Royal fanatics rejoice Nine has you covered with three primetime specials.
The scandals that have surrounded Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson since their marriage and divorce are laid bare in Fergie & Andrew: The Duke & Duchess of Disaster at 7.30pm Monday, July 20, on Nine.
Once a handsome and loving couple with the world at their feet, they fell from grace in a blaze of bad publicity after marrying in 1986.
This documentary premiere delves into Andrew’s scandalous friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his recently arrested right-hand woman, Ghislaine Maxwell.
It also examines the succession of gaffes and undercover tabloid stings that followed in the Duchess of York’s wake once she was no longer part of the Royal Family after her divorce from Andrew.
The saga of Prince Andrew and Fergie is a sequence of disasters. She sought attention and the kind of indulgence she could not afford, and he mistook deference for friendship – his judgement clouded by his status.
However, throughout the years one thing has been constant – the Duke and Duchess have managed to remain good friends. But will it ever be possible for Fergie and Andrew to shake off the mistakes and the sensations of their past?
At 9.00pm following Fergie & Andrew: The Duke & Duchess of Disaster comes The Royals: A Family in Crisis.
This documentary looks at the developments affecting the modern monarchy, including royal weddings, grandchildren, marital issues, Prince Phillip’s ongoing health concerns, and the rift between Harry and William which led to Harry and Meghan acrimoniously quitting the Royal Family entirely – all told in great detail with archival footage and exclusive interviews with royal insiders.
On Tuesday night Nine will screen Diana – In Her Own Words.
Diana – In Her Own Words is the story of a glamorous woman transforming herself from ex-royal wife to global humanitarian, told by the woman herself. As well as rarely seen archival material, the program features revealing testimony from those who knew Diana best.
We see how her public words initially painted a picture of a happy marriage, before she calculatedly tore that image to shreds in the tapes she secretly delivered to biographer Andrew Morton and gave an explosive Panorama interview in which she famously revealed “there were three of us in this marriage” which went on to become of the most viewed TV programmes of all time.
This documentary observes Diana breaking free from the Royal Family to find a new role and a new voice in her belief that her words could help to change the world. From AIDS patients to land mine victims, she gave a voice to the vulnerable.
From the moment she became involved with Prince Charles the world hung on Diana’s every word, and as she found her voice she used it to bare her soul as no royal ever did.
The men and women who helped to craft her public statements and those who shared her private words include her press secretary, Patrick Jephson, royal television correspondent and confidante, Jenni Bond, and the astrologer and close friend, Deborah Frank.
Diana’s life was cut tragically short at the very moment she found freedom, happiness and her life’s calling. But her death didn’t silence her words, which live on in this powerful documentary.
Diana – In Her Own Words, Tuesday, July 21, at 8.30pm on Nine and 9Now.
