A Very British Sex Scandal

A Very British Sex Scandal (2024- )

EndedDocumentary showHistory
Network
Scheduleevery Wednesday at 21:00 (90 min)

Last Episode

The Dirty Duchess
Season 1Episode 390 min

The Dirty Duchess

The shocking true story of an extraordinary royal sex scandal that rocked 1960s Britain.

The Duchess of Argyll, Margaret Campbell, a former society beauty found herself at the centre of a toxic divorce case in 1963 after it emerged that both she and her husband, the Duke, had had multiple extra-marital affairs. The trial which involved illicit Polaroid pictures created a storm of newspaper headlines that changed the way society viewed both the royals and the upper classes.

During the trial, when the Duke successfully filed for divorce, Margaret faced accusations of adultery on a monumental scale. At the heart of the trial were sexually explicit Polaroid photos of the Duchess and an unidentified man. The mystery of his identity captured the imagination of a nation, and was shortlisted to a Hollywood star, a senior politician at the heart of government and a prince.

The documentary with new archive, contributors who knew her, and with resurfaced interviews of Margaret Campbell herself, questions whether she deserved her maligned reputation or if she was, as her friends and family maintain, a victim of misogynistic attitudes of the time, simply because she was a sexually liberated woman. In-person commentary from journalists, historians, and a lawyer help put context and perspective on this incredible story.

This film delves deep into the story of Margaret's extraordinary life and how key moments and experiences led her to this shocking and yet, it's argued, inevitable trial. She was born into unimaginable wealth and privilege into the highest echelons of society but a society that ultimately rejected her when scandal hit.

This gripping documentary unravels one of the most extraordinary and brutal legal cases of the 20th century and raises serious and disturbing questions about privacy, respect and the role of women in society.

May 8, 2024

Recent Episodes

EpisodeNameAirdate
S01E03The Dirty DuchessMay 8, 2024
S01E02Cecil ParkinsonMay 1, 2024
S01E01The Earl & the EscortApr 24, 2024
View all episodesView all seasons

Also known as

  • Great British Sex Scandals

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