Sarah Ferguson

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Template:Short description Template:Other people Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person Sarah Margaret Ferguson (born 15 October 1959), formerly Sarah, Duchess of York, and commonly known by the nickname Fergie, is a British author and the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (then Prince Andrew, Duke of York), the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and younger brother of King Charles III.

Ferguson was raised in Dummer, Hampshire, and attended the Queen's Secretarial College. She later worked for public relations firms in London and for a publishing company. She began a relationship with Andrew in 1985, and they were married on 23 July 1986 at Westminster Abbey, upon which she became Duchess of York. They have two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Their marriage, separation in 1992, and divorce in 1996 attracted extensive media coverage.

Both during and after her marriage, Ferguson has been involved with several charities, primarily focused on supporting cancer patients and children. She was the patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust from 1990 to 2025 and founded Children in Crisis and Sarah's Trust. She has written several books for children and adults, and has worked on TV and film production.

In the years following her divorce, Ferguson was the subject of various scandals that affected her relationship with the royal family. Her friendship with the American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein led to the termination of her roles as patron and spokesperson for multiple charities. In October 2025, Ferguson ceased using the courtesy title Duchess of York following Andrew's announcement that he would no longer use his peerage titles.

Early life

Sarah Margaret Ferguson was born on 15 October 1959 at London Welbeck Hospital, London. She is the second daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson (1931–2003) and Susan Barrantes (née Wright; 1937–1998).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She has one older full sister, Jane. After Ferguson's parents divorced in 1974, her mother married polo player Héctor Barrantes in 1975<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and moved to Trenque Lauquen in the Argentine pampas. Ferguson stayed at the Template:Convert Dummer Down Farm at Dummer, Hampshire, her father's home since age 8.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="WP-86">Template:Cite news</ref> Major Ferguson married Susan Deptford in 1976 and had three more children: Andrew, Alice, and Elizabeth. Ferguson later mentioned that at the age of 12, when her parents' marriage started to fall apart, she developed an eating disorder and "turned to overeating for comfort".<ref name="Guardian-Disorder">Template:Cite web</ref>

Ferguson, known informally as "Fergie", once described her family as "country gentry with a bit of old money". She is a descendant of King Charles II of England via three of his illegitimate children: Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond; James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth;<ref name="Ppl-86">Template:Cite magazine</ref> and Anne Lennard, Countess of Sussex. She has aristocratic ancestry, being the great-great-granddaughter of the 6th Duke of Buccleuch, a great-granddaughter of the 8th Viscount Powerscourt, and a descendant of the 1st Duke of Abercorn and the 4th Duke of Devonshire.<ref name="WP-86" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ferguson is distantly related to Andrew, as they are both descended from the Duke of Devonshire as well as King James VI and I.<ref name="WP-86" />

Ferguson attended Daneshill preparatory school in Stratfield Turgis, Hampshire. The staff of the school described her as a "courageous, bubbly and outgoing little girl".<ref name="WP-86" /> She then attended Hurst Lodge School in Ascot.<ref>David Banks, Sarah Ferguson, the royal redhead (Dillon Press, 1987), p. 14: "From Daneshill School, she went to a private girls' boarding school called Hurst Lodge."</ref> She did not shine academically but showed talent in swimming and tennis.<ref name="WP-86" /> At a young age, she developed an interest in skiing and later worked briefly as a chalet girl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In her teenage years, she worked both as a cleaner and waitress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After finishing a course at Queen's Secretarial College at the age of 18,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ferguson went to work for an art gallery.<ref name="WP-86" /> Later she worked in two public relations firms in London, and then for a publishing company.<ref name="WP-86" /> Prior to marriage, she dated Kim Smith-Bingham, a stockbroker, and Paddy McNally, a motor racing manager more than 20 years her senior.<ref name="WP-86" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Marriage to Andrew

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The Duke and Duchess of York on their wedding day

On 19 March 1986, Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom (fourth in line to the throne at the time) and Sarah Ferguson announced their engagement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Andrew had known Ferguson since childhood, and they had met occasionally at polo matches and became reacquainted with each other at Royal Ascot in 1985.<ref name="WP-86" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also prior to their engagement, Ferguson had accompanied Diana, Princess of Wales, during her official tour of Andrew's ship Template:HMS.<ref name="WP-86" /><ref name="Ppl-86" /> Andrew designed the engagement ring himself. It consisted of ten diamonds surrounding a Burmese ruby. He chose the Burmese ruby to complement Ferguson's red hair.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her friendly approach and fun spirit made her a welcomed addition to the royal family.<ref name="WP-86" /><ref name="Ppl-86" />

After securing the Queen's consent (which at that time was required by the Royal Marriages Act 1772 for all descendants of King George II), Andrew and Ferguson were married in Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986. The Queen bestowed the title Duke of York upon Andrew, and, as his new wife, Ferguson automatically assumed her husband's royal and ducal status and became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York. As Duchess of York, she joined her husband in carrying out royal engagements, including official overseas visits.

