“Inspired by true events”: The Lady is the “riveting” new royal crime drama from the makers of The Crown

It’s been more than a year since Netflix’s The Crown officially left our screens and oh, how we miss it. Thankfully, however, the makers are bringing us a fresh new show in the form a riveting new crime drama – and believe it or not, ITV's The Lady, is actually inspired by real life.

The Lady charts the rise and fall of the Duchess of York’s former aide Jane Andrews, whose rags to riches fairy tale rapidly fell apart when she was convicted of murder. The four-part drama is almost certainly going to be our new TV obsession, but until it arrives, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming drama…

What is The Lady about?

As we mentioned, the series in inspired by real life – specifically, the story of former royal dresser Jane Andrews, who was convicted of murder. The partly fictionalised drama will cover her rise from a young working-class girl from Grimsby to becoming the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson's dresser and her surprise downfall.

According to the official synopsis, “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.”

Writer Debbie O’Malley has shed some more light on the story:

“When Jane Andrews was tried for the murder of Thomas Cressman in 2001 it made headlines around the world. 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."

Who's starring in The Lady?

Previously, we've seen Sarah, Duchess of York played by actresses including Jessica Aquilina and Emma Laird Craig in Netflix's The Crown. Unfortunately however, casting details are currently being kept firmly under wraps for The Lady, so we're keeping an eye out for further announcements.

What actually happened in real life?

Jane Andrews was indeed the former royal dresser for Sarah, Duchess of York. She was imprisoned in 2001 for murdering her lover, and released from prison in 2019. Her story goes like this: having grown up in Grimsby and landed a job designing children’s clothes for Marks & Spencer, Jane answered an anonymous advertisement in The Lady for a personal dresser.

Six months later, she was interviewed by Sarah, Duchess of York, and began working for her. Almost a decade on however, Jane was found guilty of stabbing her boyfriend Thomas Cressman to death. The brutal killing – she beat him in bed with a cricket bat and used a kitchen knife to stab him - earned her the moniker "the fatal attraction killer" in the media.

In 2015, Jane was released from prison with a view to making the transition from prison to mainstream society in a probation hostel. However, she was subsequently recalled to prison in 2018, before being released again in 2019. She's reportedly now working for a charity-funded animal hospital.

How can I watch The Lady?

ITV hasn't yet shared an official release date for The Lady, but as soon as we have one, we'll update you here. In the meantime, you can stream all six series of The Crown on Netflix to make the wait a little less painful.