ghislaine.
It was it was it was
inevitable that, um,
we would come across each other.
Do I regret the fact that
he has quite obviously, uh,
conducted himself in
a manner unbecoming?
- Yes.
- Unbecoming?
He was a sex offender.
Yeah, sorry, I was being polite.
I mean, in the sense that
he was a sex offender.
But no, um
was I right in having
him as a friend at the time,
bearing in mind this was
some years before
he was accused of being a
a sex offender?
I don't think there was
anything wrong then.
Um, the problem was the fact
that once he was convicted
- You stayed with him.
- I stayed with him.
[dramatic music]
So, if Virginia Roberts is
watching this interview,
what is your message to her?
[dark music fades in]
Your Royal Highness, thank you.
[Andrew] Thank you very much
indeed.
Hold your positions, please.
Great.
Your Royal Highness,
thank you so much.
[whispers] Did we get it?
I didn't show the photo.
You didn't need to.
Sir, the alibis.
You didn't mention those.
I didn't?
I do think it would be advisable
to have those included.
Yes, of course, um
but it went alright otherwise?
It went very well, Sir.
He denied knowing her,
I should have shown the photo.
You didn't need to. It was
You didn't ask me about
my alibis as discussed.
Um, the sweating and, um,
my visit to Pizza Express.
- Sweating?
- Yeah.
I must insist that we include
these details.
They're material to
His Royal Highness's defence.
We were expecting to be asked
about them.
It'd have to be a drop-in.
If anything goes wrong,
they can accuse us
- of tampering the chronology.
- It's fine. Absolutely.
We'll do it now.
Stewart.
Right, um, yep.
Emily, if you want to
lead us in then, uh,
yeah, we can cover
those questions now.
From?
From wherever you like.
Let's check the cards on
all cameras.
Hmm. Alright.
[cameraman] Cameras reloaded.
Standby.
Standing by.
Cameras.
Resetting. Rolling.
Roll.
Rolling.
Sound.
Speed.
- Emily.
- Mm.
[clock ticking]
[high tempo music]
[Stewart] And cut.
[crew] That's a wrap then, guys.
Well, thank you, Emily, for
coming to Buckingham Palace.
As I said, um, I am most
grateful for the opportunity
to have discussed this with you.
Would you mind if we did some
walking shots for the opening?
Oh, not at all, not at all.
Uh, in fact, we have some
splendid corridors.
- Shall we?
- Ah, thanks.
[people chattering]
[phone ringing]
[Edward] Donal.
Done.
And?
I'll let you listen.
[crew] Camera rolling.
And action.
Um, yes, this is, um
I thought that went well.
Very good.
[crew] Just one more please, Sir.
- Once more.
- Just?
- Yes.
- Mm.
- Sir.
- [crew] And action.
So
you'll keep in touch?
Absolutely.
Thank you.
[Andrew chatting quietly]
We've got this, Sir. Thank you.
- Okay.
- Yep.
Um
Ah.
This is my great-great-great
grandfather, Prince Albert.
They called him the first
royal entrepreneur,
Her Majesty calls me the second
[laugh], so, no,
well, I have great plans
for the, uh, the, uh
how do you think it went?
I thought it was very frank.
Yes. Yes, I hope so.
Well, I certainly do appreciate
the chance to, uh, as it were
oh, well, obviously it was a
a risk, but no, no, no, I I felt it.
And you and you felt it.
- Absolutely.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, yeah, well
- Very good.
- I should probably
- Yes, thank you.
- Oh, yeah, well
Thank you, Emily.
[dramatic music]
- Amanda.
- Miss Maitlis, thank you.
Wow.
[Sam] What the fuck just
happened? That was wild.
- Like having a baby.
- Honestly, Em, you are amazing.
[Jake] I actually thought
it was bizarre.
Why?
Well, everything, I mean, the
the whole way he talked.
His his alibis.
He made about as much sense
as my gran,
and and she barely even knows
her own name. [laughter]
[Stewart] Well, I'm just glad
it's over.
[Jake] There's a slight problem
with the party
[chatter continues in
background]
[keypad beeping]
[high tempo music]
Uh
[distant chatter]
Daddy?
Bea.
Did it.
Well done, Pups.
[laughter]
We talk to nobody about
what just happened.
Anyone on the BBC gets wind
of it or it's leaked,
we screw up our chances
of getting it out there.
So, what have we got?
Uh, okay. Wide tracking shot,
two shot, two over the shoulders,
uh, and a clean single
on Andrew.
Um, there was a slight problem
with, er, Emily's single.
Uh, it just it was a colour thing.
Um, it's fine, we've got tonnes
of footage to cut from.
The problem is we, you know,
we've got very little time to cut it.
[Esme] You'll be fine.
[Jake] Yeah.
It was not at all like
we rehearsed. I mean
- How do you mean?
- No, pushbacks.
A bit of blustering
at the beginning, but, yeah,
you know,
Jake said it in the cab,
he was weirdly guileless.
Amanda thinks it went very well.
Well, so does he.
Alright, Stew, you're gonna
need to manage that.
Any questions from Amanda,
I want you just to politely
push back on.
I don't want her or anyone else
at the Palace breaking cover
before this goes out.
I'm gonna need an edit
by tomorrow PM
and two trailers by tonight.
Transmission is this weekend, TBC.
Wow.
[high tempo music]
[sighs]
[dog howling]
Duke of York address addresses
the ball.
Two points clear at the
18th with only himself
between victory and defeat.
[TV in background]
It's going to swing left
or right.
And he sends it on its way,
perfectly weighted,
curling right across the green.
Is it gonna come up short?
No, oh-ho-ho!
A perfectly judged
putt once more
to take the claret jug.
Waaah, the crowd,
listen to them going wild, roaring,
waah, roaring for him here
at St Andrew's Golf course.
Waah, so aptly named.
Waaah, what a fighter.
What a thoroughly deserved victory.
