The Lady, a four-part British television drama miniseries, is based on true events, depicting the life of Sarah Ferguson’s former royal dresser, Jane Andrews.
She was convicted of murdering her lover in 2001 and released from prison in 2019.
Jane Andrews’ life took a remarkable turn, transforming her from a fashion student into a trusted royal confidante.
She enrolled in a fashion course at the Grimsby College of Art and gained valuable experience working as a designer of children’s clothes for the well-known high street retailer Marks & Spencer.
She responded to an anonymous advertisement that was seeking a personal dresser in The Lady magazine at 21.
Six months later, she found herself being interviewed by Sarah, the Duchess of York. Just four days after that meeting, Jane started working for the Duchess at Buckingham Palace.
Her new job allowed her to enjoy a relatively opulent lifestyle, and she was able to purchase a new flat in the desirable area of Battersea Park. It was through her work that she was reportedly involved with several men, further intertwining her personal life with the glamorous world she had entered.
Jane Andrews Murdered the Man Who Wouldn’t Be Her Husband
Jane Andrews’ life was marked by turbulent relationships and heartbreak.
Before her infamous crime, her personal life was a series of failed romances that left her desperate for stability.
In August 1990, Jane married Christopher Dunn-Butler, an IBM executive 20 years her senior.
The couple divorced after just five years. She blamed the split on the “pressures of work,” butChristopher claimed she was repeatedly unfaithful.
There was no physical relationship anymore, and we were more like good friends. I had a couple of flings. I’m not proud of it.
Jane Andrews
After her divorce, Jane dated Dimitri Horne, the son of a Greek shipping magnate.
Their break-up was bitter. She trashed their shared flat and fell into a deep depression, even attempting suicide by overdosing on drugs. Luckily, she survived without seeking medical help.
During this period, rumors swirled that Jane had an affair with Tuscan aristocrat Count Gaddo della Gherardesca. Shortly after, she was dismissed from her job as a royal dresser for the Duchess of York. While some linked her firing to the affair, palace officials insisted it was due to cost-cutting.
In 1998, Jane met Thomas Cressman, a former stockbroker running a successful car accessories business. She moved into his Fulham flat and pinned all her hopes on him becoming her husband and the father of her children.
In September 2000, the couple vacationed in Italy and the French Riviera. She expected a marriage proposal, but Thomas shattered her dreams, telling her he had no intention of marrying her.
After returning home on September 17, a heated argument erupted. Thomas called the police, warning that “somebody is going to get hurt,” but no officers responded.
That night, while he slept, Jane hit him with a cricket bat and stabbed him to death. She fled the scene, contacting her ex-husband and sending texts to friends pretending to worry about his whereabouts.
Days later, police found her unconscious in her car in Cornwall after a failed suicide attempt. She was arrested and charged with murder.
Jane Andrews never had the children she so desperately wanted. Instead, her story ended in tragedy, forever defined by the violent act that took the life of the man she hoped would give her the family she craved.
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