Andrew and Sarah in Townsville, 1988

In 1987, Andrew and Ferguson undertook a 25-day tour of Canada.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 1987, Ferguson got a private pilot's licence and, after passing a 40-hour training course that was paid for by Lord Hanson as a wedding gift, was presented with her wings at RAF Benson in December.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 22 January 1988, during a trip to New York to attend a fundraising event, Ferguson was attacked by a young man at the entrance of her hotel.<ref name="NY-Attack">Template:Cite web</ref> The man, who was screaming "murderers 3/8" and had the Irish Republican Army flag in his hands when he rushed at Ferguson, was charged with "attempted assault on the Duchess and assault on a federal agent".<ref name="NY-Attack" /> Later, a State Department press officer stated that "she was unharmed in the incident".<ref name="NY-Attack" />

In March 1988, the two visited California.<ref name="LA-Trip">Template:Cite news</ref> The trip was described by two British newspapers as a "brash, vulgar, excessive, weak-humored exhibition by two royals".<ref name="LA-Trip" /> The couple was defended by city officials of Los Angeles who stated that the criticism was "awful" and offensive, and observers described the Duke and his wife's behaviour as friendly and said that they fulfilled their duties.<ref name="LA-Trip" />

In May 1989, Ferguson went on an official solo trip to Berlin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The couple became parents on 8 August 1988, with the birth of their daughter Beatrice. Ferguson suffered from high blood pressure and excessive water retention during her pregnancy.<ref name="Bea-Birth">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In September, Ferguson joined her husband in Australia for an official visit. The decision to leave her newborn daughter at home in the UK while she was touring the country brought her criticism from the press and media.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their second child, another daughter, Eugenie, was born on 23 March 1990 by caesarean section.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During her marriage, the tabloid press ridiculed the Duchess of York for her weight (which climbed to Template:Convert (220 lbs) during her first pregnancy), labelling her the "Duchess of Pork" and "Fat Fergie".<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive Pam Schmid, "Painful Past Long Gone", McClatchy-Tribune News Service, 25 February 2007</ref><ref name="Bea-Birth" /> She vowed to lose weight after the birth of her first daughter.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1989, Ferguson was credited with kickstarting the UK popularity of exercise regime Callanetics after it was widely reported that founder Callan Pinckney had given her private tuition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She received praise for her weight loss and some criticism for not gaining enough weight during her second pregnancy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She later discussed the negative effect of the press stories about her weight on her self-esteem and added that they made her eating disorder worse.<ref name="Guardian-Disorder" />

Separation and divorce

Biographer Sarah Bradford described how Andrew's duties as a naval officer required him to stay away from home for long periods.<ref name="Tribune-Divorce">Template:Cite news</ref> According to Ferguson's account, the couple saw each other 40 days a year in the first five years of their marriage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By 1991, the marriage was in trouble, as Ferguson was finding life as a member of the royal family increasingly difficult. Her friendship with Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt (son of Lynn Wyatt) gained much publicity when photographs, including one of Wyatt with Ferguson's toddler daughter, appeared in newspapers in January 1992.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Duke and Duchess of York announced their separation on 19 March 1992.<ref name="Separation">Template:Cite news</ref> Following the separation, the palace announced that Ferguson would no longer carry out public engagements on behalf of the Queen.<ref name="Separation" /> Furthermore, the Queen announced in a statement that she would not take responsibility for Ferguson's debts.<ref name="Tribune-Divorce" /> Ferguson separated her residence from her husband and moved to Romenda Lodge on the Wentworth Estate, Surrey, in 1992.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Duchess of York at the Royal Welsh Show, 1991

In August 1992, the British tabloid Daily Mirror published surreptitiously taken photographs of John Bryan, an American financial manager, kissing Ferguson's toes as she sunbathed topless.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Ferguson endured widespread public ridicule, contributing to her further estrangement from the British royal family.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> French magazine Paris Match was ordered to pay £84,000 in damages for publishing the photographs, though the original amount sought was £1.32 million.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 28 March 1993, it was announced that the formal separation agreement between the Duke and Duchess had been settled, despite months of speculation that the couple might be reconciling.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1995, Andrew's aunt Princess Margaret, who had received a bouquet of flowers sent by Ferguson, reportedly wrote in a letter to Ferguson: "You have done more to bring shame on the family than could ever have been imagined".<ref name="Margaret">Template:Cite news</ref>