[dramatic music]
[TV in background]
[bell tinkles]
[dark music fades in]
[door opens]
I'm going on a shooting weekend.
I'll leave tomorrow.
Very good, Sir.
[footsteps recede]
[snoring]
[crows cawing]
[birds singing]
[guard] Oh, here she comes.
All that just to
murder some birds.
[unkind laughter]
How are we looking, Amanda?
I just wanted to let you know
Newsnight have announced
transmission for tomorrow.
Nine PM on BBC 2.
Ah, good slot?
It's the intelligent person's
lot, Sir.
Oh. Any, uh any publicity,
as it were?
Some announcements on radio
and a post on their
Twitter account.
I imagine there'll be more
as the day goes on.
Yes, yeah.
There does appear to be
quite a lot of interest
from the reaction to their
Twitter post.
Positive?
The usual mix.
Right, right, yeah.
Well, I'll be shooting
this weekend, so, uh
I probably won't be watching.
You'll keep me posted?
Yes, Sir.
Sir?
Right then.
[cars start]
Can we hurry, please?
We're running out of time.
Yeah, I'm going as fast
as I can.
- [Stewart] Do you want me to drive?
- No, I fucking don't.
- Boys.
- We're 24 hours off transmission.
We're drowning in
fucking footage,
and no one has any clue
where anything is except me.
So, can you please
all stop pretending
like you know what you're
talking about and just
just shut the fuck up?
[tapping on keyboard]
[sighs]
Okay, so I've put the pickup
between two questions
- about the nightclub.
- Okay.
Also, um, Emily moved her hair
behind her ear between takes.
Pick up, main interview.
No one spotted it at the time,
so
Oh God, shit,
I'm so sorry, Jake.
I didn't even realise
I was doing that.
Will anyone notice?
Probably not, no.
It took me a while to see it.
And to be fair, she could have
moved her hair between shots.
Okay, let's have a look.
Do you remember her?
No.
I I have no recollection
of ever meeting her.
I'm almo in fact, I'm
convinced
that I was never in Tramps
with her.
Uh, there are a number of
things wrong with that story,
one of which is that
I don't know where the bar is
in Tramps.
I don't drink. [scoffs]
Er, I don't think I've ever
bought a drink
in Tramps whenever I was there.
Do you remember dancing
at Tramp?
Can you tell?
You can't tell.
[clears throat uncomfortably]
[office phone ringing]
You know that you were
at home with the children.
Was it a memorable night?
On that particular day, um
that we now understand
is the date, um,
that is the 10th of March,
I was at home.
I was with the children.
I'd taken Beatrice to, uh,
a Pizza Express in Woking
for a party at, I suppose,
sort of four or five
in the afternoon.
And why would you remember that
so specifically?
Why do you remember
a Pizza Express birthday
and being at home?
Because going to
a Pizza Express in Woking
is an unusual thing
for me to do.
A very unusual thing
for me to do.
I've never been.
Go to the sweating.
Yeah, I can do. It's um
I haven't used the two shot yet.
It needs tidying up.
Well, show us anyway.
[Jake clears his throat]
So, you're absolutely sure you
were home
- on the 10th of March?
- Yep.
She was very specific
about that night.
She described dancing with you
- and you profusely sweating.
- [scoffs]
And that she went on to have
a bath, possibly.
There's there's, a slight
problem, uh, with the sweating,
which is that, um, I have a
a peculiar
medical condition,
which is that I don't sweat or
or I didn't sweat at the time.
And that actually, yeah,
I didn't sweat at the time.
Uh uh, because I had
suffered what I would describe
as an overdose of adrenaline
in the Falklands War
when I was shot at.
And I simply it
it was almost impossible
for me to sweat.
Is it possible that you met
Virginia Roberts,
dined with her,
danced with her at Tramp,
had sex with her
on another date?
So, from there on in,
you are back with
the main interview.
I don't know.
It feels it dropped in.
Well, he's the one who pushed
for it.
Press won't know that.
They're his own words, Stew,
you were there
when we recorded them.
Yeah, and now that I'm looking
at them in the edit,
they don't feel right. Sorry.
Well, I guarantee you
those are the lines everyone's
gonna remember.
And if the palace leaks that
we cut them in,
how are we gonna deny it?
BBC hangs Prince out to dry.
They're never gonna say that.
He thinks they're his best lies.
Yes, and we're still pretending
that it's a live recording
- as a single event when it isn't.
- The truth what he said, Stew.
- they're his own words.
- Enough, enough.
Enough!
We keep them in.
Tomorrow first thing,
we send embargoed transcripts
to select journalists.
Alright, they can post reactions
on Twitter,
but not reveal content.
Now, with any luck, they'll be
as gobsmacked as we were,
which should tee us up nicely
for reviews.
Saturday morning, Emily will do
some more press,
then nine PM we go to air.
Now, fuck off all of you,
and let Jake do his job.
Come on.
- Okay.
- [sighs]
[door opens]
[loud office chatter]
[door closes]
[knocking on door]
Come in.
- Edward.
- Uh, may I?
Oh, please, do sit down.
Uh, no, I'm not staying.
Just popped by to ask
how you thought it went yesterday?
Uh, very well, I think.
Oh, really? Only Donal thought
it was a bit of a dog's dinner.
What's your leverage
with Newsnight?
Leverage?
I mean, if you decided that
the interview was a mistake,
could you stop it?
Well, I could make a call.
I mean, obviously we'd need to
tread carefully
around Her Majesty's feelings.
In her eyes Andrew can do
no wrong.
But if you thought it was in
the Prince's best interest
No.
Thank you,
but that won't be necessary.
[tense music]
Well, it's your call.
[dog whining]
Coffee or vodka?
[phone pings]
[clock ticking]
Vodka.
[high tempo music]
And no shooting any of my birds
this time, Jack.
You veered perilously close to
my airspace last time,
I seem to remember.
It's not Yorkshire rules,
you know. [laugh]
Right, come on ladies.
They're not gonna wait for us.
Any time today.
