A Very British Scandal tonight revealed the shocking sex act that sparked the Duchess of Argyll’s downfall – and won her the nickname “the dirty Duchess”.
Based on a true story, viewers learned that the Duchess Margaret – played by The Crown’s Claire Foy – had strayed from her oppressive husband in 1963.
Her husband the Duke Ian Douglas Campbell – played by Paul Bettany – then accused her of cheating on him during their bitter divorce battle, having found a Polaroid in her desk showing her performing sexual acts on an unidentified man.
Her lover’s identity was never revealed, and he became known as the “headless man”.
In episode two of the raunchy drama, viewers saw Claire reenacting the affair through a montage of steamy moments between Margaret and her unidentified lover.
She can be seen entering her bathroom wearing black lingerie and a string of pearls, and she hands a naked man the the camera as she lowers herself down his body.
Later, Margaret opens an envelope containing the explicit images.
People at home also wanted to know whose bare bottom had made it into the scenes.
One joked: “Actually, I need to know whose botty that was in the Polaroid scene. Quite pert, I thought”
A second remarked: “Is there anyone more beautiful than Claire Foy? Asking for a mate #AVeryBritishScandal Sen bloody sational x”
A third said: “Claire Foy makes me want to dye my hair back to brunette and sport my red lippy every single day.”
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Foy revealed she finds filming sex scenes uncomfortable.
She said: “It’s a really hard line because basically you do feel exploited when you are a woman and you are having to perform fake sex on screen.
“You can’t help but feel exploited. It’s grim – it’s the grimmest thing you can do.
“You feel exposed. Everyone can make you try to not feel that way but it’s unfortunately the reality.”
Details of the divorce made headlines around the world.
It was the first time a woman was publicly shamed by the UK mass media.
Five weeks after the divorce, Ian married an American heiress.
While Margaret was always associated with the Polaroid picture, she never revealed the identity of the man in the photograph nor the meaning of the letter ‘v’ in her diary.
