Amanda Thirsk, the former private secretary to Prince Andrew, made headlines when she was asked to “step down” following the Duke’s controversial Newsnight interview. Thirsk, who had been a loyal aide to Prince Andrew, played a key role in advising him to participate in the interview, which ultimately backfired and was deemed a “car crash.”
Educated at the University of Cambridge, Thirsk worked for Prince Andrew from 2012 and quickly became one of his most trusted staff members. However, after the fallout from the interview, she was informed by the late Queen that she would have to relinquish her role as the Prince’s private secretary.
In addition to stepping down from her position with Prince Andrew, Thirsk also resigned from her role as chief executive of Pitch@Palace, the Duke’s business venture. Reports suggest that she received a payout upon leaving her roles.
Now, in 2024, Thirsk is said to be working in a senior business development role at JD.com, one of China’s largest e-commerce groups. Her involvement in the Newsnight interview is also being portrayed in the new Netflix film, Scoop, where she is played by Keeley Hawes.
Scoop, which captures the real events of the 2019 Prince Andrew interview, is set to premiere on April 5, 2024, on Netflix. The film offers a fictionalized account of how the women of Newsnight secured Prince Andrew’s controversial interview, with an ensemble cast that includes Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew and Gillian Anderson as Emily Maitlis.