[cars hooting]
- Morning.
- Morning, Mrs Thirsk.
- Thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
[music intensifies]
[phone ringing]
[phone continues ringing]
[automated voice] Please leave
your message after the tone.
[beep]
[beating, calling]
[man shouting]
[beating, grouse calling]
[gun fires]
[music intensifies]
[phone ringing]
[guns firing]
[man] Good shot, Sir.
[guns firing repeatedly]
[phone continues ringing]
[tense music]
[gun fires]
[phone continues ringing]
[cork pops]
328 birds.
Hey, hey!
Not bad at all for a day's work.
I'd say we've earned
our suppers, wouldn't you?
Well, most of us have.
I'm not looking at anyone
in particular, James.
[men guffawing]
[man] Leave James alone.
Not quite the record.
I believe that's still 336 birds,
but still not bad
[clocks ticking loudly, chiming]
[Big Ben gongs]
[high tempo music]
[Emily] young women
and children.
The investigation into Epstein
is ongoing.
For his part, Prince Andrew
has always denied
any allegations made against
him by Virginia Roberts,
one of Epstein's victims.
But has never done so in his
own words
until tonight.
[dramatic music]
Your Royal Highness,
we've come
to Buckingham Palace
in highly unusual circumstances.
Normally, we'd be discussing
your work, your duty,
we'll come onto that,
but today you've chosen to
speak out for the first time.
Why have you decided to
talk now?
[Andrew] Because
there is no good time
to talk about Mr Epstein.
[dramatic music continues]
I had to show leadership.
[text messages pouring in]
I had to go there and see him,
I had to tell him, that's it.
At the time, you know,
I thought it was
the honourable, and
and right thing to do.
Um, but I admit fully that, um,
my judgement
was probably coloured by my um
tendency to be too honourable.
[messages continue]
But that's just the way it is.
[Emily] Do you regret the whole
friendship with Epstein?
[Andrew] I ah
[Emily] She spoke about you
outside the court
in August of this year.
She said, I quote, "He knows
exactly what he's done,
and I hope he comes clean
about it."
And the answer is nothing.
[Emily] So, if Virginia Roberts
is watching this interview,
what is your message to her?
[suspenseful music]
I I I don't have
a message for her
because I have to have
a thick skin.
And
if somebody's just gonna make
those sorts of allegations,
I've just got to have a thick
skin and get on with it.
But they never happened.
[phone ringing]
There are all sorts of things
on the internet and out there
[Andrew's voice fades out]
Your Majesty.
[Andrew] It just never happened.
Yes, I am.
[interview continues in background]
[phone pinging]
[dramatic music]
[phone continues pinging]
[girls sobbing]
Quack, quack. [laughter]
- Uh, Donald Duck.
- No.
[drunken laughter, chatter]
Alan Sugar?
Pfffft.
Oh, don't worry, darling.
Argh!
Oh, it's Donald Trump.
[cheering]
[laughter]
[man] How did it take you
so long?
Her Majesty is on the line, Sir.
She'd like a word with you.
[drunken party continues]
[dramatic music]
[clears throat]
Mummy?
[clock ticking]
[dramatic music]
[distorted laughter]
[woman giggling]
[dog barks]
Do wuss-wuss for Daddy.
Come on.
Come on, Sandy,
do your wuss-wuss.
Go on, off you go.
[dog barks]
[dog whines]
[high tempo music]
Do your wuss-wuss.
Come on you little buggers,
come on.
Do your wuss-wuss.
[rain pattering]
[phone buzzes]
[sighs]
Charles. I thought you were
still in New Zealand.
[Charles speaking inaudibly]
I'm defending myself from
unfound
What do you mean blow it?
Blow what?
(high tempo music)
Is Mummy aware?
Yes, of course, Mummy's aware.
As a matter of fact, she thinks
it's a very good idea.
[dog barking]
[yelling] Calls me a fucking
mummy's boy.
- He's the fucking mummy's boy!
- Papa?
[Andrew yelling]
[door slams]
[banging, crashing]
[shouting continues]
Just one more.
[knocking on door]
Yes, I've told her.
Will do.
- Good man.
- [clears throat]
Well, Charles got wind of
the interview
and went full Tonto.
Prince Phillip's done his usual
ring round,
Edward's taking Charles' side
and Anne's on a horse
- somewhere unreachable.
- So, it's off?
We can but hope.
And Her Majesty?
Whatever Andrew wants.
My hands are tied.
If I go against Her Majesty's
wishes
well, obviously, I can't.
Keep an eye on Andrew,
I'll handle Charles.
Once more unto the breach,
dear friends.
[Sonique: "It Feels Good"]
[sirens wailing distantly]
[phone buzzing]
- Stew?
- Emily, I've just had a message
from the Palace. It's off.
- What?
- He's called it off.
- No.
- Yeah.
No.
(dramatic music)
We're only hours away
from filming.
If we don't do this interview
now, we'll never get him back.
No. He's called it off, Emily.
Well, he can't.
I mean, tell him if he doesn't
go on record,
the media will kill him.
I mean, they're killing him already.
Yeah, I've been telling them
that for ages.
Yeah, well, tell them again.
He can't just call it off
like that.
Emily, they just did.
Fuck.
Okay, boys, let's go.
Esme's calling, alright, I'll
text you if I hear anything.
Be ready to go just in case.
Emily
- are you listening?
- Yes, I'm listening.
Esme's calling.
She may know why, alright?
I'll get back to you.
Bye.
[door slams]
Shit.
What's Amanda saying?
Beatrice is on her way
to talk to him now.
- How long can we hold the slot?
- Uh, another hour max.
I've just told our BBC bosses
this was on.
If we lose it now, we look like
the worst journalists in the world.
Well, that's kind of
an achievement.
Yeah, not really.
[dramatic music]
[clock ticking]
[birds chattering]
[Fergie and Andrew arguing]
[Andrew] They tried to
wipe you out
and you're only still here
because I stood up for you!
