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ITV The Lady release date, cast and trailer as 'heartbreaking' royal drama set to air
Reach Daily Express | February 13, 2026 7:40 PM CST

The Lady is poised to captivate ITV audiences with the Royal true crime drama created by the same production team behind Netflix's acclaimed The Crown.

For several weeks now, ITV has been building anticipation for the launch of The Lady, a genuine rags to riches story that culminates in a murder conviction.

Jane Andrews, Sarah Ferguson's former dresser, served the Royal for nine years. Three years following her dismissal, she killed her boyfriend Thomas Cressman.

But how did she transition from mingling with those at Buckingham Palace to serving time in prison as a murderer?

Here's everything there is to know about The Lady on ITV as viewers don't have long before the drama arrives.

The countdown is nearly complete for the grand premiere of The Lady with the limited series launching on Sunday, February 22, on ITV and ITVX.

The Lady will comprise four episodes with instalments one and two broadcasting on Sunday, February 22, and Monday, February 23, and episodes three and four the subsequent Sunday and Monday.

Alternatively, viewers can binge-watch the entire series on the day of its initial launch via the free streaming platform ITVX.

At the centre of ITV's The Lady is Jane Andrews, the working-class woman from Grimsby who received the opportunity of a lifetime when she was employed to work as Sarah Ferguson's Royal dresser before her life descended into chaos.

She is portrayed by actress Mia McKenna-Bruce, whose credits include How To Have Sex, The Fence, Get Even and Agatha Christie's Seven Dials on Netflix.

McKenna-Bruce stars alongside actor Ed Speleers - recognised for his portrayals of Stephen Bonnet in Outlander, Jimmy Kent in Downton Abbey and Rhys Montrose in Netflix's You - who takes on the role of Jane's boyfriend and victim Thomas Cressman.

Meanwhile, Sarah Ferguson is depicted by actress Natalie Dormer, best known for her performances as Margaery Tyrell in HBO's Game of Thrones and Anne Boleyn in Channel 4's The Tudors.

Described as a "working-class girl from Grimsby", Jane Andrews' existence was transformed when she responded to an advertisement in The Lady magazine.

Against all odds, she secured the position of official dresser to the former Duchess of York at Buckingham Palace.

Yet nobody anticipated that after her tenure serving the Royal Family, Jane would proceed to kill her boyfriend Thomas Cressman, striking him with a cricket bat before fatally stabbing him in the chest.

Writer and executive producer Debbie O'Malley remarked: "There's a saying that 'truth is stranger than fiction.'".

"I'm not sure I'd always agree but when I first heard about the case of Jane Andrews, it was immediately clear that her true story was every bit as intriguing, compelling and tragically heartbreaking as any fabricated thriller.

"The fascinating tale of a working-class girl who became the dresser to a duchess, with a dramatic twist that ultimately sees her on trial for murder.

"This story looks beyond the headlines while remaining high stakes and uniquely British.

"It also poses thought-provoking questions about class and entitlement whilst exploring issues around mental health that have never been more relevant than they are today."

The Lady premieres on Sunday, February 22, at 9pm on ITV.


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