Prince Andrew emerges for the first time as Scoop hits the screen: Duke goes ... trends now

The palace is today braced for the fallout from a new Netflix drama about Prince Andrew's notorious Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, with experts predicting it will fuel further calls for him to be banished from royal life for good. 

Scoop reenacts the saga surrounding Andrew's excruciating sitdown in 2019, where he was quizzed about his friendship with billionaire convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. 

The Holiday actor Rufus Sewell stars as the Duke of York while Gillian Anderson portrays Ms Maitlis in the film, which was awarded four stars out of five by Mail's TV and film critic, Brian Viner.  

Royal author Richard Fitzwilliams said there was 'no question' the new film would put more pressure on the palace over its relationship with Andrew. 

He told MailOnline: 'It will all remind people not only of how the interview transpired but also the whole scandal, from Pizza Express and the sweating to, more seriously, the photograph of Andrew with Virginia Giuffre. 

'This is at a time when he has appeared several times at public events, including at the memorial service to King Constantine. While ceremonies in a religious context are somewhat different, there should be no question of him attending any major royal events. 

'This film will also be embarrassing for the palace because it was filmed in the palace and will be used for 50 years in any  public relations lecture. It was possibly the worst ever interview given by a public figure anywhere.'

Mr Fitzwilliams said the Netflix show painted a devastating portrait of Andrew's character. 

'The film conveys the extraordinary sense of entitlement that Andrew had. He is told by his aide Amanda Thirsk to ''just be himself'' and he is - that's the most damning thing,' he said. 

'It is very embarrassing for the Palace and simply another indication that Andrew is completely unfit for the Royal Family he was born into.

'Andrew's is already ghastly and couldn't be worse so this will confirm people's view of him. The film also adds a new dimension by portraying his childlike side - such as the scene featuring his teddy bears.

'The person we see in the film doesn't seem to be in touch with reality. It shows how people in a privileged position can become completely out of touch. This was the most ghastly interview from any public figure I can remember.'

Royal biographer and investigative journalist Tom Bower believes Scoop should remind the King that he must stop any attempt by his brother to get back to public life.

He said: 'To save the Royal Family from more horrendous damage, King Charles will finally need to order Prince Andrew to permanently stay out of public view. Senior officials also need to tell Andrew the truth.

'He is a serious liability and cannot be trusted or rescued. Unless King Charles firmly grasps this nettle it can only get worse'.

Viner hailed the show for its 'top-quality cast and mischievous script'. 

He adds: 'Like Netflix's The Crown, director Philip Martin's film deftly mixes historical truths with dramatic licence. But fiction can't compete with fact.

'Scoop is never more electrifying than when it finally arrives at the only part of the story we already know intimately, the interview itself, with all its extraordinary minutiae about Pizza Express in Woking and Andrew's supposed inability to sweat.

'It is very carefully and convincingly recreated.'

The Daily Telegraph film critic Tim Robey also awarded it five stars out of five, hailing the layers of drama which he feels sets it apart from previous royal dramas like The Queen and The Crown.

Robey said: 'It's no laughing matter, obviously, but aspects of the whole saga are still inescapably absurd, and maximally milked in a borderline-The-Thick-of-It fashion without going overboard.

'The director, Philip Martin, plays everything right to the cusp - where you clamp hand to mouth, aghast at remembering that this train wreck actually happened, and irresistibly compelled to relive it.'

But the film, also starring Billie Piper and Keeley Hawes, received

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