Prince Andrew Was Never The Same After The Disastrous BBC Newsnight Interview

Bad press has the power to completely ruin a reputation, and if one's image is already battered by a history of rumors and scandals, a single interview gone wrong can have an irreversible negative impact on the rest of one's life. Such was the case for the controversial Prince Andrew following his fateful interview with Emily Maitlis for BBC's "Newsnight" in 2019.

Viewers of this "car crash" interview couldn't turn their eyes or ears from the nonsensical, contradictory, and downright outrageous answers provided by the prince. His refusal to admit any feelings of regret or remorse for cultivating a controversial friendship with pedophile and sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, coupled with his unapologetic denial of ever having met his sexual abuse victim, Virginia Giuffre, left audiences in such a state of disbelief and disgust that an overwhelming outcry for Prince Andrew to have his royal status revoked arose in the wake of its airing. Despite so many opportunities presented to him by Maitlis to take accountability for his actions and accept blame for the pain and suffering he had caused, Andrew provided one ridiculous excuse after another, claiming at one point that his "judgement was probably colored by [his] tendency to be too honorable." 

To the surprise of no one except Prince Andrew himself, the interview was received terribly by the public and the royal family, and his steep decline into shame and scandal followed soon afterward, forever changing the trajectory of his life.

Although it seems hard to believe, considering the interview is widely regarded as a massive failure in public relations and human decency on Prince Andrew's part, the Duke of York was reportedly pleased with himself in the hours immediately following his performance. On a podcast episode for "Real Crime Profile" in 2022, Sam McAlister, the BBC producer responsible for securing Prince Andrew's commitment to do the interview, who was also present at the time of its recording, recalled those first moments of shock when the cameras stopped rolling, stating, "This is the scoop of the year, the decade, the century ... And then as I lift my eyes, much to my surprise, I see that he's in the best spirits ever ... he clearly thinks it's gone extremely well."

McAlister goes on to describe how Prince Andrew, oblivious and jolly, subsequently invited his interviewer, Emily Maitlis, photographer Mark Harrison, and herself on a tour of Buckingham Palace. At that time, Harrison snapped photos of Maitlis and Prince Andrew in a corridor, with Maitlis seeming tense and the duke appearing none too bothered. In an interview with Times Radio, Harrison recounted the strange excursion and quoted an exchange between Prince Andrew and Maitlis, in which he said, "Well, that went really well, didn't it?"

The Telegraph reports that Queen Elizabeth II received a copy of the interview's contents just hours before it aired and likely realized at that time how horrific the outcome would be. Prince Andrew was apparently summoned to a meeting with his mother, wherein his blunder was made clear to him.

The notorious "Newsnight" interview aired on a Saturday night, and by the following Wednesday, Prince Andrew had stepped down from his royal duties. The overwhelming backlash from the public appeared to force his hand and that of the royal family, especially Queen Elizabeth II, as her subjects demanded action and for Prince Andrew to be held accountable for being fully knowledgeable of Epstein's status as a sex offender during their friendship, complicit in the sex-trafficking of young girls, and for sexually assaulting a minor multiple times. In a statement provided by the duke to the public, he stated, "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family's work ... Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission."

Having been grilled for expressing no remorse or sympathy for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein's and his own sexual abuse, the duke used the issuance of the statement to sprinkle in some semblance of contriteness and refute his prior assertion that he did not regret his friendship with Epstein as he writes, "I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein ... I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure. I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives."

The "Newsnight" interview in 2019 was certainly not the first time Prince Andrew found himself deeply embroiled in rumors and controversy, but it was one of the final straws that broke the camel's back. Before "Newsnight," there had been some hope of his public rehabilitation. BBC producer Sam McAlister explained on "Real Crime Profile" that Prince Andrew's offices had initially reached out to the BBC to produce a "puff piece" on him, which McAlister described as a type of glossy, complimentary advertisement highlighting a person's accomplishments and positive qualities. Prince Andrew and others at the palace wanted to create an opportunity for him to curry favor with the citizens of the U.K. and observers around the world by bringing attention to his various projects and offering a distraction from the glaring reality of his problematic past. The interview, which actually came to fruition, was the product of multiple rounds of negotiation and a last effort to clear Prince Andrew's name of any further affiliation with Epstein. No one could have foreseen how effectively he slaughtered his own chances of entering into the good graces of the masses.