Reports and speculation about the couple reuniting continued into late 1995,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> ending when the Duke and Duchess announced their mutual decision to divorce in April 1996. In the years after her divorce, Ferguson claimed that she had received £15,000 a year as a divorce settlement and cited her deal as a spokeswoman with Weight Watchers as her main "source of income".<ref name="Margaret" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, subsequent information given by senior officials to The Sunday Telegraph revealed that she had received £350,000 in cash, £500,000 from the Queen to buy a new house for her and the children, and a monthly allowance that was estimated to have reached £500,000 in total by 2010.<ref name="settlement">Template:Cite news</ref> The couple shared custody of their children.<ref name="divorced">Template:Cite news</ref> In November 1996, Ferguson published her autobiography Sarah: My Story and embarked on a promotional tour to support it. On a US chat show she implied she and Andrew had had an open relationship, and that throughout the marriage and separation "He always knew exactly what was going on", she said. "It's not a one-way street. We respect each other's space."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In a 2007 interview, as to why they finalised their divorce she said, "I wanted to work; it's not right for a princess of the royal house to be commercial, so Andrew and I decided to make the divorce official so I could go off and get a job."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The decree nisi was granted on 17 April 1996 and the divorce was finalised on 30 May 1996,<ref name="div-ind">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> after which she legally retained the style Her Royal Highness with the style of other divorced peeresses. However, it was announced in April that Ferguson had chosen not to use the style Her Royal Highness and would relinquish it under the divorce terms.<ref name="div-ind" /> In accordance with letters patent issued in August 1996 regulating post-divorce royal titles, she formally ceased being a Royal Highness.<ref name="letterspatent"/>

Since her divorce, Ferguson has attended some functions with her daughters, such as the investitures of Andrew into the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of the Garter, and Royal Ascot, and on those occasions, she is afforded the courtesy of treatment as a member of the royal family.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She hinted at the idea of remarrying Andrew in several interviews.<ref name="bbc3">Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2013, she was invited to stay at Balmoral Castle with Andrew and their daughters as guests of the Queen, and in September 2013, in response to a question about the possibility of remarrying Andrew, Ferguson said, "He's still my handsome prince, he'll always be my handsome prince."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

She was not invited to the 1999 wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones or the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton,<ref name="bbc3" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but she attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. However, she did not receive an invitation to the evening reception at Frogmore House hosted by Prince Charles, and was reportedly "deeply upset" by her exclusion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ferguson on Christmas Day 2023

The Lord Chamberlain's Office listed Ferguson as a member of the royal family until November 2025, along with other extended family members such as Daniel Chatto and Mike Tindall.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of she is not, however, listed on a section of the royal family's website titled "Members of the Royal Family".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, and was seated by her daughters' side, but she was not invited to the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 25 December 2023, Ferguson joined the royal family for Christmas at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, marking her first attendance at the service since 1992.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life after divorce

After the divorce, the British tabloids continued to cover Ferguson's lifestyle. In 1995, a baggage handler at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City pleaded guilty to stealing her $382,000 diamond necklace and bracelet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Her first autobiography, My Story, was published in 1996 to poor reviews.<ref name="TimesNov96">Template:Cite news</ref> Another autobiography, Finding Sarah: A Duchess's Journey to Find Herself, was published in 2011 and discussed her financial and public troubles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ferguson and her daughters in Verbier, 2004

Until 2004, Andrew and his former wife shared the family's home, Sunninghill Park in Berkshire.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> That year, the Duke moved to the refurbished Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, previously the home of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who resided there until her death in 2002. In 2007, Ferguson rented Dolphin House in Englefield Green, less than a mile from Royal Lodge;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> a small fire in the bathroom at Dolphin House in 2008<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> caused her to vacate the premises and move into Royal Lodge with her former husband.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2015, Ferguson was reported to have moved out of Royal Lodge and assumed residence in Verbier, Switzerland, where she and Andrew owned a £13 million chalet.<ref name="Chalet-Lodge">Template:Cite news</ref> She applied for Swiss residency in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As of 2016 she maintained a rented apartment in Eaton Square in London.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2025, she sold a townhouse in London's Belgravia for £3.85 million, which she purchased in 2022 for £4.25 million.<ref name="Telegraph-Belgravia">Template:Cite news</ref> The property was originally bought as an investment for her daughters, rented out to a tenant, and then sold.<ref name="Telegraph-Belgravia"/> She continued to primarily reside at Royal Lodge until October 2025 when Buckingham Palace announced that formal notice had been served to Andrew to surrender his lease and Ferguson would be making her own living arrangements.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As one of the victims of the News International phone hacking scandal which came into public notice in 2006, Ferguson received an undisclosed amount in an out-of-court settlement.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 2016, she was named in the Panama Papers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Debt problems

