**Sarah Ferguson’s Lavish Lifestyle Under the Microscope in New Book**
Fresh scrutiny has been cast on the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, as a revealing new biography delves into her past financial behaviour and personal life during her marriage to Prince Andrew. Historian Andrew Lownie’s publication, ‘Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the Yorks’, paints a vivid portrait of a royal existence marked by relentless extravagance, mounting debts, and headline-grabbing personal deals. Through extensive research and interviews spanning four years, Lownie exposes a narrative that blends privilege, excess, and personal ambition.
At the heart of the biography lies the claim that Ferguson, widely known as Fergie, led a life of notable opulence during her decade-long marriage to the Duke of York from 1986 to 1996. The late Queen Elizabeth II is reported to have stepped in several times, bailing the duchess out of significant financial binds. In perhaps the most striking example, Her Majesty is said to have provided £500,000 to settle an urgent bank demand for the same sum, saving the Duchess from potential public embarrassment and financial ruin.
Lownie’s account details a long list of expenditures that fuelled Ferguson’s financial woes. From hiring private staff to lavish holidays, extravagant dinners and frequent parties, the pattern of spending appeared unchecked. One particularly astonishing revelation includes her reputed insistence on nightly feasts, evoking the grandeur of Henry VIII, even if the only diners were herself and her two young daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. According to former staff, much of the food would go to waste, underlining a disregard for both cost and consequence.
Despite being initially welcomed into the Royal Family as a refreshing presence, Ferguson’s financial management soon became the subject of tabloid speculation and internal Royal concern. By 1994, her debts had eclipsed £3.7 million, while her annual spending reportedly approached £860,000. This included nearly £300,000 on staff, £150,000 on presents, and substantial sums devoted to travel, clothing, flowers and high-society events. One notable shopping trip in New York saw Ferguson spend £25,000 in under an hour at an upscale department store.
The biography also explores how Ferguson’s status often insulated her from the normal consequences of financial irresponsibility. Retailers seldom pressed for payment, and high society acquaintances lent her considerable sums, sometimes left partially unpaid. An anecdote in Lownie’s book relates how a friend who contributed £100,000 towards a holiday only recovered a small fraction, after Ferguson reportedly insisted she thought the rest was a ‘gift’.
Sir Mohamed Al-Fayed, owner of Harrods, allegedly allowed her to run up substantial in-store credit without formal pursuit for repayment. This pattern, Lownie suggests, encouraged Ferguson’s carefree attitude towards her finances. In tandem, her pursuit of business ventures—such as a failed partnership with a retirement home company—often leveraged her Royal connection, though these too ultimately struggled, leaving her obligations unresolved.
In the wake of her divorce, Buckingham Palace made it clear in 1996 that the Duchess’s financial affairs were solely her concern henceforth. Nevertheless, Ferguson’s attempts to relieve her debts saw her endorse products on television—a first for a Royal—while securing lucrative deals for book publications and commercial appearances, including a reported £500,000 arrangement with WeightWatchers and a well-publicised promotion for Ocean Spray. These efforts were complemented by high-profile appearances and personal endorsements, but the biography suggests that her tendency towards excess persisted.
Lownie’s book goes further, detailing persistent allegations of unpaid bills, extravagant travel—such as using two vehicles in New York, one solely for her ten suitcases—and costly oversights like missed flights and hefty expenses for personal items. Even after securing accommodation rent-free at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Ferguson is reported to have spent £50,000 on a separate property she never used.
The publication also delves into the Duchess’s personal relationships. Notably, it recounts tales of her social ambitions and pursuit of several high-profile figures, including American icons such as John F. Kennedy Jr. and golfer Tiger Woods. The author suggests Ferguson went as far as dispatching staff to monitor Kennedy’s whereabouts and made declarations of affection for Woods before ever meeting him, reflecting a complex blend of personal aspiration and public persona.
Amidst the controversy, a source quoted in the book characterised the Duchess’s conduct as ‘greed and wastefulness’, referencing habitually extravagant dinners and frequent disregard for the resulting waste and cost. The book further alleges that the duchess refused to travel light, amassing substantial excess baggage charges by arriving at airports with as many as 25 suitcases at a time.
Wales Online approached representatives of the Duchess of York for comment regarding the biography’s claims, but no response had been received at the time of writing. Lownie’s work, rich in detail and carefully researched, reignites longstanding debate about the intersection between royalty, privilege and public expectation, casting new light on one of the most colourful figures in recent Royal history.