Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, has been at the centre of a storm in recent weeks, and there have been various claims about what has gone on behind palace doors
Sarah Ferguson has been caught up in various scandals alongside her ex-husband Prince Andrew over the years, and it appears there’s a lot that went on behind closed doors.
Sarah, 66, and her ex-husband Andrew, 65, have faced a wave of public criticism after becoming entangled with fresh scandals linked to their past connections with late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence in the US for her crimes.
The pressure has resulted in them both ditching their royal titles, with Sarah having previously kept her title of the Duchess of York despite their divorce in 1996. They have continued to live together over the years but are now facing the prospect of leaving their 30-bedroom Crown Estate property, which they’ve occupied since the former duke signed a 75-year lease back in 2003, amid the scandal.
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Over the years, Sarah has remained heavily in the spotlight and has weathered many highs and lows. For some, her endearing warmth and wit have made her a beloved member of the Royal Family, even following her scandalous divorce from Andrew, but not everyone has always been so persuaded, including some who had dealings with her away from the spotlight.
Some of Sarah’s staff have reportedly found her challenging to work with over the years. According to Andrew Lownie’s searing biography on the Yorks, she is known to oscillate between “confiding far too much when she treated them as friends and compensating far too angrily when she remembered they were servants”.
Many of her staff were made redundant when Andrew and the late Queen reportedly intervened to help manage Sarah’s financial crises. A former employee was quoted by The Sun saying: “Fergie can make you feel a million dollars one minute then trample you into the dirt the next. Even if you have your own family to look after, they take second place when it comes to the Duchess.”
They added: “It is all about power, dominance and the manipulation of people. She knows she does it and that is literally how she gets her kicks.
“When you are in favour there is nothing she won’t do for you – send you presents on your birthday, flowers, say nice things about you. But suddenly it will all change.”
One member of the Royal Family, in particular, is said to have harboured a serious grudge against Sarah following her scandalous toe-sucking incident in 1992. Prince Philip, who was said to be the power behind the throne in the Royal Family, flatly refused to ever be in her presence again, but is said to have been quite fond of her initially when she and Andrew got together.
Lownie also suggested in this book ‘Entitled’ that Philip was a significant obstacle to Andrew ever remarrying Sarah, a possibility he might have considered if his father hadn’t been so strongly opposed.
