Prince Andrew faces a third ‘downfall’ film as firm working closely with Netflix explores Duke of York’s ‘character arc’ from Queen’s favourite son to his scandalous friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew’s fall from grace is to be turned into a major documentary by a film company working closely with Netflix.

The Mail on Sunday understands the film will explore the Duke of York’s ‘character arc’ from a ‘war hero’ and the ‘Queen’s favourite’ to the scandal over his close friendship with paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein which led to his departure from royal duties in 2019.

The programme is being made by the award-winning production company Sandpaper Films, which is known for working with top streaming services Netflix, Apple and Amazon.

Sandpaper has already made several films about the Royal Family including the 2017 film ‘Diana, 7 days’, which analysed her final days and featured interviews with Prince William and Prince Harry.

Other productions tackled the war crimes trial of genocidal Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic and, the 2012 Rochdale sex trafficking ring.

The Mail on Sunday understands the film will explore the Duke of York’s ‘character arc’ from a ‘war hero’ and the ‘Queen’s favourite’ to the scandal over his close friendship with paedophile sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein which led to his departure from royal duties in 2019

The infamous picture of Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts, aged 17, at Ghislaine Maxwell’s townhouse in London

Producers are said to be keen to approach Andrew’s former private secretary Alistair Watson, who worked for the Duke between 2003 to 2012

Producers are said to be keen to approach Andrew’s former private secretary Alistair Watson, who worked for the Duke between 2003 to 2012. If he cooperated, insiders say this could be ‘bad news’ for the Duke as Mr Watson ‘knows where the bodies are buried’.

Mr Watson was hired to support the Duke in his position as UK trade envoy, where he represented the government around the world after leaving the Royal Navy in 2001.

The Duke faced a series of controversies in the role, including claims he went on holiday with a Libyan gun smuggler. Andrew quit the role in 2011 after stories broke about him visiting convicted peadophile Epstein at his home in New York after he was released from jail.

Respected author Andrew Lownie, who has written best-selling biographies of Lord Mountbatten and the Duke of Windsor, is understood to be acting as a consultant for the documentary.

He is also writing a biography of Prince Andrew and his former wife Sarah Ferguson that will look closely at the Duke of York’s time as trade envoy.

Respected author Andrew Lownie, who has written best-selling biographies of Lord Mountbatten and the Duke of Windsor, is understood to be acting as a consultant for the documentary

The palace is already braced for two forthcoming television dramas that will recreate the Newsnight interview. Netflix’s film Scoop finished filming last year and Amazon Prime’s A Very Royal Scandal is understood to be just a few months behind

Last night, Mr Lownie told the MoS he believes this period is still ‘murky’ due to government documents being kept secret until 2065.

‘I think there are a lot of unanswered questions,’ he said.

It is understood that the new documentary will not be ‘sensationalist’ nor focus solely on the Duke’s disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019.

Nevertheless, news of the film will further diminish hopes within the palace that the furore around Prince Andrew, who has always denied any wrongdoing, might fade from public imagination.

The palace is already braced for two forthcoming television dramas that will recreate the Newsnight interview. Netflix’s film Scoop finished filming last year and Amazon Prime’s A Very Royal Scandal is understood to be just a few months behind.

It follows a difficult start to the year for the Duke after newly-released court documents released in the US alleged that Andrew had an orgy with underage girls and touched a woman’s breast while posing with a puppet of himself.

The controversy heaped pressure on King Charles to evict his brother from Royal Lodge in Windsor, the 30-room property where he lives with his ex-wife Sarah, who last week revealed she has skin cancer.

Sandpaper Films did not respond to a request for comment.