The Lady: Jane Andrews' Marriage Before the Murder Scandal
The new ITV drama The Lady has captivated audiences with its portrayal of Jane Andrews, the former royal dresser convicted of murdering her boyfriend Thomas Cressman. However, what many viewers might not realise is that Andrews had already experienced marriage years before this tragic event unfolded.
A Marriage That Preceded the Crime
While the drama introduces a character named Charles in a nightclub scene, the real-life husband of Jane Andrews was Christopher Dunn-Butler, an IBM executive twenty years her senior. Their relationship developed quickly, with Dunn-Butler proposing after just three months of dating. The couple married in August 1990, when Andrews was working as Sarah Ferguson's dresser.
In interviews, Andrews described Dunn-Butler as "a very happy-go-lucky guy" and admitted her deep desire to be loved and cared for, despite her professional independence. "I so wanted to be loved. Even though I was self-sufficient - I had my own car, my own money, everything - I just craved someone to take care of me," she told The Guardian.
The Relationship's Decline and Divorce
The marriage began to deteriorate after several years, with Andrews acknowledging that the physical relationship had ended. This led to their divorce in 1995, after which they largely cut contact. However, Dunn-Butler would later become unexpectedly involved in the murder case that would define Andrews' life.
The Ex-Husband's Role in the Murder Trial
During Andrews' trial for the murder of Thomas Cressman, Dunn-Butler provided crucial testimony about their post-divorce communications. He revealed that while Andrews was in France with Cressman, she contacted him repeatedly with disturbing messages.
Dunn-Butler testified that he received up to ten calls and texts from Andrews claiming Cressman was "attacking me." Most significantly, in the early hours after killing her boyfriend, Andrews called her ex-husband again, using him as what he described as a "listening board."
The former IBM executive told the court: "The only recollection I have is that it was Jane again and she was upset that her relationship was in trouble." This testimony provided important context about Andrews' state of mind around the time of the murder.
The Lady's Television Debut
The Lady made its ITV debut with episodes airing on Sunday, February 22, and Monday, February 23, at 9pm. The drama stars Mia McKenna-Bruce as Jane Andrews and Natalie Dormer as Sarah Ferguson, tracing Andrews' journey from working-class Lincolnshire to royal circles and ultimately to the center of a murder scandal.
The series explores how Andrews' marriage to Dunn-Butler formed part of her complex personal history, preceding her relationship with Cressman and the tragic events that followed. The Lady is available to watch on ITV and ITVX, offering viewers a deeper look into this compelling true crime story.
