The Lady is based on the shocking true story of Sarah Ferguson's former dresser, Jane Andrews
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In 2000, Andrews was arrested and charged with killing her lover, Thomas Cressman
Andrews served 18 years in prison before she was released in 2019
The Ladytells the real-life story of how one of theBritish royal familymember's closest acquaintances rocked their world.
The ITVX limited series, that came to BritBox on March 18, stars Mia McKenna-Bruce as Jane Andrews, a royal dresser to the then-Duchess of York,Sarah Ferguson, played byNatalie Dormer. The series follows Andrews on her rise to prominence and her close bond with Ferguson.
However, her life took a turn for the worse when she was let go after nine years and had a few failed relationships after her first divorce. She later met businessman Thomas Cressman, and they struck up a whirlwind romance.
Per the synopsis, "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."
The dramatized series shows how Andrews' life unravels before and after she's convicted of killing Cressman in his sleep. In the years since Andrews was convicted of killing her lover, she served 18 years in prison and was released in 2019.
Here's everything to know about the true story behindThe Lady.
IsThe Ladybased on a true story?
The Lady, which was produced by the same production company behindThe Crown, is a dramatized version of Andrews' real life.
Although the four-part limited series is based on her career and crimes, ITVX made it clear that they changed details and characters for storytelling purposes.
"Some names have been changed and some characters, events and scenes have been created and merged for dramatic purposes," the show's opening credits read.
Who is Jane Andrews and when did she meet Sarah Ferguson?
Andrews served as Ferguson's personal dresser from 1988 to 1997. Originally from Lincolnshire, Andrews grew up with parents who were struggling financially. In her youth, Andrews' mental health also suffered after an abortion and working through an eating disorder, as she toldThe Guardianin 2003.
"From an early age I was aware that things were not right at home," she told the publication. "My parents were always arguing. I remember shouting. But they were very proud. I remember one day we didn't have enough to buy a loaf of bread and Mum had us looking down the sides of the settee and in our coats for money to scrape together. I was brought up in an environment of keep it in the family."
Andrews eventually attended the Grimsby College of Art where she pursued fashion and later got a job as a children's clothing designer at Marks & Spencer. When she was 21 years old, she responded to an anonymous posting inThe Ladymagazine requesting a personal dresser. Just a few months later, she was being interviewed by Ferguson, and was soon hired as her personal dresser.
"I arrived at King's Cross with a suitcase and £10 in my pocket," Andrews recalled. "I got in a taxi and said, 'Side door of Buckingham Palace' and the driver made a joke. One of the housemaids met me and took me up to my room, and there was a little posy of flowers from Fergie and a card that said, 'Welcome to the team, the Boss.' "
She added, "I was a country bumpkin. Suddenly I was at Balmoral mixing with the royals, having long chats withPrincess Diana. I was 21 years old and of course I enjoyed it."
Although her career was thriving, her personal life had taken a hit. Andrews had been married to IBM executive Christopher Dunn-Butler since 1990, but they struggled with her blossoming career and what she later claimed were a "couple of flings" she had outside of their marriage. Andrews and Dunn-Butler divorced in 1995, but the separation reportedly strengthened her friendship with Ferguson, who was also dealing with her1996 divorcefrom then-Prince Andrew.
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Andrews continued working as one of Ferguson's aides, but she was ultimately let go from her staff in 1997. As a result of the release, Andrews said she fell into a depression — especially because she allegedly felt blindsided by the layoff.
What did Jane Andrews do?
Around the same time that Andrews lost her job, she was introduced to financier Cressman. They quickly developed feelings for one another, and she was hoping for a marriage proposal.
However, their relationship turned troubling as they would allegedly threaten each other, and she later claimed that he became verbally, sexually and physically abusive.
"It was such a complex relationship that we had," Andrews alleged. "I was the ultimate in insecurity. He was the ultimate in commitment-phobia. I would threaten to leave. He would tell me to leave. Then he would reel me back in. He knew which carrots to dangle. He knew which strings to pull."
She continued, "Why did I stay? There isn't a short answer. I stayed with Tom for a thousand and one reasons, because, every time he was violent or abusive, apologies came and he said he would change. Because he made me feel I was the one that was causing him to do it. I came to the point of not knowing what was right and what was wrong. He played mind games with me."
On Sept. 17, 2000, the couple had recently returned from a trip to the French Riviera and allegedly got into a heated argument over their future. Their fighting turned so contentious that Cressman called police and asked them to come, because "someone is going to get hurt" and "would like somebody here to stop us hurting each other," perThe Guardian.
Andrews alleged that Cressman then pushed her and raped her before she fled the scene. She returned a few hours later, and they started fighting again. Andrews alleged that the last thing she remembered was being asleep when Cressman started hitting her and threatened to kill her.
She jumped out of the bed and grabbed a cricket bat and a knife and hit him with the bat before stabbing him. Andrews subsequently ran away from the crime scene, but she was found a few days later after suffering an overdose.
Andrews was then arrested and charged with Cressman's murder. During her spring 2001 trial, prosecutors alleged that Andrews was a scorned woman who was upset that he wouldn't marry her. Meanwhile, Andrews testified and alleged that he had been violently abusive. She was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.
Where is Jane Andrews now?
Shortly after her conviction, Andrews expressed remorse for her actions.
"I've caused all this heartache and grief to so many people and there is absolutely nothing I can do about that," she toldThe Guardian. "To even say the word 'sorry' is so feeble, insignificant. But I am. I'm a much stronger person now, and if I was given the chance I could talk about things that I was incapable of talking about at the trial."
She continued, "That doesn't mean I'm trying to blame anyone else for Tom's death. I was responsible and I have to live with that every second of my life. I just want people to understand what has happened and hopefully make some sense of it."
After serving nine years in prison, Andrews escaped after being transferred to a new facility, but was found a few days later seeking shelter with her family at a local inn, perThe Telegraph.
She appealed her sentence several times and was ultimately released in 2019 to a probation hostel.
Andrews has since maintained a private life and has not publicly addressedThe Lady.However, ITV reached out to Cressman's family ahead of filming and later showed them the series in a private screening, per theBBC.
Read the original article onPeople