As Sarah Ferguson celebrates Christmas far from the regal dining table of Sandringham, the Mirror takes a look at a year that’s seen her plumment from duchess to outcast
In the matter of just a few short months, Fergie has gone from being the Duchess of York to plain Sarah Ferguson, with the regal life she once knew a distant memory.
Ever since marrying into the Royal Family in the summer of 1986, the now 66-year-old grandmother has navigated controversy at every turn, from the infamous toe sucking uproar of 1992, to the time she was mortifyingly scammed by an investigative journalist posing as a ‘Sheikh’. Nothing however can compare to the year 2025, which has seen her stripped of her royal titles and chucked out of the mansion she’s called home for more than twenty years.
Now, as senior members of the Royal Family gather at Sandringham, it seems unlikely she and ex husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will be getting so much as a Christmas card from The Firm. Here, the Mirror takes a look at Fergie’s wildest year yet…
READ MORE: Inside King Charles and Sarah Ferguson’s relationship after claims of tell-all book
Jawdropping spending claims
Back in August, Andrew Lownie’s book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, shed some light on the allegedly frivolous spending habits of the former Duchess of York, who was reportedly bailed out by the late Queen Elizabeth II on “several occasions” after racking up staggering debts.
According to Lownie, Fergie “would regularly miss flights that were not refundable”, totting up thousands of pounds in unnecessary costs. One source alleged that Sarah also “thought nothing of arriving at an airport with 25 cases and paying between £800 and £4,000 in excess baggage”, adding, “At least five of those cases were packed with toiletries and make-up. Another would be used solely for clothes hangers.”
Meanwhile, Lownie detailed how “personal trainers, hairdressers and Pilates instructors were paid hundreds of pounds an hour to wait for her to emerge for the day in the late afternoon. Her butler had to get in at 4.30 am to put watercress on ice”. By 1994, Ferguson’s debts had exceeded the £3.7 million mark, with Lownie describing her life as a member of the Royal Family as one “marked by ambition and financial recklessness”. He wrote: “She needed bank approval to pay even modest cheques. But even then, according to a member of her staff, she always believed there would be ‘a deal around the corner’ that would solve all her problems”.
‘Power, dominance, and manipulation’ claims
As per this same biography, palace staff regard Fergie as an individual prone to switching between “confiding far too much when she treated them as friends and compensating far too angrily when she remembered they were servants”. Unfortunately, many members of Fergie’s staff were made redundant after Andrew and the late Queen Elizabeth reportedly stepped to help untangle Sarah’s financial mess. A former employee was quoted by The Sun as reflecting: “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 continued: “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.”
‘Supreme friend’ email
On March 7 2011, Sarah declared she had distanced herself from Epstein in an interview with the Evening Standard, in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from the late sex offender. The now 66-year-old grandmother told the publication: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite, I cannot say. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”
However, as revealed in emails published by The Sun back in September, Sarah took quite a different tone in emails sent to sex offender Epstein after this declaration, in which she “humbly apologised” for connecting her “supreme friend” to paedophilia in the press, while praising him as “steadfast” and “generous”.
The email, dated April 26 2011, read as follows: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.” She 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.”
After this controversial correspondence came to light, Sarah’s spokesperson issued a statement explaining the email had been sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats”. Despite this explanation however, it appeared thar reputational damage had been done. Not long after this scandal erupted, Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire, announced that it would no longer be appropriate for Fergie to continue in her role as patron.
‘Celebrating’ Epstein’s release
Unfortunately for Fergie, this wasn’t the only bombshell to emerge regarding her friendship with Epstein. The following month, the Daily Mail reported how emails dating back to 2011 suggested that Fergie was so keen to cosy up to the sex offender that “she was the first to celebrate” his release from jail and that she’d even travelled over to the US “with her two daughters in tow”. At this time, Princess Beatrice would have been 20 and Princess Eugenie 19 – around the same age as many of Epstein’s victims. As was later reported by The Telegraph, a source close to Sarah insisted that neither she nor her daughters had any recollection of such a visit.