In the mid-1990s, Ferguson reportedly had a £4.2 million deficit in her bank account which she paid off by going on "a four-year earning spree" in the United States.<ref name="settlement" /><ref name="divorced" />

In 2006, Ferguson used the money she had earned from her career as a film producer and writer to found Hartmoor LLC in the US.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A lifestyle company, it was set to help with her "career in publishing, media and public speaking".<ref name="Telegraph-debts">Template:Cite web</ref> The company collapsed in 2009, leaving Ferguson with a debt of £630,000.<ref name="Telegraph-debts" /> Later in the same year, it was revealed that she was in a financial dispute with three firms and in September she was summoned "to court in the UK for unpaid bills".<ref name="Telegraph-debts" /> It was reported in August 2010 that Ferguson might declare voluntary bankruptcy with debts of £5 million,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> though other sources had suggested she owed about £2 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ferguson became closely involved with entrepreneur Manuel Fernandez around 2015, publicly appearing with him and investing in his tech start-up vVoosh in 2016, while also joining the board of its affiliated charity.<ref name="Times-Misadventures">Template:Cite news</ref> Despite her support, vVoosh filed for administration after failing to launch its app, Fernandez allegedly withdrew large sums and left the country, and the charity never conducted any work and was shut down.<ref name="Times-Misadventures"/> Ferguson's involvement included a £36,000 loan from her company Gate Ventures and about 1% ownership via La Luna Investments, one of several struggling or dormant companies she controlled, including Coat Company Productions and Ginger & Moss, the latter of which faced significant debts.<ref name="Times-Misadventures"/>

In June 2019, Andrew arranged a private Buckingham Palace tour while the Queen was in residence for Jay Bloom and Michael Evers, businessmen from the U.S. cryptocurrency mining company Pegasus Group Holdings, which had agreed to pay Ferguson up to £1.4 million for her role as a "brand ambassador".<ref name="BBC-crypto">Template:Cite news</ref> Bloom and Evers were driven into the Palace in Andrew's car from their Knightsbridge hotel and later attended his Pitch@Palace event at St James's Palace before dining that evening with Andrew, Ferguson, and their daughter Beatrice.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> Ferguson was promoting Pegasus's plan to use thousands of solar power generators to mine Bitcoin in Arizona, though the project collapsed after acquiring only 615 of the planned 16,000 units and generating just $33,779 (£25,000) in cryptocurrency.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> Ferguson earned more than £200,000 from Pegasus, stood to gain a £1.2 million bonus and company shares, and required first-class travel, five-star hotels, and professional stylists for up to four events.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> She first met Bloom in Las Vegas in 2018 and developed a business friendship that led to meetings at Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace, and the Royal Lodge, Windsor.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> Bloom and Evers regularly visited London in 2019, meeting the York family frequently.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> Bloom also made a second palace visit in July 2019.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> In October 2019 Ferguson signed a contract via Alphabet Capital, a British company owned by Adrian Gleave, through which she was paid over £200,000 for Pegasus work.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/> Court documents showed Andrew also received £60,500 traced to Gleave's businesses, though neither explained the payments.<ref name="BBC-crypto"/>

In May 2020, it was reported that Andrew and Ferguson were in a legal dispute over a debt from the 2014 purchase of their Swiss chalet.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> They had taken out a mortgage of £13.25 million and were expected to pay the remaining £5 million of the purchase price in cash instalments by the end of 2019;<ref name=":1" /> interest had increased this to £6.8 million.<ref name="Telegraph-Bodkin">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite reports that the Queen would assist them, a spokesperson for Andrew confirmed that she "will not be stepping in to settle the debt".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Times reported in September 2021 that Ferguson and Andrew had reached a legal agreement with the property's previous owner, and would sell the house to pay back their debt.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The owner agreed to receive £3.4 million, half of the amount that she was owed, as she had been under impression that Ferguson and Andrew were dealing with financial troubles.<ref name="Telegraph-Bodkin"/>

