Claire portrays the flamboyantly promiscuous Margaret of Argyll, who was labelled a nymphomaniac (played in part by Paul Bettany) during their toxic 1963 divorce hearing. It became one of the most expensive and longest of the 20th century.
He claimed that she had taken on an incredible 88 lovers during their marriage, including Hollywood stars and cabinet ministers.
The series' trailer, which will air on BBC1 Boxing Day, suggests the shocking mix of sex and theft, forgery. Bribery, addiction, and explicit photos that drew so many column inches back then.
This drama is full of promise! Claire Foy portrays the flamboyantly promiscuous Margaret of Argyll, who was branded a nymphomaniac (played in part by Paul Bettany). They are pictured together during their toxic 1963 divorce hearing
Tantalising: The trailer (pictured), hints at the sensational mixture of sex and theft, forgery. bribery. Addiction and explicit photos that led to the divorcing.
Tempestuous: Claire Foy, Paul Bettany and the Duke and Duchess Argyll share a kiss
Society darling: Margaret married Ian Douglas Campbell, 11th Duke of Argyll in 1952 after they met on a train at Paris’s Gare du Nord station. Pictured: The couple in 1952
'I meet men. I eat with men. Foy states that it doesn't mean I have affairs with all men I meet. "There are only so many hours in a day.
She says of sex, "I love it very much and am extremely good at it."
Margaret was born in 1912. She was the only child of a Scottish millionaire. Lyndsy Spence, her biographer, described Margaret as "a daddy's daughter with an absent father, living alongside a jealous mother who tried to remind Margaret about every fault she had."
Margaret was thus born with a stammer, which Lionel Logue (King George VI's speech therapist) treated.
When she was 15 years old, David Niven, a future movie star, fell in love with her while on holiday on the Isle of Wight. Her father then sent her to London for a secret termination.
Her beauty as a young woman was well-known in society. She was invited to Mayfair by millionaires and princes, where she received actors Cary Grant, Noel Coward and J Paul Getty. After four unsuccessful engagements, she married Charles Sweeny (an Irish-American stockbroker).
Slow demise: After a long marriage, they agreed to live apart and have an open marriage. But the duke was furious that his extravagant lifestyle was being cut out of his budget. He hired private detectives in order to track his wife. He filed for divorce. Foy and Bettany, as the Argylls
Captured on camera: The duchess admitted that she had seen men but claimed they weren't all affairs.
Scandal: The duke claimed that she had taken on an incredible 88 lovers during her marriage, including Hollywood stars and cabinet ministers. The scandal sparked a media frenzy.
Margaret (played in Foy) stood up for herself during the divorce battle. She refused to go quiet, despite being betrayed and publicly shamed.
Their 1933 wedding was a spectacular affair. Traffic was stopped for three hours at the Brompton Oratory in west London as 2,000 people attended. Another 2,000 people gathered to view the stunning 28ft train that Norman Hartnell's wedding gown.
The couple had a daughter Frances and a son Brian together. However, their relationship ended after 14 years. Margaret claimed that Charlie was a "pretty brainless doll" and they split in 1947.
Who was the headless man then?
Never has been identified the 'Headless Man,' the male character in the sexy photos of the duchess that were revealed in the divorce case. The society wanted to know his identity and the duke was required to show naked his torso to prove it.
Margaret (pictured) carried the secret identity of the "headless man" to her grave
The suspects included Douglas Fairbanks Jr, a Hollywood actor, and Sigismund von Braun (German diplomat). But Duncan Sandys, who was the Minister of Defence and Winston Churchill’s son-in law, was the most prominent.
In 2000, Channel 4's documentary claimed that the "Headless Man" was actually two men: Sandys Jr and Fairbanks Jr. But it appears this secret Margaret may have carried with her to her grave.
After meeting Ian Douglas Campbell in Paris's Gare Du Nord station in 1949, she married him in 1951. He had pursued her relentlessly knowing that she was wealthy while his estate was worthless.
She was kind enough to convince her father to give PS100,000 to help restore Inveraray Castle, his Scottish family seat. After signing a Deed of Gift, the duke offered various items to secure the money and promised to marry her after his divorce.
The couple enjoyed luxury living, including skiing in St Moritz and sailing in the Bahamas. They also spent their time holidaying in St Tropez. Socialites and fashion designers gathered around the duchess.
The duke soon revealed his true colors, with rumours about gambling, drug and alcohol addiction, and a vile temper.
The trailer suggests this, with Bettany appearing to raise a cup to Foy at one point and his wife saying that she wakes up each morning 'wondering' which Ian will be next to her.
They had previously agreed to live apart and have an open marriage. Bettany asked, "How many men are you married to?" Foy responds, "How many women are you married to?"
The duke was furious that the duchess had stopped funding his extravagant lifestyle and hired private detectives in order to track his wife. He filed for divorce.
The case revolved around a series of blurry Polaroid snaps that were taken through the bathroom mirror in the Mayfair apartment. They showed the duchess wearing only her trademark triple string of pearls. Some pictures show her entertaining an unidentified lover, whose head was cropped out of the photo. He became known as the "Headless Men"
Her husband allegedly hired a locksmith in order to access his wife's papers.
The prehistoric legal system of that time and the fact that her 'lovers were gay' prevented her from sharing her side without being imprisoned.
A Very British Scandal is a focus on attitudes towards women of the time. Margaret was mocked throughout the divorce battle because she refused to go quietly, despite being trampled by friends and shamed publicly by society.
Signature pearls: Margaret’s necklace is seen in the nude photos taken by her husband
After filing for divorce, it took him four years for a verdict. The duke granted the divorce on grounds of Margaret's infidelity.
She was required to pay the majority of the PS50,000 legal bills. Six weeks later, nothing was said about his personal affairs or his subsequent marriage to Mathilda, an American woman of wealth.
Margaret and Frances fell out after the case. Frances had not asked Margaret to support the divorce. Her fortune was reduced due to Margaret's extravagant lifestyle and poor investments. Although she eventually reconciled herself with Frances, she lost her home. She was then placed in a London nursing home where she died in 1993.
Boxing Day, 9 p.m. on BBC1, A Very British Scandal begins