[Fergie] That's not true!
[Andrew] Please, just give me
time to think about this.
I'm not saying anything else
until she gets here. Quiet!
Mummy, Daddy.
- Thank you for coming, darling.
- Of course.
Mummy's, um Mummy's told you
about Charles's call?
Only that he's angry with you
for doing the interview.
- What did he say?
- Oh
some nonsense about
damaging the firm's reputation.
He can talk. Mr Tampon.
No, that's really wrong of him.
He should be supporting you,
not telling you off. You're family.
As your great-grandfather,
King George VI once said,
this isn't a family.
My parents aren't my parents.
I don't have brothers
and sisters.
You don't have aunts and uncles,
for that matter.
Not in any way that makes sense.
And what's even odder,
because in all this,
in all the whatever it is
we actually are,
the one person
who's tried so hard
to protect me,
who's gone way beyond,
[clears throat]
way beyond,
is actually the least like any
other person in the world.
But even Her Majesty
has her limits.
Honestly, the happiest
I've ever been
was chucked about in the bottom
of a boat in the Falklands.
You don't believe that.
You love being a royal.
You love this family.
I love my mother.
I love you.
I love Eugenie.
Why haven't you talked
like this before?
I've never been in
this much trouble before.
[Andrew sighs heavily]
You've done nothing wrong.
Nothing.
So, just tell them the truth.
And Granny's behind it, yes?
Yes, yes, she is.
That's good.
That's good.
Well, I'd listen to
your loved ones.
[dramatic music]
[dog whining]
[dog barking]
Moody! Oh.
For Christ's sake, Moody.
There's nobody there. Moody!
[thump, smash]
Oh.
Go, get out.
Fucking fuck.
[uptempo music]
Good luck.
[phone pings]
[suspenseful music]
Shit.
Sorry I shouted.
[dog whines]
Okay.
[high tempo music]
[phone buzzing]
Yeah, yeah. I'm coming.
I'm coming.
[Esme] I've just had a call
from Amanda Thirsk.
- Are you ready for this?
- What, what?
She's got another alibi.
Apparently on the night he was
supposed to be at Tramp
with Virginia Giuffre,
he was at a Pizza Express
in Woking
with his daughter, Eugenie,
which just happens to coincide
perfectly with the transcript
of Virginia's Panorama interview
that we have in
our back pocket.
Oh, shit. So, he knows about
the Panorama interview.
Possibly.
Buckingham Palace, please.
But what what was he doing at
Pizza Express in Woking, anyway?
You may well ask.
He claims he was at a birthday
party for one of his daughter's friends.
Well, seriously,
who's gonna believe that?
He's insisting we include it.
No way, I'm not feeding him
bloody alibis.
If he wants to bring it up,
he can.
Okay, I've got to go.
[high tempo music]
[butler] Yeah, that's it,
all the way to the top.
[Edward] Donal, we're back on.
[camera equipment clicking]
- Amanda?
- Yes, Sir?
Have you still got that list of
questions you wrote?
- Yes, Sir.
- I'll take another look.
Okay, I'll just, uh two secs.
Got it.
Feels a bit like Game
of Thrones, all this
what do you want to call it?
You'll be wonderful, Sir.
I wasn't asking if
I'd be alright.
How should I look?
- Sorry? Look?
- For the interview.
I know what I have to say, hopefully.
The gist of it, as it were.
But, uh
obviously it's all you know,
it's all
how you look these days,
the angle.
Just be yourself, Sir.
You always come across
so confidently.
Cameras.
They got Nixon that way.
All those bloody close-ups.
You'll be fine, Sir.
What if I can't remember?
As we discussed
you say, I have no recollection
of whatever it is.
From a legal point of view,
that will be the best answer.
It's nearly 20 years
ago, Amanda.
And this damn photograph.
What does it actually mean?
Even if it is true, as it
were, which it isn't,
but I mean to say, I put my arm
around her, if I did.
That's all I did.
And honestly, I mean,
at the end of the day,
how on earth is a bloke
supposed to remember
all the women he's bedded?
Sorry, er, I'll pop back later.
[dramatic music]
- [Eugenie] Hey, you okay?
- He's doing the interview.
I know. Mummy told me.
It's right, Bea,
we need it gone.
You've got your wedding,
I've got work.
Frankly, I didn't ask for
any of this.
I I'm not saying it's
Daddy's fault, I'm just saying
No, I'm just not sure if Daddy
can handle this.
What do you mean?
Well, I just mean that sometimes
he says things
and he doesn't really
really think.
He just
honestly, I just want this
whole story to go away now.
[sighs] Totally.
It's a bloody nightmare.
What if he can't do it?
He'll be fine, Bea.
You worry too much.
- Bye-bye.
- Okay, bye.
Who the hell actually told
my brother
I was talking to Newsnight?
I'm not quite sure, Sir.
I suspect Donal McCabe
might have had something
to do with it.
Cunt. Excuse my French.
Notes.
Why the hell didn't we talk
more about any of this?
I did try.
Really, I think just
you're such a straight talking
person, Sir.
- Yep.
- All those business meetings,
you know, your your talks
with young entrepreneurs.
Just think of it like that.
If she asks me all
these questions,
we'll be there till bloody
midnight.
I was just trying to cover all
the bases.
Uh
Right. Let's do it.
- Shoes.
- Oh, oh fuck.
Let let me.
[bell tinkling]
[high tempo music]
All done.
- Sir.
- Fuck off.
[playful music]
[phone ringing]
- [Edward] Donal?
- Target in sight.
We're in England, Donal,
not Hollywood.
- Sorry. [clears throat]
- Stay close, don't speak.
- Record everything.
- Will do.
[people chattering]
- Emily.
- I'm so sorry I'm late.
Don't worry, don't worry,
are you okay?
I need the loo.
Uh, it's straight through there,
left at the chintz.
[clock ticking]
This interview has been
exceptionally rare.
Fuck.
Yeah.