Jeffrey Epstein ties

In March 2011, it was reported that Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, had helped Ferguson avoid bankruptcy by paying £15,000 to an employee to whom she owed money.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The payments were reportedly made after intervention from Andrew, who had a close friendship with Epstein for which he came under scrutiny in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She later admitted getting money from Epstein and called it a "gigantic error".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the summer of 2011, Finding Sarah aired on the OWN network. One episode of the U.S.-filmed reality series depicted Ferguson meeting with Suze Orman, the internationally known financial advisor, receiving from Orman a strict lecture and practical advice on how to resolve her financial issues.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Juan Alessi, a staff member at Epstein's Florida residence for 12 years, said in an unsealed deposition that he believed Ferguson visited "only once and for a short time".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In September 2025, newspapers published emails showing that Ferguson had contacted Epstein in April 2011, despite her public statement in March 2011 that she had severed all ties with him.<ref name="Telegraph-email">Template:Cite news</ref> In the email, she wrote that Epstein was a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend" and said she must "humbly apologise" for her earlier remarks. According to her spokesperson, the apology followed what was described as a "Hannibal Lecter-style" phone call in which Epstein threatened to "destroy" her.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following renewed scrutiny prompted by the email's publication, seven charities, of which Ferguson was patron or ambassador, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Julia's House, Prevent Breast Cancer, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the Children's Literacy Charity, British Heart Foundation, and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, individually announced or confirmed that they had ended their association with her.<ref name="BBC-charities25">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2025, The Mail on Sunday reported on leaked emails between Epstein and his lawyer in 2011 suggesting that Ferguson celebrated Epstein's release from jail in 2009 by visiting him in New York where she took her young daughters with her.<ref name="LBC-Oct25">Template:Cite news</ref> A representative for Ferguson stated that neither she nor her daughters had any recollections of such a visit.<ref name="Telegraph-Oct25">Template:Cite news</ref> Another email sent by Ferguson in January 2010 reportedly showed she was seeking more than the £15,000 she had previously admitted to taking, as she had asked for "50 or 100,000 US dollars to help get through the small bills that are pushing me over".<ref name="Telegraph-Oct25"/> An email sent by Epstein to a friend after Ferguson had publicly distanced herself from him in March 2011 implied that Epstein had bankrolled her for over 15 years.<ref name="LBC-Oct25"/><ref name="Telegraph-Oct25"/>

Cash for access

In May 2010, Ferguson was filmed by the News of the World offering Mazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter posing as an Indian businessman, access to Andrew for £500,000.<ref name="TimesX">Template:Cite news</ref> On the video made as a documentary source for the story, which is publicly available, Ferguson is heard to say, "£500,000 when you can, to me, open doors".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She is seen taking away a briefcase containing £40,000 in cash. Exposure surrounding the incident increased her public profile and notoriety.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sterling Publishers substantially increased the print run of Ashley Learns About Strangers, Sarah's latest book for children; however, the notoriety did not translate into additional book sales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, titled Oprah and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Ferguson explained her behaviour by saying that she had been drinking prior to soliciting the cash, and was "in the gutter at that moment".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also claimed that her intention was initially to help a friend who "needed $38,000 (£28,000) urgently" but she ultimately asked for more money due to her own financial problems.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 2016, it was reported that Ferguson intended to sue News Group Newspapers (parent company of the News of the World) and its owner Rupert Murdoch for £25 million in damages citing her "loss in earnings" as well as the subsequent "distress" that the media sting brought to her as the main reasons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In January 2018, it was reported that the actual amount Ferguson was seeking was £45 million.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In March 2022 it was reported that the wife of jailed Turkish politician İlhan İşbilen alleged that Ferguson received at least £225,000 from businessman Selman Turk, whom Mrs İşbilen is suing for fraud.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> An additional £25,000 was sent by Turk in October 2019 to the bank account of Ferguson's younger daughter, Eugenie, the second instalment of which was referenced "birthday gift", reportedly "to pay for a surprise birthday party for the Duchess".<ref name="Telegraph-Turk">Template:Cite web</ref> Ferguson was owed £225,000 by Pegasus Group Holdings for her role as brand ambassador, but she received the full amount from Turk, who was then set to reclaim the money from Pegasus.<ref name="Telegraph-Turk"/>

On 13 January 2012, the Ministry of Justice of Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for Ferguson. She had travelled to Turkey in 2008 and covertly filmed a Turkish state orphanage. The Turkish authorities alleged that Ferguson made a false declaration when entering the country (in regard to her motives for visiting Turkey), trespassed into a Turkish Government institution, and also invaded the privacy of children.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> These charges carry sentences of up to 22 years imprisonment. Turkey and Britain have an extradition treaty; however, Home Office officials have stated:<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Template:Blockquote