In July 2009, Epstein was released after serving 13 months of an 18-month sentence in a Palm Beach County jail after pleading guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution and soliciting prostitution with a minor. Following his release, Epstein spent a year under house arrest but was still permitted to travel frequently. In July 2019, Epstein was arrested once again, this time on charges of federal sex trafficking, but died by suicide in a New York jail cell the following month before he could stand trial.
These new claims about Sarah’s relationship with the paedophile are reportedly contained within a tranche of documents under review by the US Congress, scheduled to be released once they have been redacted to protect the identities of Epstein’s victims. As per the Mail, these emails allegedly show how Fergie begged to borrow $50,000 (£37,240) to $100,000 (£78,475) from Epstein to cover “small bills” and also asked to visit his private Carribean island,
The publication claimed that Epstein paid off some debts Sarah owed a former employee, and allegedly became infuriated when she failed to pay him back as agreed. It was also alleged that Fergie maintained contact with Epstein and let him help set up a charity for her, all while speaking out against him in public.
Epstein reportedly even gave Fergie “talking points” before she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey, with a source claiming: “Sarah and Prince Andrew have always maintained they distanced themselves from Epstein after his conviction for child prostitution. In fact, it was Epstein who ended up dumping them. He got sick and tired of Sarah constantly asking him for money. She borrowed far more money off him than has ever come out. In public she said one thing but in private she was always holding out the begging bowl.”
Stripped of titles
In an explosive decision, also revealed back in October, Andrew, 65, announced he would be relinquishing his titles and honours as his friendship with Epstein continued to cast a shadow over the Royal Family. The former Duke of York has denied accusations that he had sex with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 years old, and has always strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew’s decision came mere days before the posthumous publication of Giuffre’s memoir, Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, which makes reference to her alleged meeting with Andrew. In a bombshell statement issued on October 18, Andrew said: “In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family. I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.
“With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”
This reportedly marks the first time in more than 100 years that a senior royal has ceased using a dukedom. The last time was when Queen Victoria’s grandson, the Duke of Albany, had his title stripped under the Titles Deprivation Act 1917 for fighting on the side of the Germans during World War I.
Andrew was given the title of Duke of York, a title once held by Queen Elizabeth II’s beloved father, King George VI, prior to his reign, upon his 1986 wedding to Sarah. Following their separation in 1992 and divorce in 1996, Sarah, continued using the title of duchess, and also remained on unusually close terms with her ex. However, the scandal of the last few months has changed everything. From now on, Sarah will be officially referred to as Sarah Ferguson, a move that has seen her relinquishing a title she has held since her wedding day.
Booted from Royal Lodge
For decades, Sarah has lived under the same roof as her ex-husband at Royal Lodge, in what has long been regarded as an odd set-up. The former couple moved into the sprawling 30-room Royal Lodge with daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, back in 2004, moving from their marital home, Sunninghill Park.
By this point, the exes had been separated for 12 years and divorced for eight, but still maintained an unusual degree of closeness. There have long been calls to turf Andrew out of the enormous house, where he has paid ‘peppercorn’ rent for two decades and now, with the scandal continuing to unfold, King Charles has taken decisive action, forcing both Andrew and Sarah out of Royal Lodge.
Shamed Andrew will now live in a property on the Sandringham Estate, with Charles forking out the bill from his own private funds. As for Sarah, she must now make arrangements for her own accommodation,
Cattle shed rumours
With questions surrounding Fergie’s next steps, it was previously rumoured that the one-time duchess would be moving into a renovated “cattle shed” on Princess Beatrice’s Cotswolds estate, which could serve as a “granny annex”.
However, a spokesperson has dismissed claimed that Sarah will be moving into this refurbished outbuilding, telling PEOPLE magazine: “She is assessing a number of options currently, and no final decision has been made Contrary to reports, she has never asked for a property or any provision for herself,” a source added. “She will continue to forge an independent life.” Another source added that the mother of two will find her own place and is “going to move forward independently.”