Reflecting upon her experience with the ruined royal, his interviewer, Emily Maitlis, told the BBC, "Prince Andrew, he lost his royal duties, he lost the ability to wear uniform, he lost the respect of the nation, and it became, I think, much more difficult for him in his place in the royal family."

Since the subject of Prince Andrew's sexual assault of Virginia Giuffre arose as a prominent talking point in the "Newsnight" interview, Giuffre and her lawyers determined that Prince Andrew's remarks could be used in a civil suit against him. In August 2021, Giuffre filed against Prince Andrew in New York, stating that she was trafficked to the U.K. by Jeffrey Epstein for the purpose of being used sexually by the prince. She also stated that she had been sexually abused by Andrew on three separate occasions in the U.K., the U.S., and on Epstein's private island.

Immediately after the suit was filed, it appeared that Prince Andrew had the support of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, as they believed it would never make it to trial. However, when it was approved by a New York judge, the queen was forced to make a serious decision. Unable to weather any more backlash and embarrassment on behalf of Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew was stripped of his royal patronage and military honors. He would no longer be able to use the title of "His Royal Highness," nor would he be considered a protected figure. He would be forced to face the trial as a "private citizen" without the official backing of the monarchy. Royal author, David McClure, told NBC, "It's quite brutal in many ways — the queen is really putting a foot down and saying this cannot continue ... It has become tremendously damaging in terms of the reputation of the whole monarchy, not just Andrew, so the queen really did have to make a decision."

A consequence of Prince Andrew's public disgrace following the "Newsnight" interview and subsequent dishonors was that his former social circle now wanted nothing to do with him. GB News reported that since his public downfall in 2019, the Duke of York was "not welcome anywhere." The outlet also stated that "he doesn't have that many friends anymore." This is most likely a result of his former friends fearing the societal repercussions of maintaining a friendship with a person accused of being a sexual abuser and participant in a sex-trafficking scheme.

This social isolation contrasts starkly with much of how Prince Andrew used to spend his time. In his younger years, he was known as the "Party Prince" and a womanizer. Though he wasn't celebrated for his social proclivities, engaging in them was still an object of pleasure to him. During his decade as a trade envoy for the U.K., Prince Andrew was regularly jet-setting and flying all over the world throughout most of the year to meet new people and make connections.

The entire social network that the duke had created over the course of his life began to crumble into an unsalvageable heap as controversies, and were topped with deeply disturbing allegations of remorseless sexual assaults of a minor. The "Newsnight" interview immortalized his failure; the domino effect of losing his position as a working royal, being stripped of his royal patronage, and removing his right to wear his military regalia, made him a complete social pariah.

Prince Andrew's infamous "Newsnight" interview was so terrible that it continues to haunt him in the form of dramatized adaptations created by Netflix and Amazon. "A Very Royal Scandal" on Amazon Prime Video and "Scoop" on Netflix shed new light on the original "Newsnight" piece from 2019, keeping the ridiculousness and impressive delusion of Prince Andrew's own words fresh in the eyes and ears of the public.

"Scoop" is a single, full-length film based on Sam McAlister's book recounting the lead-up, execution, and some of the fallout of the interview that she herself secured. "A Very Royal Scandal" is an Amazon miniseries that also recounts the interview, but focuses less on the "Newsnight" team and more on Andrew and how the interview affected his life and relationships with his family. Obviously, neither of these dramatizations are flattering for Prince Andrew or the monarchy in general. It's also disclosed that some creative license was taken, since no one really knows how Prince Andrew's private conversations with his staff and relatives actually went. Each adaptation seeks to shed light and add context to certain aspects of the interview while adding entertaining and intriguing flair for its audience.

Since both versions were released in 2024, five years after the interview took place, public interest and outrage boomed once again, ensuring that Prince Andrew and the royal family won't forget that fateful interview anytime soon.

