Prince Andrew ‘pleased’ with portrayal in Netflix's "Scoop"

"Scoop" revisits Prince Andrew’s disastrous BBC interview regarding his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Netflix's latest drama, "Scoop," has dramatised Prince Andrew's infamous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview. Surprisingly, the British prince has reportedly found his portrayal favorable.

The BBC interview had focused on Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of sexual assault by Virginia Roberts Giuffre (which Andrew has always denied). Andrew later settled out of court with Giuffre.

Based on a book by former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, "Scoop" depicts Andrew as foolish rather than villainous. A friend of Andrew's who spoke with him since the film's release told the Daily Beast: "Obviously Andrew regrets doing the interview... That said, he feels Scoop is much more even-handed than he expected. It’s fair to say he was delighted by Rufus Sewell’s portrayal of him.”

Another friend talking to the Daily Beast said : “I think the show...made clear that Andrew was an extremely good convener of people...He knows he screwed up monumentally over Epstein—but nobody is now doing what he did then. He still has a lot to offer.” This friend also notes the irony of Newsnight's subsequent downsizing and Andrew's renewed, albeit unofficial, presence within the royal family.

The Daily Beast reported that a source close to the King and Queen believes Charles is unlikely to have watched "Scoop" and considers Andrew's public role closed. However, there's no ban against Andrew attending private family events. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Another drama about the interview, "A Very Royal Scandal," is slated for release with Michael Sheen as Andrew. It remains to be seen if Andrew will find this version as flattering.

Despite expectations, "Scoop" hasn't reignited widespread criticism of Andrew. Some, like Daily Mail columnist Liz Jones, even expressed sympathy for him, calling Newsnight's approach duplicitous. Hugo Rifkind of the London Times found Sewell's Andrew "dazzlingly charismatic."

Historian Andrew Lownie disagrees, feeling "Scoop" has only renewed negative attention on Andrew. He believes Andrew's recent public appearances demonstrate a relentless push to restore his reputation despite the damage. "He, and others, believe that he has been traduced unfairly...he has not been convicted of anything illegal," Lownie said.