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James Pardon/Left Bank/Sony Pictures Television At present, the British Royal Family is embroiled in yet another scandal. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formally known as Prince Andrew, was recently arrested amid an ongoing investigation into his ties to convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. However, nearly three decades ago, his former wife, Sarah Ferguson, had ties to a convicted murderer. Inspired by a true story, Britbox‘s latest drama series, “The Lady,” follows Jane Andrews (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Ferguson’s long-time dresser and confidant, who was convicted of murdering her stockbroker boyfriend. A shocking tale about mental illness and obsession, “The Lady” is both overwhelming and wholly unnecessary. Written by Debbie O’ Malley, “The Lady” opens on September 18, 2000. A forensic team is seen documenting a crime scene. Wealthy financier Thomas Cressman (Ed Speleers) has been found bludgeoned and stabbed to death. However, as Detective Chief Inspector Jim Dickie (Philip Glenister) notes, his live-in girlfriend, Jane Andrews, is nowhere to be found. From there, the series dials back to 1988 to the tiny seaport town of Grimsby, several hours north of London. 21-year-old Jane lives at home with her parents, June (Claire Skinner) and David (Daniel Ryan). Though she’s desperate for a career in fashion and is constantly applying for roles via newspaper ads, she is currently stuck selling bras at the local discount department store. However, Jane’s fortunes begin to change when she receives a letter from Buckingham Palace offering her the opportunity to interview for the role of assistant dresser for Sarah, Duchess of York (Natalie Dormer). Though it’s clear that Jane can be charming and has ambition, it’s also immediately apparent that she has no control over her emotions. When she is wronged or inconvenienced in any way, she lashes out viciously as if she’s a toddler. The audience is also made aware that she’s attempted suicide at least once. Despite the fragility of her mental health, the opportunity to work in London for the royal family is everything Jane has always dreamed of. Her interview initially goes poorly, but Ferguson immediately takes a liking to her, which earns her a position on the duchess’ staff. Though things are shaky at first, with Jane taking on the menial tasks of steaming, mending and drawing the duchess’ baths, she learns to endear herself to the bubbly redhead, sharing tidbits about her personal life, comforting Ferguson when she is lambasted by the British press and even emulating her signature style and hair color. Through fashion montages and scenes with the duchess’ psychic, viewers see how the pair formed a tight-knit, co-dependent bond until Jane was unceremoniously fired by Ferguson in 1997. Though Jane and Ferguson’s friendship is one element of “The Lady,” the stylist’s obsession with romantic relationships and her volatile outbursts take up the majority of the four-part series. The show shifts between Jane’s time under the duchess’ employ, her varied romances and the police investigation into what happened to Thomas. Before the fatal fight, Jane is seen in a dull but secure marriage to an older accountant, and she has a brief dalliance with another gentleman, whom she begins stalking after he ends their relationship. McKenna-Bruce and Dormer are solid in their respective roles as women dazzled by the limelight and the clout of being royal and crown-adjacent, while also having very little identity outside of it. (Dormer has since distanced herself from “The Lady,” refusing to promote it and donating her entire salary to charity.) However, seeing the obviously unwell Jane continually fly off the handle is challenging to watch, especially since her behavior is chalked up to bad nerves and a desperate desire to find a man who will save her from herself. What does stand out in the series is the shift in how mental illness is addressed in family units and in the public across decades. During a scene from her childhood, Jane brutally digs her nails into her older brother for turning the channel away from Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ lavish 1981 wedding. Her parents immediately placate Jane, which is a common theme throughout the series: When Jane is distraught, she is coddled, pacified and infantilized rather than given any real help. Moreover, when she is arrested for Tommy’s murder, she’s dubbed a gold digger and a “bunny boiler,” a reference to Glenn Close’s iconic role in the film “Fatal Attraction.” Ultimately, “The Lady” is well-paced, but also challenging to watch. Jane is a deeply unwell woman, enthralled by the lavish lives of the wealthy and consumed by the idealistic fairy tales of her childhood. It’s a series based on fact, but audiences may be better served just re-reading archived newspaper clippings.
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