Turkey maintains that Ferguson distorted information about the orphanage and used an isolated incident in a smear campaign against the Republic of Turkey. Turkey invited international human rights organisations to inspect any orphanage of its choosing to show its transparency in relation to the issue.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 5 May 2012, the trial began into the charges brought by the Ankara State Prosecutor's office. Cansu Şahin, representing Ferguson, who was not present, told the Ankara court that her client has apologised and would like to plea-bargain with the prosecution.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Health

In June 2023, it was announced that Ferguson had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer following a routine mammogram. She successfully underwent a single mastectomy at King Edward VII's Hospital, and her doctors stated her prognosis as "good".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also underwent reconstructive surgery following her mastectomy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2024, it was announced that Ferguson had been diagnosed with melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Charity work

Since her marriage, and continuing after the divorce, Ferguson has been involved with a number of charities.

From 1990 until 2025, Ferguson served as patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Over those years, she opened many of the charity's specialist units, including those at Middlesex Hospital, University College London, St James's University Hospital, Cardiff University Hospital and Royal Marsden Hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She began her work with people suffering from motor neurone disease in the 1990s. In her capacity as patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, she promoted fundraising campaigns for research about the disease and later became president of the International Alliance for ALS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Span-1994">Template:Cite web</ref> To help and support those affected by drug misuse, she joined therapy sessions at the Chemical Dependency Centre and was later made their patron.<ref name="Span-1994" /> In 1993, Ferguson founded Children in Crisis, a children's charity focused on education and grant making to international programmes. She serves as founder and life president.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She founded the charity after meeting a young cancer victim named Ania during her visit to Poland in 1992.<ref name="Standard-Essay">Template:Cite news</ref>

In December 1994, Ferguson went to the US to take part in a fundraising event for Peace Links and to launch her own charity, Chances for Children, in the US.<ref name="WP-1994">Template:Cite web</ref> Her decision to launch a fundraising event for her charity in the US was criticised by the British press, who claimed that through her Budgie the Little Helicopter series she was "expected to earn 400 million pounds over the next five years, with 3 million pounds a year going into her royal pocket" despite her promise to donate part of her earnings to charity.<ref name="WP-1994" /> The claims were denied by Ferguson's representative,<ref name="WP-1994" /> and she later responded to the criticism by saying, "What you all must understand is that the Budgie books were produced in 1987. That's when I gave a large percentage to charity. ... And maybe after costs, after the animation is made, after everything else and the popcorn and everything else, then perhaps in five to ten years, maybe I might receive a little bit of my percentage, and that I hope will be at that time going back into Chances for Children".<ref name="Span-1994" /> "Little Red", the doll that was used as a logo for her American charity, later inspired her to write a series of books named after the doll. The proceeds from selling the doll also went to Chances for Children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ferguson and Vivian Pinn, NIH associate director for women's health, at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States, June 1998

In June 1998, Ferguson made a brief trip to Bethesda to receive an award from the Journal of Women's Health.<ref name="NIH-June">Template:Cite web</ref> She also visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center.<ref name="NIH-June" /> NIH associate director for communications said, "The Duchess has many opportunities to talk to women via television, at lectures and through print media interviews" and was interested "in learning from NIH scientists what major health messages she should deliver to women, based on the research conducted through NIH."<ref name="NIH-June" /> Ferguson, whose elder daughter Beatrice was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven, became a patron of Springboard for Children, a charity that helps students who struggle with reading and writing.<ref name="Dys">Template:Cite web</ref> Ferguson has also described herself as "a little bit dyslexic".<ref name="Dys" />

Ferguson at The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection 2005 Fashion Show, in her role as ambassador of The Heart Truth

In 2003, Ferguson joined the American Cancer Society at a congressional briefing. She was a founding supporter of the American Cancer Society's Great American Weigh In,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> an annual campaign (modelled after the Society's Great American Smoke Out) aimed at raising awareness of the link between excess weight and cancer. In 2004, Ferguson was named the official spokesperson of SOS Children's Villages – USA and in 2005 she became a global ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2006, she established The Sarah Ferguson Foundation<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> based in Toronto, which derived funds from Ferguson's commercial work and private donations with the aim of supporting charities internationally that serve children and families in dire need. Included under this umbrella organisation was her patronage and support of several British charities, including Mental Disability Rights International, the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Tommy's, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and CARE International.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2009, it was reported that despite its income of £250,000 over 18 months, the foundation had spent only £14,200 on grants, £6,300 of which was given to the charitable arm of a South African private game reserve owned by Sir Richard Branson, a friend of Ferguson's. Following the report, the foundation released a list that showed they spent around $400,000 on donations in 2008.<ref name="Telegraph-debts" />

