Sarah Ferguson has, over the years, been embroiled in so many scandals it earned her a couple of enemies within the Royal Family, so much so that Prince William isn’t likely to favour forgiveness
Unceremoniously dropped by charities she worked with, some for decades, Sarah Ferguson has found herself at the centre of another whirlwind public scandal.
It came after an email she once wrote to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein surfaced, in which saw the Duchess of York called him a “supreme friend” and apologise for public comments she made disowning him in a newspaper interview.
Her spokesperson has claimed that she sent the email in an attempt to appease the disgraced financier after he had threatened her family in response to the interview, in which she said she “abhors paedophilia”. A friend of the Duchess, who was once married to Prince Andrew, has said she is “going through hell” and totally devastated by the renewed scrutiny she now finds herself in.
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The controversial email led to several charities deeming it “inappropriate” to keep her on as patron, and one PR expert dubbed her brand “toxic”, going so far as to say her commercial ventures could easily be next to go, leading to “financial destitution”.
The grovelling email was sent just weeks after she apologised for taking ÂŁ15,000 from Epstein, and indicated she would have nothing more to do with him. “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that,” she said. “You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
It continued: “I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed. I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. And if I did – I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost. So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.”
But this is just the most recent of a lifetime of public scandals that Sarah has been involved in, leading one palace aide to call her the “monarchy’s greatest threat”.
These scandals have, over the course of time, made her some enemies within the House of Windsor. Here, the Mirror takes a look at those in the royal fold who have quarrelled with Fergie…
Prince Philip
Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, reportedly never quite recovered from the salacious affair that Sarah was caught having during her marriage to Andrew – even if the Duke of York is alleged to have stepped out too. Particularly after photos of a man kissing Sarah’s toes while on holiday surfaced.
As a result, Philip is said to have held a serious grudge against her. So much so that he apparently refused to be in her presence for decades, even though his wife, the late Queen, managed to get along with Fergie.
At the start of her relationship with Andrew, however, Philip is said to have been quite the fan. Sarah is the daughter of Philip’s polo manager, so he had known her family for many years, and is reported to have enjoyed her sense of humour.
However, after the toe-sucking photos were seen around the world, things were never the same again, with some reports even alleging if his father hadn’t hated Fergie so much, Andrew might have considered remarrying her at one stage.
The former husband and wife share an unusual living arrangement at the lavish Royal Lodge, Windsor – and their close relationship has led their daughter Princess Eugenie to call them “the best divorced couple I know,” but Philip is reported to have never quite understood why they remained so close. “He cannot understand why she’s living under the same roof as Andrew after all these years,” a source previously said.
Prince William
The heir to the throne was very close to his late grandparents, and it seems he might have inherited Philip’s ability to hold a grudge – particularly when someone’s actions impact the stability of the monarchy.
William is not a fan of Fergie, or his disgraced uncle, Prince Andrew, it has been widely reported.
So much so that he wants them to “disappear from public view” and intends to “freeze them out” entirely from the House of Windsor, whilst King Charles has, up until this most recent scandal, allowed them to be included in some private family events.
Royal author Andrew Lownie has claimed in his explosive book about the Yorks that William “loathes” Sarah, and won’t hesitate to try and “evict” the former couple from their home when he becomes king.
Princess Diana
The late Princess Diana and Fergie were maybe more like frenemies than true enemies, but over the course of time, they had some serious feuds.
As young women, and particularly during the early years of their respective marriages, they got on well – with Diana even credited with setting up Andrew and Sarah to begin with.
However, when Sarah included intimate stories about Diana and her two sons, William and Harry, in her memoir in the mid-1990s, things turned sour.
At the time of Diana’s death, the pair still weren’t speaking.
Fergie has spoken about her regret over the situation many times and expressed that she wished things had been resolved before the untimely death of her former friend and ex-sister-in-law.
Princess Margaret
Never one to mince her words, Princess Margaret made it clear exactly what she thought of Fergie when the Duchess attempted to extend the hand of friendship.
The year was 1995, and the Royal Family was still reeling from the St Tropez pics that had made the Firm a laughing stock. The fallout was so intense that the late Prince Philip reportedly refused to be in the same room as his former daughter-in-law.
Perhaps Fergie thought she might find a sympathetic ear with the Queen’s famously naughty younger sister, who had navigated her own share of controversy as a glamorous headline-stealing young princess. Unfortunately for her, this assumption proved to be woefully inaccurate.
In a gesture of goodwill, Fergie sent the formidable Princess Margaret a bouquet of flowers, only to receive a blistering letter in response. According to a 2010 article in The Telegraph, Margaret wrote: “You have done more to bring shame on this family than could ever have been imagined.”
Then, appearing to make reference to the notorious “toe sucking” pics, she continued: “Not once have you hung your head in embarrassment even for a minute after those disgraceful photographs. Clearly, you have never considered the damage you are causing us all. How dare you discredit us like this, and how dare you send me those flowers?”
Fergie reportedly burst into floods of tears after reading this note and Margaret reportedly wasn’t the only royal to hold a grudge against Fergie, who became persona non grata with The Firm for many years. Her attempts to cash in on her royal title through commercial endeavours, which included Weight Watchers endorsements, were viewed as being far from what was expected of a Duchess.
Indeed, it’s previously been reported that both King Charles and Princess Anne have struggled to get beyond her past antics, which they consider “embarrassing”.
