Meet the cast of A Very Royal Scandal
Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen star as Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew.
After Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell took on the roles of Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew earlier this year in Scoop, it's now the turn of Ruth Wilson and Michael Sheen to portray the real-life figures in A Very Royal Scandal.
Just like the Netflix film, the Prime Video series dramatises the events surrounding the 2019 Newsnight interview between Maitlis and the Duke of York, which led towards him resigning from public duties in May 2020.
Wilson and Sheen are joined in the cast of the new three-part series by Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk, the role previously played by Keeley Hawes, while the cast is filled out by the likes of Alex Jennings and Éanna Hardwicke.
Read on for everything you need to know about the central cast of A Very Royal Scandal.
Who's in the cast of A Very Royal Scandal?
Below is the main line-up for A Very Royal Scandal, which is now available to stream on Prime Video.
Read on to find out more about the cast and characters.
- Ruth Wilson as Emily Maitlis
- Michael Sheen as Prince Andrew
- Joanna Scanlan as Amanda Thirsk
- Alex Jennings as Sir Edward Young
- Éanna Hardwicke as Stewart Maclean
- Lydia Leonard as Esme Wren
- Honor Swinton Byrne as Princess Beatrice
- Sofia Oxenham as Princess Eugenie
- Claire Rushbrook as Sarah Ferguson
- Clare Calbraith as Sam McAlister
Ruth Wilson plays Emily Maitlis
Who is Emily Maitlis? Maitlis is a journalist, documentary maker and former BBC newsreader, who was the lead anchor of Newsnight until the end of 2021. She runs a daily award-winning podcast, The News Agents, with fellow journalists Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall.
Where have I seen Ruth Wilson before? Wilson is best known for starring in series including Luther, The Affair, Mrs Wilson, His Dark Materials and The Woman in the Wall. She has also appeared in films including Dark River and See How They Run.
Michael Sheen plays Prince Andrew
Who is Prince Andrew? Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is the third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the brother of King Charles III and a member of the British royal family.
Where have I seen Michael Sheen before? Sheen is best known for playing real-life figures, including in Quiz, Frost/Nixon, The Queen and Vardy v Rooney. He's also starred in the likes of Midnight in Paris, The Good Fight, Masters of Sex, The Sandman, Good Omens, Staged, Best Interests, The Way and Last Train to Christmas.
Joanna Scanlan plays Amanda Thirsk
Who is Amanda Thirsk? Amanda Thirsk is the former private secretary to Prince Andrew, who was in the position from 2012 to 2020.
Where have I seen Joanna Scanlan before? Scanlan is perhaps best known for her role as Terri in The Thick of It, while she has also appeared in Big School, The Bad Education Movie, Bridget Jones's Baby, No Offence, Dracula, Gentleman Jack, The Larkins, Wicked Little Letters, Boat Story and Slow Horses, among other series and films.
Alex Jennings plays Sir Edward Young
Who is Sir Edward Young? Edward Young, now Baron Young of Old Windsor, was the private secretary to the sovereign from 2017 to 2023 - first to Queen Elizabeth II then to King Charles III.
Where have I seen Alex Jennings before? Jennings has had notable roles in The Crown, Unforgotten, A Very English Scandal, This Is Going to Hurt, The New Look and Mr Bates vs the Post Office, as well as films including The Lady in the Van and Your Christmas of Mine?.
Éanna Hardwicke plays Stewart Maclean
Who is Stewart Maclean? Stewart Maclean is Newsnight's former deputy editor, who was in the role between 2018 and 2022. He was subsequently editor of the programme until October 2023.
Where have I seen Éanna Hardwicke before? Hardwicke is best known for starring in The Sixth Commandment, while he has also had roles in Normal People, Smother, Fate: The Winx Saga and The Doll Factory.
Lydia Leonard plays Esme Wren
Who is Esme Wren? Esme Wren is the former editor of Newsnight, who was in the role between 2018 and 2022.
Where have I seen Lydia Leonard before? Leonard has had roles in series including Jericho, Apple Tree Yard, Quacks, Absentia, Gentleman Jack, Flesh and Blood, Red Election, Ten Percent, The Crown, McDonald & Dodds and We Are Lady Parts.
Honor Swinton Byrne plays Princess Beatrice
Who is Princess Beatrice? Princess Beatrice is the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
Where have I seen Honor Swinton Byrne before? The daughter of Tilda Swinton and playwright John Byrne, Swinton Byrne has previously had roles in The Souvenir parts 1 and 2, as well as the film Drift and The Crown.
Sofia Oxenham plays Princess Eugenie
Who is Princess Eugenie? Princess Eugenie is the younger daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
Where have I seen Sofia Oxenham before? Oxenham has previously had roles in Grantchester, Poldark, Doc Martin, Dracula, Cursed, Soulmates and Extraordinary.
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Claire Rushbrook plays Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
Who is Sarah Ferguson? Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is the former wife of Prince Andrew, and the mother of Beatrice and Eugenie. She and Andrew were married in 1986, separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996.
Where have I seen Claire Rushbrook before? Rushbrook has had roles in series including Doctor Who, Whitechapel, My Mad Fat Diary, Home Fires, Black Mirror, No Offence, Temple, Magpie Murders, Inside No. 9, Wilderness and Sherwood, as well as films including Spider-Man: Far From Home, Ammonite, Enola Holmes, Ali & Ava and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
Clare Calbraith as Sam McAlister
Who is Sam McAlister? Sam McAlister is a former TV producer and writer who spent 10 years working on Newsnight. She's best known for securing the Prince Andrew interview and subsequently writing the autobiographical book Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews, which was adapted earlier this year as Netflix film Scoop.
Where have I seen Clare Calbraith before? Calbraith has had roles in shows including Heartbeat, Doctors, Downton Abbey, Vera, Home Fires, Baptiste, Unforgotten, Anne, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Tell Me Everything, Grace and The Jetty.
A Very Royal Scandal will stream on Amazon Prime Video from 19th September 2024 – try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