In 2007, Ferguson joined the Advisory Council of the Ophelia Project, an American initiative aimed to support people dealing with relational and other non-physical forms of aggression.<ref name="Zayed-2008">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2008, Ferguson became patron of Humanitas, a charity focused on providing children with education, healthcare and family support.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same year, she became an ambassador for New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-poverty campaign.<ref name="Middlesex-2009">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2010, Ferguson became a supporter of the Mullany Fund,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> whose aim is to support British students wishing to study medicine or physiotherapy. In 2011, Ferguson became the global ambassador for Not For Sale, a charity focused on human slavery.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Ferguson, along with her former husband and their daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, founded Key To Freedom, a business structure for women in vulnerable situations in India who can sell their wares through the British retailer Topshop. In 2014, Ferguson was appointed an ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, Ferguson revealed her connection with India and polo when she attended as a chief guest of HVR Baroda Cup in New Delhi under the invitation of Harshavardhan Reddy, chairman of HVR Sports.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ferguson with Heather Melville and Marcis Skadmanis in Lancaster House, London, June 2017

In 2016, Ferguson collaborated with British contemporary artist Teddy McDonald and her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to create the first Royal contemporary painting. Titled Royal Love, it was painted on the lawn of Royal Lodge and features positive thoughts and quotes by Ferguson and the princesses. The painting was exhibited in London at the Masterpiece Art Fair, Chelsea in June/July 2016 and later auctioned at private dinner. The proceeds from the sale of the painting were donated by McDonald to the charity Children in Crisis. British GQ magazine published an exclusive on the creation of the painting.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Ferguson was joined by her daughter Eugenie to mark the second anniversary of the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On the 25th anniversary of Children in Crisis's foundation in 2018, Ferguson said that working with this charity "gave her a sense of perspective and purpose during tough times".<ref name="StreetC-2018">Template:Cite web</ref> She merged her charity foundation with Street Child, an organisation run by Tom Dannatt in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, of which Ferguson has become a patron,<ref name="StreetC-2018" /> and her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are the ambassadors.<ref name="Standard-Essay" />

From June 2019 until September 2025, Ferguson served as patron of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, an organisation established in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to a baguette.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She became an ambassador for the technology infrastructure company Pegasus Group Holdings. Ferguson was chosen to initiate "the company's philanthropic endeavors" as they develop an "off-grid renewable energy data center".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In June 2020, Ferguson launched her new charitable foundation called Sarah's Trust. The charity provided aid for NHS, care home and hospice staff by delivering more than 150,000 items, including food, masks, scrubs, and toiletries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Organisations such as Under One Sky and NOAH Enterprise have helped the foundation by giving sleeping bags to homeless people in the UK. Essentials and supplies have also been sent to Ghana.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2022, Ferguson visited Denver after being chosen as the keynote speaker at a Junior League of Denver fundraiser.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the same month, she travelled to Poland amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian refugees and help her charity the Sarah's Trust in organising goods donated by UK citizens.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the following month, she travelled to Albania and met Afghan refugees at a resort in Golem.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In her capacity as chief ambassador of the Montessori Group, Ferguson visited Croatia in June 2022 where she promoted the organisation's work on providing help for Ukrainian refugees and supporting children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2022, her charity secured money to fund £14,000-worth of computers for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.<ref name="Poland-July22">Template:Cite web</ref> She also helped with setting up the 'Play in a Box' tent in Upper Silesia to host refugee children for reading, playing, and baking.<ref name="Poland-July22"/> In December 2022, she hosted a choir for the blind from Kharkiv's Special Training Educational Complex during their visit to the UK, for which she was awarded with a certificate and badge from Poland's National Institute for the Blind.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2024, Ferguson co-chaired the Global Citizen NOW summit in Melbourne, Australia with the aim to end extreme poverty and address the climate crisis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Business life

Film and television

Ferguson at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2000, Ferguson co-produced and served as presenter in a documentary for BBC television called In Search of the Spirit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In September 2003, she was a co-host for three days on BBC Radio 2's afternoon show Steve Wright.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2004, Ferguson hosted an eleven-minute production featurette on Universal's DVD Peter Pan, titled The Legacy of Pan.<ref name="Zayed-2008" /> Five months later, Walt Disney Feature Animation released a DVD short The Cat That Looked at a King, with Ferguson's voice in the role of the Queen;<ref name="Zayed-2008" /> the story is derived from the Mary Poppins books by P. L. Travers.

