Princess Beatrice 'will be annoyed and upset' over Netflix's dramatisation of Prince Andrew's Newsnight interview and her involvement in it, expert claims
- Princess Beatrice attended a negotiation between Prince Andrew and the BBC
- Read More: Photographer at Prince Andrew's car-crash Newsnight interview reveals Emily Maitlis and Duke's 'tense' post-filming conversation
Princess Beatrice 'will be annoyed and upset' over Netflix's dramatisation of Prince Andrew's Newsnight interview and her involvement in it, an expert has claimed.
Netflix's Scoop - starring Gillian Anderson, Billie Piper and Rufus Sewell - follows how the BBC obtained the interview, which is widely considered the most disastrous in royal history.
Royal expert Jennie Bond - who was the BBC's royal correspondent for 14 years - said Prince Andrew's eldest daughter will be dreading the drama, which will be available to stream from Friday.
Speaking to OK!, the expert explained how the release of the dramatisation will 'broadcast the whole story' to an even wider audience.
She said: 'It's altogether very bad news for Andrew, and, indeed, for his whole family.
Princess Beatrice (pictured in June 2022) attended a negotiation meeting between Prince Andrew and the BBC, a producer claimed
'Beatrice, in particular, will undoubtedly be annoyed and upset that her part in setting up and monitoring the interview will now be made so much more public.'
Describing how the Yorks may have a 'difficult time ahead', the expert also highlighted how Prince Andrew 'won't like' how the drama is expected to highlight how well he thought the interview had gone.
During the 60-minute programme, Andrew failed to apologise for his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and denied ever meeting accuser Virgina Roberts.
Last year, a BBC producer revealed that Princess Beatrice attended a negotiation meeting with her father ahead of the interview.
Producer Ms McAlister said the duke had announced he had brought someone with him to the negotiations, and said she had thought he meant a lawyer.
Writing for the Mail, the producer wrote: 'To be frank, the only thing worse than speaking to a prospective interviewee about allegations of sexual impropriety and sex with a 17-year-old girl is having to do so in front of his daughter.
'Princess Beatrice was polite and engaged, but, unlike her father, she was evidently anxious about the meeting and clearly there to protect his interests.
'I'd heard she was close to the Queen. The Prince's eldest daughter was now, I felt, the person who could make the difference between us getting the interview or not.
Pictured: Prince Andrew gives Emily Maitlis a tour around Buckingham Palace after filming for his Newsnight interview wrapped
Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk, Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Charity Wakefield as Princess Beatrice in Scoop
Ms McAlister has previously described how Beatrice - who is played by Charity Wakefield in Scoop - took notes on a clipboard at the meeting and appeared ‘anxious’.
In April 2023, Emily Maitlis revealed she fears that the car-crash interview 'hurt' Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, who had recently announced her engagement.
She told a Channel 4 documentary: ‘It’s the first time the thought crossed my mind that maybe he was doing it for [Princess Beatrice].
‘Your life has been hellish. You’ve had to read these headlines. You’re trying to get married. I’m going to do this to make it better for you. I don’t know if that’s true, but it crossed my mind.’
In a column for The Times, Emily said she also struggled 'in the aftermath' with how Prince Andrew's revelations would impact his daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.
'How could an interview that aimed to provide answers for vulnerable young women not end up hurting other vulnerable young women — his daughters — along the way?'
With the benefit of hindsight, the former BBC journalist questioned whether Prince Andrew had agreed to the interview to clear his name for the sake of Beatrice, ahead of her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi just months later.
