BritBox & ITV Join Forces for Royal True Crime Story 'The Lady'

BritBox and ITV are joining forces with the producers behind The Crown to bring you your next royal obsession: A four-part drama called The Lady. A story that made global headlines, it's got it all: A royal confidante, a grisly murder, and a subsequent scandalous trial. 

The series is set to dramatize the story of Jane Andrews, the former royal dresser for Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, who was convicted of murdering her lover, Thomas Cressman, in 2001. A girl from a working-class background, she answered an ad in the magazine The Lady and wound up with a job in Buckingham Palace. Her new role allowed her to move among the upper echelons of English high society, and attain a lifestyle that she likely never would have had access to otherwise. Heartbroken when she was released from her position after nine years of service, she had a string of relationships that ended poorly before pinning all her hopes on a romance with Cressman, a charismatic businessman. But when he admitted he wasn't going to marry her, things took a dark turn. 

"When Jane Andrews was tried for the murder of Thomas Cressman in 2001 it made headlines around the world," writer Debbie O'Malley (Harlots) said in a statement. "But behind those headlines, lay a much more complex, painful, and thought-provoking story – an exploration of female ambition and human frailty and a devastating chain of events that ended in the taking of a man's life. And this story, tied up with our national preoccupation with class and our ongoing obsession with the Royal family, feels every bit as relevant now as it did twenty years ago."

Here's the series description. 

The Lady charts the rise and fall of former royal dresser Jane Andrews, whose rags to riches fairy tale fell apart when she was convicted of murder. Once a young working-class girl from Grimsby, Jane answered an advertisement in the magazine The Lady and to the astonishment of her friends and family, became the Duchess of York’s dresser at Buckingham Palace. Moving amongst the highest social circles in Britain, Jane managed to secure a place in the upper-classes, only to lose her job with the Duchess after nine years of service. Still reeling from her fall from grace, Jane went on to meet charismatic businessman Thomas Cressman and fell deeply in love. Soon cracks began to develop in the romance Jane had pinned all her hopes on, with disastrous consequences.

“Inspired by true events, The Lady is a riveting exploration of ambition, desire, and the pursuit of social mobility," Robert Schildhouse, President, BritBox North America and General Manager, BritBox International, said. "With a brilliant script penned by Debbie O’Malley, and with the creative partnership of Left Bank Pictures and ITV, we are intent on portraying this true crime drama with nuance and depth. We know the universal themes of power, class, and belonging will resonate with audiences everywhere.”

All four episodes of The Lady are written by O'Malley, and will be directed by Lee Haven Jones (A Cruel Love: The Ruth Ellis Story). Executive producers include Creative Director, Sian McWilliams, CEO Andy Harries, and Rebecca Hodgson for Left Bank Pictures, with Jess O'Riordan and Stephen Nye for BritBox. Florence Haddon Cave (Quiz) produces the series. 

Set in Grimsby and London, The Lady will film in early 2025, with casting details announced closer to the production date.