Prince Andrew's Sexual Assault Scandal Explored in New Peacock Documentary

Peacock's Prince Andrew: Banished follows the allegations made against Queen Elizabeth II's son, as well as his connection to late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. See the trailer.

By Paige Strout Sep 29, 2022 5:31 PMTags
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Peacock's new documentary dives into one of the British Royal Family's biggest scandals.

Prince Andrew: Banished follows the sexual assault allegations made against Prince Andrew by Virginia Giuffre, as well as his connections with convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, both of whom were charged with multiple federal sex trafficking charges. Maxwell was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison in June 2022 for assisting Epstein in his acts. Epstein died in prison by suicide in 2019 ahead of his trial.

As the streamer's description notes, the documentary "unpacks the tumultuous story of how Prince Andrew, Duke of York—formerly regarded as the attractive, beloved son of Queen Elizabeth II and decorated naval officer—whose behavioral antics throughout his career as a Royal brought scandal and disgrace to the 1200-year legacy of the British Royal Family."

Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the royal in 2019, claiming that she was forced to have sex with him on three separate occasions—in London, New York and on a private island in the Caribbean—between the years 1999 and 2002. She was underage at the time of the alleged incidents.

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Andrew denied the allegations, stating in a Nov. 2019 interview with BBC News, "I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever."

The Queen stripped Andrew of his military affiliations and remaining royal duties a month before the lawsuit was settled by both parties in Feb. 2022, in which he did not admit to any wrongdoing.

"Prince Andrew thought he was more than a royal," says journalist Helen Kirwan-Taylor in the documentary trailer. "He thought he was a celebrity."

It was his "celebrity status" that led him to become friends with Epstein in 1999. Following Epstein's death, Prince Andrew denied in a statement that he ever witnessed any suspicious behavior from Epstein.

"Through new interviews with palace insiders, journalists, members of Andrew's social circle, and the legal team that brought the allegations to light, the documentary takes a deep dive into the world of privilege, jealousy, desire, and greed that pushed Andrew," Peacock's description continues, "first, into the orbit of notorious sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and then into a sordid sex trafficking scandal that threatens to bring down the House of Windsor."

The documentary comes from executive producer and director Jamie Crawford, along with executive producers Jennifer Harkness, Laura Michalchyshyn, Sam Sniderman, Nina Burleigh, Emma Cooper and Barbara Shearer. Nick McKinney serves as a senior producer with additional producer Frank Ombres.

Check out the dramatic trailer above.

Prince Andrew: Banished premieres Wednesday, Oct. 5, on Peacock.

(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Peacock is live now! Check out NBCU's streaming service here.