Prince Andrew: On Trial | Preview (5)

In recent times, no member of the royal family has been at the centre of as much controversy as Prince Andrew. He has faced accusations in the media of having questionable friends, alleged financial dodgy dealings, even allegations of sexual abuse.

But Andrew has always maintained he is innocent, even misunderstood. Could Andrew have been unfairly written off as a liability by the media, the public, and his own family

To find an answer to this important question, we’re conducting a unique experiment. We're putting Prince Andrew on trial. Two of the country's most eminent barristers have been engaged to argue the case in front of a real judge and a real jury. Real expert witnesses will take the stand and face cross-examination. But it will be up to the jury of 12 randomly selected members of the public to judge whether Prince Andrew has been a liability to the House of Windsor.

The trial begins in Shire Hall, Chelmsford’s old courthouse, where Bill Clegg KC and Jeremy Dein KC, go head to head. The Prosecution, led by Clegg, will try to convince a jury that Prince Andrew is a liability to the royal family, while the Defence, led by Dein, will argue the opposite. The courtroom becomes a battleground of facts, character assessments, and high-stakes argument.

Clegg opens with a blistering character critique of the Queen’s second son, calling former Royal Protection Officer Paul Page, who recalls Andrew’s arrogant and boorish behaviour with palace staff. The Defence counters by undermining Page’s credibility, before reminding the jury of Andrew’s military service and reputation as once “the good prince.”

The Prosecution then turns to Andrew’s most controversial associations - his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his infamous visit to New York after Epstein’s conviction. More damaging still are the allegations of sexual misconduct made by Virginia Giuffre when she was under 18. The Defence fights back by casting doubt, questioning the credibility of evidence, and calling an expert witness to examine the notorious photograph of Andrew with Virginia. Could it be real, despite Andrew’s denials?

The case intensifies as Clegg introduces another photo - this one of Andrew leaving a nightclub, apparently sweating, despite his claim in a TV interview that he was medically unable to perspire at the time of Giuffre’s allegations. The Defence responds with a dermatologist to suggest that the Prince’s condition may indeed have prevented sweating, and that the shirt could have been wet for other reasons.

Further scrutiny falls on Andrew’s £12m settlement with Giuffre and accusations that, as the UK’s trade envoy, he overindulged in lavish travel at taxpayers’ expense. Each revelation strengthens the Prosecution’s case, while the Defence works tirelessly to sow doubt and shield Andrew’s reputation.

Finally, the programme grants unprecedented access to jury deliberations, where 12 men and women weigh the evidence, the arguments, and the Prince’s legacy. Heated, animated, and at times divided, the jury debates whether Prince Andrew is - or isn’t - a liability to the Crown. The outcome reaches a dramatic and unexpected conclusion: will they deliver a unanimous verdict, or will Andrew remain, in the eyes of many, Britain’s “problem prince”?

Prince Andrew: On Trial airs Tuesday 2nd September on 5.