Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew have found themselves facing intense renewed scrutiny – but neither of them are strangers to being at the centre of high-profile scandals
Sarah Ferguson walks off set on ’60 Minutes Australia’ in 2021
There has been intense public outcry in recent weeks against Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
An explosive biography about the former couple, released over the summer, brought renewed attention to the many controversies the pair have been wrapped up in over the years, and now they face intense pressure to move out of their long-term home of Royal Lodge.
From their allegedly widespread affairs, lavish lifestyles – and spending habits – all the way to their links to billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the former couple have faced intense scrutiny over almost every aspect of their lives.
Just days before Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s posthumous memoir released, Andrew announced he would be giving up the use of his royal titles and honours, after a 10-minute phone call with his “furious and weary” brother, King Charles. Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her three times when she was a teenager, something he vehemently denies.
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Emails that both Fergie and Andrew sent to Epstein have also recently emerged, which paint a stark contrast to how they spoke about the convicted sex offender publicly.
Sarah is no stranger to being the subject of a major controversy. Back in 2010, she was caught by undercover journalists from the now-defunct News of the World offering access to Prince Andrew and leveraging his royal status in exchange for £500,000.
“£500,000 to me when you can, open doors,” Fergie was caught on videotape saying regarding her ex-husband, with the fake businessman saying to her, “It’s a deal?” with Sarah replying, “Yes,” before shaking his hand.
When the scandal broke, Andrew was reportedly forced to step in and clear some of Sarah’s debts. In a sit-down interview with 60 Minutes Australia the following year, Fergie said she had “betrayed” herself, and that she went through a “hell of shame” over her actions. The bombshell interview turned seriously fiery, with Fergie even storming out at one stage.
“Not only did I betray myself, because I believed him,” Fergie said initially, speaking more calmly about the incident, “and I didn’t follow my instinct, I think that’s the most difficult thing to live with.”
However, when she was probed further about the incident, things quickly took a turn, with the interviewer calling it “toxic”.
“Don’t try and trick me now,” she said when asked if she had taken the £40,000 cash presented to her as a “deposit” by the fake businessman during the incident. “I’m not going to play this game.”
Fergie then pointed to the camera and demanded, “Delete that bit,” and asked her Australian agent, who was off camera, to get involved.
The interviewer insisted his questions were reasonable, pointing out he was asking her about material she had covered in her autobiography, Finding Sarah.
“That’s done, it’s finished, I’ve answered it,” Fergie said angrily. Visibly annoyed and heavily sighing, Sarah was then asked if she was grateful for any aspects of the scandal, to which she replied icily, “Sorry, what’s your question?”
After admitting that it had been a wake-up call, Sarah began talking to her rep off-camera once again, before storming off the set of the interview – leaving the interviewer to throw his hands up in despair.
Sarah eventually returned, but the mood of the interview remained stony, leading the interviewer to comment he felt as though he had gone from “confidant to commoner”.
Sarah is said to be on the brink of a “nervous breakdown” amid the current controversy she is engulfed in, with charities she had long worked with dropping her in recent weeks, many declaring it “inappropriate” to continue their professional ties with her.