[exhales]
[dramatic music]
[people chattering]
- [Sam] Okay.
- Sam.
[Esme] Good luck, Em.
So sorry I'm late,
Your Royal Highness.
- Amanda.
- Not at all.
I was just telling
your team here that, uh,
I was an engineer for my sins.
Uh, so all this technical stuff
I find rather interesting.
[laughs] Yes.
I'm just gonna pop that
on there.
Yeah. It's the most insane carpet.
- It's making me dizzy.
- Yeah.
Trump meets the Kardashians.
Who knew? You'll be fine.
Just focus on the Duke.
I've still got an hour?
One take straight through.
They're not budging on that.
- So, if I overrun?
- You can't.
Camera cards only last
for an hour,
so he's gonna try and talk
too much,
but just don't let him.
And if he denies knowing her,
take out the photo.
- Nothing's off limits, right?
- Right.
So sorry.
- There we go.
- Yeah.
[Andrew] You need to run that
round the back.
- Sorry?
- The lead.
He'll need to run it around
the back,
or it'll be in shot, I believe.
- Oh, yeah. Thank you. Yes.
- [chuckles]
Sorry.
That's all good.
Mrs Maitlis seems nervous.
She should be.
[chuckles]
What's Donal doing here?
I have no idea.
Shall I ask him to go?
No, leave it. Somebody sent him.
Probably the boss.
Oh.
- All set?
- Almost there.
I'd like to get on.
Shall we start?
Yeah, just just doing
last checks.
[uptempo music]
[dark music]
[crew] Okay. Positions please.
Standby.
Cameras.
[cameraman] Rolling.
[Stewart] Sound.
Speed.
Emily.
Your Royal Highness,
we've come to Buckingham Palace in
highly unusual circumstances.
Normally we'd be discussing
your work, your duty,
we'll come onto that.
But today you've chosen to
speak out for the first time.
Why have you decided to
talk now?
Because there is no good time
to talk about, um,
Mr Epstein and all things
associated.
Um, and we've been talking
to Newsnight
for about six months now, uh,
about doing something
around the work that
I was doing.
Uh, and unfortunately, we just
haven't been able to fit it
into either your schedule
or my schedule
um, until, uh, now.
Uh, actually it's a a really
good opportunity,
and I'm delighted to, uh,
be able to see you today.
As you say, all of this goes
back to your friendship
- with Jeffrey Epstein.
- Mm.
How did you first become
friends? How did you meet?
Well, I met through his
girlfriend, uh, back in 1999.
Uh, who and I'd known her
since she was at university in the UK.
And to some extent,
it would be a stretch to say
that, as it were,
uh, we were close friends.
I mean, we were friends
because of other people.
Uh, and I had a lot of
opportunity
to go to the United States.
Um, but I didn't have much time
with him.
I suppose I saw him once
or twice a year, perhaps,
maybe a maximum of three times
a year.
And quite often, uh, if I was
in the United States,
and I was doing something,
and if he wasn't there,
he would say,
"Well, why don't you use, uh,
my houses?"
So, I said, "Well, that's very
kind. Thanks very much indeed."
She's letting him talk too much.
But he had an extraordinary
ability to bring, um,
extraordinary people together.
And that's the bit
that I remember, uh,
is going to the dinner parties
where you'd meet, um,
politicians, uh, the academics,
people from the United Nations.
I mean, it was a cosmopolitan
group of US eminence.
He was your guest as well.
In 2000,
Epstein was a guest at
Windsor Castle and at Sandringham.
He was brought right into
the heart
of the Royal Family
at your invitation.
Yes but, but certainly at my invitation,
not at the royal family's invitation.
But remember it was his girlfriend
that that that was the key
element in this.
He was the, as it were,
plus one, uh, to some extent,
in, in, in that aspect.
Am I am I right in thinking
you threw a birthday party, um,
for Epstein's girlfriend,
Ghislaine Maxwell,
at Sandringham?
No, it was a shooting weekend.
A shooting weekend?
Just a straightforward
straightforward shooting weekend.
But during these times that he
was a guest at Windsor Castle,
at Sandringham, uh,
the shooting weekend
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
we now know that he was
and had been procuring young
girls for sex trafficking.
Uh, we now know that.
At the time,
there was no indication
to me
or to anybody else
that that was what he was doing.
And certainly, um, when I saw
him, uh,
either in the United States
or no
when I saw him in
the United States,
or when I was staying at his
houses in the United States,
um, there was no indication,
absolutely no indication.
And if there was, uh, you have
to remember that at the time
I was patron the NSPCC's, uh,
Full Stop campaign.
So, I was close up with what was
going on at those, um, times
about, uh, getting rid of, um,
abuse to, to, to, to children.
Uh, and so I knew what
what was
what the things were to look
for, and I never saw them.
So, you would have made
that connection
because you stayed with him,
you were a visitor,
a guest on many occasions
at his homes.
And nothing struck you
as suspicious?
- Nothing.
- During that whole time.
Nothing.
Just for the record,
you've stayed on
his private island.
Yes.
[suspenseful music]
[Emily] You've stayed at
his home.
Yes.
You've visited
Ghislaine Maxwell's house
in Belgravia, in London.
Yes.
Do you regret the whole
friendship with Epstein?
Ah now, still not.
[whispers] Just apologise,
for God's sake.
And the reason being,
the people that I met
and the opportunities
that I was given
to learn either by him
or because of him,
were actually very useful.
He himself, not as it were,
um, as close as you might think.
We we we were
we weren't that close.
So, therefore, I mean, yes,
I stayed at his house,
but that was because of his
girlfriend, not because of him.
[suspenseful music continues]
In July of this year,
Epstein was arrested on charges
of sex trafficking
and abusing
dozens of underage girls.
One of Epstein's accusers,
- Virginia Roberts,
- Yeah.
has made allegations
against you.
She says she met you in 2001.
She says she dined with you,
danced with you at
Tramp Nightclub in London.
