A Very British Scandal
A Very British Scandal is a 2021 British three-part historical drama series starring Claire Foy as Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll and Paul Bettany as Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll. While not a direct sequel or continuation, its production company, Blueprint Pictures, previously made A Very English Scandal, about the Thorpe affair. A third installment, A Very Royal Scandal, based on the infamous Prince Andrew interview with Emily Maitlis, premiered in September 2024.
Written and created by Sarah Phelps, A Very British Scandal premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 26 December 2021, and on Amazon Prime Video on 22 April 2022.
Synopsis
The three-episode series dramatises the marriage of Margaret Whigham Sweeny and Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll and Chief of Clan Campbell, and the media frenzy surrounding their 1963 Argyll v Argyll divorce case.Ian Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll, is a member of the Scottish nobility and the House of Lords in the early 1960s. He meets socialite Margaret Whigham Sweeny and falls in love with her while he is still married to his second wife, Louise.
After marrying Margaret, Ian Campbell announces that he intends to leave his estate to his oldest son. Margaret―who stands to gain nothing in the event of her new husband's death―starts rumours that Ian's children are illegitimate.
It became a notorious and scandalous legal case, featuring accusations of adultery, forgery, theft, domestic violence, drug use and bribery. The series explores the social and political climate of post-war Britain and attitudes toward women in the 1960s.
Production
In March 2021, it was announced that Claire Foy and Paul Bettany had been cast in the lead roles and that Sarah Phelps would write and executive produce, with Anne Sewitsky directing and executive producing.The series was filmed in Scotland and England, including at Scotland's Inveraray Castle, Glen Etive in the Scottish Highlands, Edinburgh's Parliament House, the Sheraton Grand London Park Lane Hotel, Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel, Goldsmiths' Hall in London, and the Rivoli Ballroom in London.
Release
The series premiered in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 26 December 2021, and released in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on Prime Video on 22 April 2022.In the United States, Amazon released A Very British Scandal as the second season of A Very English Scandal.