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'Headless man' scandal that rocked 1960s aristocracy to be revisited in BBC drama

Margaret Campbell, the Duchess of Argyll, and Ian Douglas Campbell, the 11th Duke of Argyll, after their wedding in March 1951 - Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty
Margaret Campbell, the Duchess of Argyll, and Ian Douglas Campbell, the 11th Duke of Argyll, after their wedding in March 1951 - Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty

It was the mystery that scandalised 1960s society: who was the ‘headless man’ pictured in flagrante with the Duchess of Argyll?

The guessing game is about to begin again after the BBC announced details of a drama about the infamous case, starring The Crown’s Claire Foy as the Duchess and Paul Bettany as her husband.

But the main aim of the BBC One series is to restore the reputation of the Duchess, who was vilified when details of her colourful sex life were made public.

The drama is entitled A Very British Scandal and follows A Very English Scandal, which revisited the Jeremy Thorpe story.

Viewers should expect a bold reappraisal of the tale. The screenwriter is Sarah Phelps, whose Agatha Christie adaptations for the BBC included a Hercule Poirot drama that drew parallels between the rise of fascism in 1930s Britain and the age of Brexit and Trump.

A Very British Scandal will focus on the notorious 1963 divorce case between the Duke and Duchess, who is pictured below. The shocking evidence produced in court included an explicit Polaroid picture of the Duchess performing a sexual act on a man whose identity was not disclosed.

Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, in April 1962 - Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty
Margaret Campbell, Duchess of Argyll, in April 1962 - Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty

Over the years, various names have been suggested. They included Douglas Fairbanks Jr, the actor; Duncan Sandys, the Cabinet minister; Bill Lyons, a Pan-Am executive; and Joe Thomas, a New York stockbroker.

The Duchess’s reputation was ruined by the case. The BBC said that the drama, a co-production with Amazon Studios, will “explore the social and political climate of post-war Britain, looking at attitudes towards women, and asking whether institutional misogyny was widespread at the time”.

Foy said the story will demonstrate “how often shame, judgement and controversy surrounds a woman’s sexuality”.

Phelps said the drama was a “passion project” since she first heard the Duchess’s name in 1993. She said: “I felt very strongly that she’d been punished for being a woman, for being visible, for refusing to back down, be a good girl and go quietly. This drama is my tribute to her.”

Argyl
Argyl

Piers Wenger, director of BBC Drama, said: “Argyll v Argyll was one of the defining scandals of the 1960s. In the face of vilification in the press, Margaret fought valiantly but often in vain to control the narrative around her.

“We are delighted to be able to shine a new light on these events and reframe the life of this infamous character.”