She went on to have sex with you
in a house in Belgravia,
belonging to Ghislaine Maxwell,
your friend.
Your response?
I have no recollection of
ever meeting this lady.
None whatsoever.
You don't remember meeting her?
No.
Do you know you didn't meet her?
Or do you just not remember
meeting her?
No, I ha well, I I don't
know if I've met her.
But no, I have no recollection
of meeting her.
[Emily] Because she was
very specific.
She described the dance that
you had together in Tramp.
She described meeting you.
She was a 17-year-old girl
meeting a senior member
of the royal family.
Never happened.
[mysterious music]
You seem utterly convinced
you're telling the truth.
Would you be willing to testify
or give a statement under oath
if you were asked?
Well, I I'm like everybody else,
and I I would have to take
all the legal advice
that there was before, um
I I was to do that sort
of thing, but
if push came to shove and the
[coughs]
and the legal advice
was to do so, then um, I would
be duty-bound to do so.
Do you recall any kind of
sexual contact
with Virginia Roberts then,
or at any other time?
I I I can't.
I've I've racked my brains.
I'm I'm thinking, oh, uh,
when the first allegation,
when the allegations came out
originally, I was like,
er well, that's strange,
I don't remember this.
And and then I've been
through it
and through it and through it,
over and over and over again.
And no, nothing.
It just never happened.
Epstein's housekeeper,
also in a Florida court
legal deposition,
said that you visited
the Palm Beach residence
around four times a year.
You got a daily massage
Four times a year?
That was what he said in
a Florida Court
- legal deposition.
- No.
Is there a chance that
those massages
might have been the services
of someone
who was being sexually exploited
or trafficked by Epstein?
N no.
I don't, I mean, I no, no,
definitely not, definitely not.
And I definitely did not visit
his Palm Beach house
three or four times a year.
Absolutely not.
How many times would you say
you visited?
Uh, in total, probably
four times in total,
uh, throughout the time
that I knew him.
Uh, and in fact, uh
probably that
that was the place that, um
if you see what I mean,
that he was there.
He was more in the house
there than in, um
than in other places
that I was at.
But it was usually because
I was going
I was going through,
and on to somewhere else.
So, it was a day.
That was it.
I mean, there are all sorts of
things on the internet
and out there
in the public domain,
and we'd just sort of go,
well, yeah,
but I'm afraid this
just never happened.
[mysterious music continues]
I wonder if you have any
sense now
of guilt, regret, or shame
about any of your behaviour
or your friendship with Epstein?
Well, as far as Mr Epstein
is concerned,
um, it was the wrong decision
to go and see him in 2010.
As far as my, uh, association
with him was concerned,
there were some seriously
beneficial outcomes,
uh, in areas, uh,
that have nothing
that had nothing to do with
what I would describe
as what we're talking
about today.
On balance, could I have
avoided ever meeting him?
Probably not.
And that's because of
my friendship with Ghislaine.
It was it was it was
inevitable that, um,
we would come across each other.
Do I regret the fact that
he has quite obviously, uh,
conducted himself in
a manner unbecoming?
- Yes.
- Unbecoming?
He was a sex offender.
Yeah, sorry, I was being polite.
I mean, in the sense that
he was a sex offender.
But no, um
was I right in having
him as a friend at the time,
bearing in mind this was
some years before
he was accused of being a
a sex offender?
I don't think there was
anything wrong then.
Um, the problem was the fact
that once he was convicted
- You stayed with him.
- I stayed with him.
[dramatic music]
So, if Virginia Roberts is
watching this interview,
what is your message to her?
[dark music fades in]
Your Royal Highness, thank you.
[Andrew] Thank you very much
indeed.
Hold your positions, please.
Great.
Your Royal Highness,
thank you so much.
[whispers] Did we get it?
I didn't show the photo.
You didn't need to.
Sir, the alibis.
You didn't mention those.
I didn't?
I do think it would be advisable
to have those included.
Yes, of course, um
but it went alright otherwise?
It went very well, Sir.
He denied knowing her,
I should have shown the photo.
You didn't need to. It was
You didn't ask me about
my alibis as discussed.
Um, the sweating and, um,
my visit to Pizza Express.
- Sweating?
- Yeah.
I must insist that we include
these details.
They're material to
His Royal Highness's defence.
We were expecting to be asked
about them.
It'd have to be a drop-in.
If anything goes wrong,
they can accuse us
- of tampering the chronology.
- It's fine. Absolutely.
We'll do it now.
Stewart.
Right, um, yep.
Emily, if you want to
lead us in then, uh,
yeah, we can cover
those questions now.
From?
From wherever you like.
Let's check the cards on
all cameras.
Hmm. Alright.
[cameraman] Cameras reloaded.
Standby.
Standing by.
Cameras.
Resetting. Rolling.
Roll.
Rolling.
Sound.
Speed.
- Emily.
- Mm.
[clock ticking]
[high tempo music]
[Stewart] And cut.
[crew] That's a wrap then, guys.
Well, thank you, Emily, for
coming to Buckingham Palace.
As I said, um, I am most
grateful for the opportunity
to have discussed this with you.
Would you mind if we did some
walking shots for the opening?
Oh, not at all, not at all.
Uh, in fact, we have some
splendid corridors.
- Shall we?
- Ah, thanks.
[people chattering]
[phone ringing]
[Edward] Donal.
Done.
And?
I'll let you listen.
[crew] Camera rolling.
And action.
Um, yes, this is, um
I thought that went well.
Very good.
[crew] Just one more please, Sir.
- Once more.
- Just?
- Yes.
- Mm.
- Sir.
- [crew] And action.
So
you'll keep in touch?
Absolutely.
Thank you.
[Andrew chatting quietly]
We've got this, Sir. Thank you.
- Okay.
- Yep.
Um
Ah.
This is my great-great-great
grandfather, Prince Albert.
They called him the first
royal entrepreneur,
Her Majesty calls me the second
[laugh], so, no,
well, I have great plans
for the, uh, the, uh
how do you think it went?
