British TV Station Satirizes Scandal-Hit Royal

British broadcaster Channel 4 is giving Prince Andrew’s scandal-hit life the musical therapy in a one-off particular as a part of their fortieth anniversary programming schedule.

The 60 minute present, entitled Prince Andrew: The Musical, will likely be a “reimagined” and “satirical send-up of the life and instances” of Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, stories The Related Press.

The information comes after Andrew was stripped of his public roles and ceased utilizing his HRH (His Royal Highness) title earlier this 12 months amid a sexual assault lawsuit lodged towards him by Jeffrey Epstein abuse sufferer Virginia Giuffre.

Regardless of the royal denying Giuffre’s accusations, he settled the lawsuit out of courtroom in February, forward of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Prince Andrew: The Musical has been written by British comic Kieran Hodgson who may even play the title position of Andrew. He’s no stranger to sending up the nation’s most well-known household.

Following the discharge of season 4 of Netflix drama The Crown which depicts the personal and private lives of Elizabeth II in addition to these of her shut relations, Hodgson recorded a comedy sketch spoofing the lead characters and the actors who performed them, together with Olivia Coleman because the Queen and Josh O’Conner as Prince Charles.

The video went viral throughout social media platforms together with Twitter and TikTok with viewers catching a brief glimpse of his Andrew impression as he made mild of the prince’s now notorious declare that he’s medically unable to sweat.

Channel 4 has not but given a launch date for the challenge, which is able to embrace unique music by composer and musical director Freddie Tapner.

A key ingredient of the musical particular is predicted to be Andrew’s disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis recorded inside Buckingham Palace as a type of injury management after the loss of life of Epstein.

In April 2015, Florida courtroom paperwork had been launched detailing allegations that Giuffre, by way of her affiliation with Epstein, was pressured to have sexual relations with Andrew whereas she was 17—below the authorized age of consent within the state.

Buckingham Palace denied these accusations however when Epstein was re-arrested for intercourse trafficking and subsequently discovered useless in his jail cell in August 2019, criticism of Andrew over his friendship with the legal was renewed.

As a type of injury management the prince agreed to debate his affiliation with Epstein and the allegations made by Giuffre in a sit-down interview with BBC Newsnight, a choice that solely served to attract extra consideration to the scandal.

Through the interview, Andrew denied having sexual relations with Giuffre or any reminiscence of ever assembly her.

He additionally tried to discredit his accuser’s account of her interactions with him by offering the alibi that he attended a birthday celebration along with his daughter at a pizza chain restaurant on the date he was mentioned to have met along with her, in addition to saying her claims that he sweat profusely had been false as a result of he was medically unable to perspire on the time on account of excessive adrenaline ranges sustained through the Falklands battle.

The general public response to the interview following its broadcast on November 16, 2019 was one among mockery and intense criticism. On November 19, Andrew launched a public assertion from Buckingham Palace saying that:

“It has change into clear to me over the previous few days that the circumstances referring to my former affiliation with Jeffrey Epstein has change into a significant disruption to my household’s work and the precious work happening within the many organizations and charities that I’m proud to help.

“Subsequently, I’ve requested Her Majesty if I could step again from public duties for the foreseeable future, and he or she has given her permission.”

This self-enforced retirement has been maintained regardless of stories in current months that since settling the lawsuit filed by Giuffre within the aftermath of the Newsnight interview, that Andrew has his sights set on an tried public comeback.

In March the prince made his first official public look at a royal ceremonial occasion since settling the lawsuit when he appeared at Prince Philip’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey alongside his mom. The distinguished place he took by strolling into the abbey subsequent to the Queen was seen as her publicly exhibiting help for her son, an act for which each had been extensively criticized.

After lacking the monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June citing a bout of COVID, it was once more reported that the prince would make a public look through the conventional Garter Day festivities at Windsor Citadel. Regardless of sources near the prince confirming his intention to attend, on the day of the occasions the royal took half solely within the personal facets behind palace partitions, not the general public procession or ceremony. This, Buckingham Palace mentioned, was a “household choice.”

The announcement that Channel 4 will satirize the prince’s scandal-ridden life story as a determine of ridicule affirms Andrew’s recognition polling figures in Britain. Based on YouGov, earlier than the Newsnight interview the royal achieved a -36 web constructive share favorability score. This took an additional dive within the aftermath the place it now sits at -80 in accordance with most up-to-date information.

Contributors in a survey of over 2000 British adults in June had been requested whether or not they believed Andrew might make a return to public life someday; solely 7 p.c responded within the affirmative, towards 83 p.c adverse.

Newsweek has approached representatives of Prince Andrew for remark.