In 2008, Ferguson was a special correspondent to NBC's Today for which she presented segments for a series called "From the Heart".<ref name="Zayed-2008" /><ref name="Middlesex-2009" /> In May 2008, her two-part film The Duchess in Hull premiered on ITV1, showing Ferguson helping a family on a council estate in Hull to improve their lifestyle.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> In the same year she travelled to Romania and Turkey for the documentary Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission, shown on ITV1 on 6 November 2008, investigating poor treatment and conditions in children's institutions in those two countries.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2009, her documentary The Duchess on the Estate, which was about Northern Moor, Manchester, was shown on the same network.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her report on the suburb area in Manchester caused criticism for exaggerating crime in the area.<ref name="Telegraph-debts" />

Ferguson had a producing role in the 2009 Jean-Marc Vallée film The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt and featuring a background player role for Ferguson's daughter Princess Beatrice.<ref name="bruniinterview">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="wpostreinvent">Template:Cite news</ref> It was Ferguson who conceived the idea for a film based upon the early years of Queen Victoria. Since her marriage, she had been interested in the Queen, and had written two books about her with the help of a historian. The Victoria-Albert relationship in particular drew her into the queen's history, as she believed there were parallels between their marriage and her own with Andrew, as they both "fought for their love" in the midst of public scrutiny.<ref name="bruniinterview" />

Ferguson had the leading role on Finding Sarah, a mini-series on Oprah Winfrey Network which premiered in June 2011. She talked about her struggles through life and financial issues in the show.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019, Ferguson said that she was producing a TV documentary about Prince Albert's mother Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The documentary would focus on her life, particularly her separation from her husband Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Update inline In July 2020, it was reported that Ferguson had been a judge on the pilot for Fox's Dancing with Horses but the production and distribution were halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In October 2025, it was reported that Ferguson had been dropped from ITV's Loose Women and This Morning as a guest after insiders said there were no plans for any future appearances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Other ventures

Ferguson at a 1997 Weight Watchers event

Ferguson's commercial interests have included an eleven-year endorsement with Weight Watchers and product development and promotion with Wedgwood and Avon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2000s she designed a set of tea-scented candles for Bath & Body Works, and in 2007 she raised the possibility of launching a Duchess Originals homeware range, similar to the then-Prince Charles's Duchy Originals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2020, it was reported that she could possibly launch a lifestyle brand, Duchess Inc., and later in the year designed a range of tea and biscuits called the Duchess Collection in aid of her charity Sarah's Trust.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In April 2020, Ferguson launched a new series on her YouTube channel, called Storytime with Fergie and Friends, in which she and a number of authors, including Nanette Newman and Imogen Edwards-Jones, read stories to children from their homes during the lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> From March to July 2021, the same channel showed 10 short episodes of Little Red News featuring characters from Ferguson's book series, Little Red.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In May 2022, she co-founded the independent production house Vestapol Films, which is based in Paris.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2023, she launched the weekly podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess & Sarah together with Sarah Thomson, which premiered in June 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable appearances on TV and radio

Cultural references

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

Monogram used by Ferguson<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

During her marriage, Ferguson was styled "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York". On 21 August 1996, letters patent issued by Elizabeth II declared that former wives of British princes, other than widows who did not remarry, were not entitled to the style of Her Royal Highness.<ref name="letterspatent">Template:London Gazette</ref> Meanwhile, divorced peeresses (such as duchesses) cannot "claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands",<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> but may continue to use the peeress title.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Royal Household referred to Ferguson as "Sarah, Duchess of York",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but on at least two occasions (the announcements of the engagements of her daughters), she was referred to together with her former husband as "The Duke and Duchess of York".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 17 October 2025, following her former husband Andrew's agreement to cease using his peerage titles, it was reported that Ferguson would no longer use "Duchess of York" as a courtesy title.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 21 October, she removed the title from her social media page handles.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><Ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

Academic honours

Appointments

Other honours and awards

Arms

Template:Infobox COA wide

Issue

Name Birth Marriage Children
Date Spouse
Princess Beatrice 8 August 1988 17 July 2020 Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi Sienna Mapelli Mozzi
Athena Mapelli Mozzi
Princess Eugenie 23 March 1990 12 October 2018 Jack Brooksbank August Brooksbank
Ernest Brooksbank

Bibliography

Books

Authored articles

References

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