I thought it was very frank.
Yes. Yes, I hope so.
Well, I certainly do appreciate
the chance to, uh, as it were
oh, well, obviously it was a
a risk, but no, no, no, I I felt it.
And you and you felt it.
- Absolutely.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
So, yeah, well
- Very good.
- I should probably
- Yes, thank you.
- Oh, yeah, well
Thank you, Emily.
[dramatic music]
- Amanda.
- Miss Maitlis, thank you.
Wow.
[Sam] What the fuck just
happened? That was wild.
- Like having a baby.
- Honestly, Em, you are amazing.
[Jake] I actually thought
it was bizarre.
Why?
Well, everything, I mean, the
the whole way he talked.
His his alibis.
He made about as much sense
as my gran,
and and she barely even knows
her own name. [laughter]
[Stewart] Well, I'm just glad
it's over.
[Jake] There's a slight problem
with the party
[chatter continues in
background]
[keypad beeping]
[high tempo music]
Uh
[distant chatter]
Daddy?
Bea.
Did it.
Well done, Pups.
[laughter]
We talk to nobody about
what just happened.
Anyone on the BBC gets wind
of it or it's leaked,
we screw up our chances
of getting it out there.
So, what have we got?
Uh, okay. Wide tracking shot,
two shot, two over the shoulders,
uh, and a clean single
on Andrew.
Um, there was a slight problem
with, er, Emily's single.
Uh, it just it was a colour thing.
Um, it's fine, we've got tonnes
of footage to cut from.
The problem is we, you know,
we've got very little time to cut it.
[Esme] You'll be fine.
[Jake] Yeah.
It was not at all like
we rehearsed. I mean
- How do you mean?
- No, pushbacks.
A bit of blustering
at the beginning, but, yeah,
you know,
Jake said it in the cab,
he was weirdly guileless.
Amanda thinks it went very well.
Well, so does he.
Alright, Stew, you're gonna
need to manage that.
Any questions from Amanda,
I want you just to politely
push back on.
I don't want her or anyone else
at the Palace breaking cover
before this goes out.
I'm gonna need an edit
by tomorrow PM
and two trailers by tonight.
Transmission is this weekend, TBC.
Wow.
[high tempo music]
[sighs]
[dog howling]
Duke of York address addresses
the ball.
Two points clear at the
18th with only himself
between victory and defeat.
[TV in background]
It's going to swing left
or right.
And he sends it on its way,
perfectly weighted,
curling right across the green.
Is it gonna come up short?
No, oh-ho-ho!
A perfectly judged
putt once more
to take the claret jug.
Waaah, the crowd,
listen to them going wild, roaring,
waah, roaring for him here
at St Andrew's Golf course.
Waah, so aptly named.
Waaah, what a fighter.
What a thoroughly deserved victory.
[dramatic music]
[TV in background]
[bell tinkles]
[dark music fades in]
[door opens]
I'm going on a shooting weekend.
I'll leave tomorrow.
Very good, Sir.
[footsteps recede]
[snoring]
[crows cawing]
[birds singing]
[guard] Oh, here she comes.
All that just to
murder some birds.
[unkind laughter]
How are we looking, Amanda?
I just wanted to let you know
Newsnight have announced
transmission for tomorrow.
Nine PM on BBC 2.
Ah, good slot?
It's the intelligent person's
lot, Sir.
Oh. Any, uh any publicity,
as it were?
Some announcements on radio
and a post on their
Twitter account.
I imagine there'll be more
as the day goes on.
Yes, yeah.
There does appear to be
quite a lot of interest
from the reaction to their
Twitter post.
Positive?
The usual mix.
Right, right, yeah.
Well, I'll be shooting
this weekend, so, uh
I probably won't be watching.
You'll keep me posted?
Yes, Sir.
Sir?
Right then.
[cars start]
Can we hurry, please?
We're running out of time.
Yeah, I'm going as fast
as I can.
- [Stewart] Do you want me to drive?
- No, I fucking don't.
- Boys.
- We're 24 hours off transmission.
We're drowning in
fucking footage,
and no one has any clue
where anything is except me.
So, can you please
all stop pretending
like you know what you're
talking about and just
just shut the fuck up?
[tapping on keyboard]
[sighs]
Okay, so I've put the pickup
between two questions
- about the nightclub.
- Okay.
Also, um, Emily moved her hair
behind her ear between takes.
Pick up, main interview.
No one spotted it at the time,
so
Oh God, shit,
I'm so sorry, Jake.
I didn't even realise
I was doing that.
Will anyone notice?
Probably not, no.
It took me a while to see it.
And to be fair, she could have
moved her hair between shots.
Okay, let's have a look.
Do you remember her?
No.
I I have no recollection
of ever meeting her.
I'm almo in fact, I'm
convinced
that I was never in Tramps
with her.
Uh, there are a number of
things wrong with that story,
one of which is that
I don't know where the bar is
in Tramps.
I don't drink. [scoffs]
Er, I don't think I've ever
bought a drink
in Tramps whenever I was there.
Do you remember dancing
at Tramp?
Can you tell?
You can't tell.
[clears throat uncomfortably]
[office phone ringing]
You know that you were
at home with the children.
Was it a memorable night?
On that particular day, um
that we now understand
is the date, um,
that is the 10th of March,
I was at home.
I was with the children.
I'd taken Beatrice to, uh,
a Pizza Express in Woking
for a party at, I suppose,
sort of four or five
in the afternoon.
And why would you remember that
so specifically?
Why do you remember
a Pizza Express birthday
and being at home?
Because going to
a Pizza Express in Woking
is an unusual thing
for me to do.
A very unusual thing
for me to do.
I've never been.
Go to the sweating.
Yeah, I can do. It's um
I haven't used the two shot yet.
It needs tidying up.
Well, show us anyway.
[Jake clears his throat]
So, you're absolutely sure you
were home
- on the 10th of March?
- Yep.
