No matter how many ‘relatable’ television shows there are, audiences will always be fascinated with society’s elite. Across the pond, this normally involves the tech bros of Silicon Valley or the media kings of New York. In Britain, however, this almost always means the royal family and their wealthy acquaintances. While some may see the success of shows like The Crown as an indication of patriotism, at the heart of most of our intrigue is the desire for a big, fat, juicy scandal.
This thirst for croquet-filled chaos is likely why the BBC is filling its primetime Boxing Day slot with a tale of castles and controversy in a new series of A Very British Scandal. Moving on from MP Jeremy Thorpe’s transgressions, this season unravels the true story of the vilification of Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll in the 1960s. The complicated character is brought to life by The Crown‘s Claire Foy as the show examines the notorious socialite’s fall from grace and subsequent reputation as Britain’s ‘Dirty Duchess’.
Starting at the end of her relationship with the Duke of Argyll (played by WandaVision’s Paul Bettany), the first episode begins as the pair separately make their way to court in Edinburgh. Sitting stoically in the back of the car, Margaret tries to ignore the hateful chanting from the crowds outside, only momentarily breaking her composure when the word ‘slut’, accompanied by a glob of spit, hurtles towards her. Once inside, the mood remains just as hostile, as her husband, the duke, demands she back down in their bitter divorce battle in light of some damning evidence.
Like all soured love stories, the relationship didn’t begin with such resentful feelings. Jumping back in time to their meet-cute 16 years prior, we watch as the pair enter into a series of flirty exchanges, discussing the details of Margaret’s ongoing divorce from her first husband. Not yet a duke, Ian Campbell invites her to stay with him at his rundown family castle in Scotland while his wife is away. It’s here that we learn of his dwindling finances, with his small wealth depending on him inheriting the Duke of Argyll title.
Newly single, Margaret returns to London where she’s greeted with major attention from the press. Enjoying a night of champagne and sex with a handsome stranger, it’s clear that her approach to relationships pushes beyond the confines of the era as she tells her moralistic friends: “I like [sex] very much and I’m extremely good at it, that’s not my fault.” Still, her newfound fondness for Campbell isn’t far from her mind; we see her send a message to the House of Lords to congratulate him on his recent promotion to duke.
From there, the episode blends into a series of rose-tinted shots of the couple’s clandestine relationship. Zipping around a Scottish loch in a mahogany speedboat, the romance appears picture-perfect (except for the fact that the duke is married…). The obstacles soon fall away and the pair embark on an engagement of their own. As she sets out grand plans for her life as a duchess, Margaret’s own high society status and connections are clearly of great importance to the duke – perhaps much more than she realises.
The true history of the couple’s complicated marriage and destructive divorce will be well known to some but the series manages to cast new light on the story, concentrating on Margaret’s experiences with misogyny. While her actions over the course of her marriage can of course be seen as problematic, the series veers away from portraying the duchess as ‘likeable’ or otherwise and shows that regardless, her treatment by the press, the judiciary system and her loved ones was inherently steeped in sexism.
This refreshing take can largely be attributed to the series being female-led (writer Sarah Phelps has wanted to adapt Margaret’s life story for decades). But it’s the talent of an actress like Foy which allows audiences to see the full breadth of a character, capturing Margaret’s outward confidence as she steps into a room dripping with pearls, and her internal insecurities, which occasionally slip out in a stammer. Though the story surrounds Margaret’s resilience and commitment to salvaging her name, its Foy’s portrayal of her personal and public struggles that makes it such an engaging watch.
Echoing the work of the American Crime Story franchise, A Very British Scandal puts well-known figures front and centre, exploring the messy tabloid takedowns that made them household names. Some may argue that the public arena has improved over the years but the themes of A Very British Scandal – institutionalised misogyny, the idea that those with power can wield it over those without – feel entirely contemporary. One of the many historical examples of a woman’s behaviour being picked apart in public, A Very British Scandal tells a familiar story of the slut-shaming culture that has always existed and continues to exist today.
A Very British Scandal begins at 9pm on 26th December on BBC One, with all episodes available on BBC iPlayer shortly after.
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