The compounding effects of the "Newsnight" aftermath led to the collapse of many facets of Prince Andrew's life, including his relationship with family members. First, he was forced to step down from his royal duties and was no longer considered a working royal, and subsequently, he was cut off from one of his independent sources of income. As a result of his idleness and lack of cash flow, King Charles III was forced to foot the bill for Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, to live in a 30-room manor called Royal Lodge. The cost of upkeep for the sprawling estate, as well as the expense of supplying it with adequate security detail, eventually classified Prince Andrew as a financial burden King Charles could no longer justify.

With conflict brewing as a result of his brother's perpetual inability to stay out of trouble, Charles suggested that there was no need for only two people to occupy such a grandiose property. If Andrew wanted to stay there, he would be cut off financially and would have to find a way to pay the expenses himself. The king suggested an alternative living situation that would be much more appropriate for someone in the duke's position: Frogmore Cottage, the former home of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Aside from its more reasonable size, it's situated within the regular security cordon of Windsor, meaning that no additional security detail would be required, and another expense would be cut. Prince Andrew refused the king's offer and instigated what was considered the "siege of the royal lodge."

Though Prince Andrew may have been the alleged favorite of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, his older brother, King Charles III, has displayed much less patience and confidence in the duke's ability to clean up his act. Following the "Newsnight" interview and the civil suit and settlement with Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew has tried on a few occasions to subtly weasel his way back into public life to show that it wasn't his desire to hang back in the shadows as a beleaguered afterthought.

He played on the queen's favor during Prince Philip's memorial service in 2022, taking a place at his mother's side and escorting her down the aisle of Westminster Abbey. Although he may have intended to show loyal and steadfast support for his mother, the photo op was a convenient one that left citizens of the U.K. wondering if he would be allowed to return as a working royal despite his public disgrace on "Newsnight." After the queen's death, Prince Andrew has been seen at certain small events, including the royal family's Easter Sunday service, attempting to curry favor with his relatives. Despite these efforts, The Times quoted a source on behalf of Charles, saying, "A way back for the duke is demonstrably not possible ... the specter of this [accusation] raises its head with hideous regularity."

To say that Prince Andrew publicized his worst flaws on "Newsnight" is an understatement. The interview absolutely shattered his reputation not only in the eyes of the public but in the estimation of other world powers. His poorly thought-out answers and complete lack of self-awareness marked him as an easy target for manipulation on the international stage; thus, the saga of Andrew's shady dealings in business and affiliation with unsavory characters continued.

As a consequence of the crumbling of his credibility after "Newsnight," the nonprofit sector of Andrew's entrepreneurial networking program, Pitch@Palace U.K., was dissolved. However, the for-profit, global version of the model, Pitch@Palace Global Ltd, remained intact and controlled by Andrew through a trust and shadow owners — as is typical practice for royals partaking in business ventures. When he was down on his luck and wallowing in the abject failure of his domestic venture, Prince Andrew found a close confidante and friend in Yang Tengbo, a Chinese national who served as a founding partner for Pitch@Palace China.

Yang became incredibly close with Andrew and was said to have immense influence over him. The duke even said that Yang could operate on his behalf when considering Chinese investments. This high level of power over a person still connected to the royal family and privy to sensitive information regarding national security set off red flags for U.K. officials. Yang was eventually accused of being a spy for the Chinese Communist Party sent to extract information and manipulate Prince Andrew. He was expelled from the U.K. in 2023.

In the aftermath of Prince Andrew's spectacular fall from grace, he has settled into a quiet, obscure life, tucked away within Royal Lodge, where he has managed to remain with the help of funds presumably procured by selling other valuable properties. According to Prince Andrew's ex-wife and roommate, Sarah Ferguson, he spends most of his time watching TV in dark rooms, horseback riding around the extensive grounds of the royal lodge, and occasionally golfing. 

Despite his many failures, Sarah remains the duke's most loyal companion. In a piece for The Times, she described life with Prince Andrew following the "Newsnight" interview and all of the consequences that came afterward, where she noted how caring for the duke reminded her of the time she had spent looking after her father. "I was left to look after a sad man, which is sort of what I'm doing now," she wrote.