It’s also been suggested that Sarah could up sticks to Portugal, where she could make a fresh start ar Princess Eugenie’s £3.6 million estate within the exclusive CostaTerra Golf and Ocean Club, a star-studded area that’s earned the nickname, the “Hamptoms of Europe”
‘Epstein visit’ claims
Earlier this month, Lownie alleged that Sarah had continued to use properties associated with Epstein for three years after she claimed to have cut all contact contact. Lownie alleges that multiple eyewitnesses saw Fergie entering and leaving a New York City apartment block right “up until 2014”.
These explosive claims were first made on The Express’ Daily Expresso chat show, with Lownie sharing further details in a follow up interview, in which he alleged that Sarah “regularly used Epstein’s flats as free accommodation while in New York on business or pleasure”, and would sometimes even visit as frequently as “twice a month”.
The apartment in question was 301 East 66th Street, located just round the corner from Epstein’s seven-storey Manhattan townhouse that sold for £38 million back in 2011. At that time, the building on East 66th Street had belonged to Epstein’s brother Mark. Epstein was allegedly given several flats within the block to use, free of charge, and it’s believed one of these was used by Fergie.
Lownie claims to have consulted multiple witnesses who saw Sarah coming and going from the upscale apartment, including primarily Epstein’s neighbours, one of Ghislaine Maxwell’s acquaintances, the building’s doorman, and local resident Claudine Prabst.
Lownie previously said: “She was seen by a local resident Claudine Prabst who got chatting to doormen while out dog walking after she had seen Fergie emerge from the building one day. Epstein housed various women in the block.” Andrew continued: “The doorman actually said that when she was staying there, and it was frequently, they would have to put on their full-dress uniform.” Epstein “really put the boat out” for Sarah, he added.
Telling Christening absence
Princess Beatrice celebrated her daughter’s christening with a trip to the pub – but her disgraced parents were nowhere to be seen. Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi had their youngest daughter Athena baptised at the Chapel Royal in St James’ Palace in front of close family and friends.
Her parents shamed Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and ex-wife Sarah Ferguson left exile to attend their first major royal event since they were stripped of their titles. The former prince arrived at St James’s Palace in London in a green Range Rover this morning, quickly entering via a side gate away from waiting media.
Meanwhile, Fergie arrived separately, crouching forwards in the back of a Mercedes people carrier with blacked out windows. The christening appeared to feature just immediate family, and no senior royals were present. Beatrice’s sister Princess Eugenie, her husband Jack Brooksbank and their two sons August and Ernest were spotted arriving.
Also joining them was the singer James Blunt and his wife, Sofia Wellesley, who were seen arriving on foot at the venue. After the service, Beatrice was seen arriving at a pub with her husband, sister Eugenie and a group of pals including Princess Nina of Greece to celebrate her daughter’s big day.
Beatrice could be seen carrying a large bag in a red dress with a long navy coat, while husband Edo held a large white box. Eugenie was seen making her way into the pub as was singer-songwriter Blunt. But Andrew and Fergie did not join them.
Final Christmas at Royal Lodge
Having been uninvited from the traditional royal Christmas stay at Sandringham, where Beatrice and Eugenie will still be welcome, questions were raised as to how exactly Andrew and Sarah will be toasting the season after such a shameful year.
Speaking in the run up to the big day with Cosmopolitan, author Lownie suggested the exes turned friends will be spending one last Christmas at Royal Lodge together, and could well invite pals over for one final hurrah. He said: “I [think] they would take advantage of this last Christmas to do all sorts of entertaining there. They’ve got friends… there are friends that go back a long way, and [have] stuck with them. Andrew still has his shooting friends.”
Lownie also speculated that “they may go to friends”, and despite outwards assumptions of their depleted popularity, won’t necessarily have a “terrible Christmas”. It is however thought that Beatrice and Eugenie will head over to Sandringham, understandably wanting to distance themselves from the scandal enveloping their parents.
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