She was very specific
about that night.
She described dancing with you
- and you profusely sweating.
- [scoffs]
And that she went on to have
a bath, possibly.
There's there's, a slight
problem, uh, with the sweating,
which is that, um, I have a
a peculiar
medical condition,
which is that I don't sweat or
or I didn't sweat at the time.
And that actually, yeah,
I didn't sweat at the time.
Uh uh, because I had
suffered what I would describe
as an overdose of adrenaline
in the Falklands War
when I was shot at.
And I simply it
it was almost impossible
for me to sweat.
Is it possible that you met
Virginia Roberts,
dined with her,
danced with her at Tramp,
had sex with her
on another date?
So, from there on in,
you are back with
the main interview.
I don't know.
It feels it dropped in.
Well, he's the one who pushed
for it.
Press won't know that.
They're his own words, Stew,
you were there
when we recorded them.
Yeah, and now that I'm looking
at them in the edit,
they don't feel right. Sorry.
Well, I guarantee you
those are the lines everyone's
gonna remember.
And if the palace leaks that
we cut them in,
how are we gonna deny it?
BBC hangs Prince out to dry.
They're never gonna say that.
He thinks they're his best lies.
Yes, and we're still pretending
that it's a live recording
- as a single event when it isn't.
- The truth what he said, Stew.
- they're his own words.
- Enough, enough.
Enough!
We keep them in.
Tomorrow first thing,
we send embargoed transcripts
to select journalists.
Alright, they can post reactions
on Twitter,
but not reveal content.
Now, with any luck, they'll be
as gobsmacked as we were,
which should tee us up nicely
for reviews.
Saturday morning, Emily will do
some more press,
then nine PM we go to air.
Now, fuck off all of you,
and let Jake do his job.
Come on.
- Okay.
- [sighs]
[door opens]
[loud office chatter]
[door closes]
[knocking on door]
Come in.
- Edward.
- Uh, may I?
Oh, please, do sit down.
Uh, no, I'm not staying.
Just popped by to ask
how you thought it went yesterday?
Uh, very well, I think.
Oh, really? Only Donal thought
it was a bit of a dog's dinner.
What's your leverage
with Newsnight?
Leverage?
I mean, if you decided that
the interview was a mistake,
could you stop it?
Well, I could make a call.
I mean, obviously we'd need to
tread carefully
around Her Majesty's feelings.
In her eyes Andrew can do
no wrong.
But if you thought it was in
the Prince's best interest
No.
Thank you,
but that won't be necessary.
[tense music]
Well, it's your call.
[dog whining]
Coffee or vodka?
[phone pings]
[clock ticking]
Vodka.
[high tempo music]
And no shooting any of my birds
this time, Jack.
You veered perilously close to
my airspace last time,
I seem to remember.
It's not Yorkshire rules,
you know. [laugh]
Right, come on ladies.
They're not gonna wait for us.
Any time today.
[cars hooting]
- Morning.
- Morning, Mrs Thirsk.
- Thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
[music intensifies]
[phone ringing]
[phone continues ringing]
[automated voice] Please leave
your message after the tone.
[beep]
[beating, calling]
[man shouting]
[beating, grouse calling]
[gun fires]
[music intensifies]
[phone ringing]
[guns firing]
[man] Good shot, Sir.
[guns firing repeatedly]
[phone continues ringing]
[tense music]
[gun fires]
[phone continues ringing]
[cork pops]
328 birds.
Hey, hey!
Not bad at all for a day's work.
I'd say we've earned
our suppers, wouldn't you?
Well, most of us have.
I'm not looking at anyone
in particular, James.
[men guffawing]
[man] Leave James alone.
Not quite the record.
I believe that's still 336 birds,
but still not bad
[clocks ticking loudly, chiming]
[Big Ben gongs]
[high tempo music]
[Emily] young women
and children.
The investigation into Epstein
is ongoing.
For his part, Prince Andrew
has always denied
any allegations made against
him by Virginia Roberts,
one of Epstein's victims.
But has never done so in his
own words
until tonight.
[dramatic music]
Your Royal Highness,
we've come
to Buckingham Palace
in highly unusual circumstances.
Normally, we'd be discussing
your work, your duty,
we'll come onto that,
but today you've chosen to
speak out for the first time.
Why have you decided to
talk now?
[Andrew] Because
there is no good time
to talk about Mr Epstein.
[dramatic music continues]
I had to show leadership.
[text messages pouring in]
I had to go there and see him,
I had to tell him, that's it.
At the time, you know,
I thought it was
the honourable, and
and right thing to do.
Um, but I admit fully that, um,
my judgement
was probably coloured by my um
tendency to be too honourable.
[messages continue]
But that's just the way it is.
[Emily] Do you regret the whole
friendship with Epstein?
[Andrew] I ah
[Emily] She spoke about you
outside the court
in August of this year.
She said, I quote, "He knows
exactly what he's done,
and I hope he comes clean
about it."
And the answer is nothing.
[Emily] So, if Virginia Roberts
is watching this interview,
what is your message to her?
[suspenseful music]
I I I don't have
a message for her
because I have to have
a thick skin.
And
if somebody's just gonna make
those sorts of allegations,
I've just got to have a thick
skin and get on with it.
But they never happened.
[phone ringing]
There are all sorts of things
on the internet and out there
[Andrew's voice fades out]
Your Majesty.
[Andrew] It just never happened.
Yes, I am.
[interview continues in background]
[phone pinging]
[dramatic music]
[phone continues pinging]
[girls sobbing]
Quack, quack. [laughter]
- Uh, Donald Duck.
- No.
[drunken laughter, chatter]
Alan Sugar?
Pfffft.
Oh, don't worry, darling.
Argh!
Oh, it's Donald Trump.
[cheering]
[laughter]
[man] How did it take you
so long?
Her Majesty is on the line, Sir.
She'd like a word with you.
[drunken party continues]
[dramatic music]
[clears throat]
Mummy?
[clock ticking]