The team that brought us the at-times-controversial Netflix royal TV series The Crown are bringing us another true-life royal drama called The Lady.
It will tell the story of royal aide Jane Andrews, who worked closely with the Duchess of York, and was convicted of murdering her partner in 2001.
The ITV drama is set to be partially fictionalised, and written by Harlots‘ Debbie O’Malley. ITV’s commissioner Helen Ziegler has said: “Debbie’s compelling and brilliant scripts re-evaluate what we think we know of Jane Andrews and the events that led to the tragic end of Thomas Cressman’s life.”
Here’s what we know so far about The Lady.
Netflix
Who is Jane Andrews?
From 1988, Jane Andrews was a royal aide and “dresser” to the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson. She was convicted of murdering her partner Thomas Cressman in 2001, and was released from prison in 2019.
There are a couple of reasons why the TV show might be called The Lady – Jane reportedly responded to an anonymous advert in The Lady magazine to apply for the role of the Duchess of York’s royal aide. Also, it is said that the Duchess hit it off with her, calling her “Lady Jane”.
During the trial, Jane alleged that Thomas had been abusive towards her and raped her, but this was rejected in the trial. It’s not clear yet what parts of her story will be covered in the TV show.
An ITV documentary about her story named Fergie’s Killer Dresser: The Jane Andrews Story was released back in 2021.
The Lady cast
It hasn’t yet been confirmed who will play Jane, but call us intrigued. Filming is due to start in early 2025, so we’ll keep this article updated with any casting announcements around that time.
The Lady release date
No release date has been confirmed yet.
The Lady trailer
It’s too early days for a trailer, but we’ll keep you updated.
