I have transferred this discussion from the 'Current Events' thread for Sarah so that I don't get accused of taking it off topic. The discussion was started by rmay and received a helpful response from NotAPrentender, both of which I have reproduced below:
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Also, I'm just curious...how would Sarah's financial status change if (by some wild combination of events) she managed to remarry Andrew? How much income would she have/did she have when married to Andrew (I'm sure Diarist has answered this elsewhere, but maybe it can be answered again?
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I'll take a run at this.
When married to Andrew, she shared his Civil List allowance, which was increased at their marriage. Her expenses were met by the Household, her foreign travel paid for by the government sponsoring the travel, and her personal expenses met by Andrew. She spent like she was married to Charles, and she ended her marriage in multi-million pound debt.
Based on the experience of the Countess of Wessex and the recent (today!) quash on Zara Phillips's intended sale of wedding pics to "Hello," it's my considered opinion that upon any theoretical re-entry of Sarah Ferguson into the BRF would be accompanied by:
1. A complete cessation of all paid outside work: engagement and speaking fees, paid endorsements. A possible exception would be book residuals;
2. An end to any promotion of any prior books or publications;
3. A strict schedule of speaking engagements which were vetted and approved by the Palace, with no other engagements available;
4. Complete financial disclosure and reporting to appointed individuals, with no independent debt incurrence and rigid monitoring of expenditures, cash inflow and outflow, and credit sources.
I would also say that it could be likely that she would be compelled to receive regular psychiatric appointments and be required to take any relevant medications as prescribed; I would also go so far as to say that she would be subject to regular alcohol and drug screening.
In return for this, she would receive housing and all relevant household expenditures met, and in a style befitting an HRH. She would receive access to the usual accoutrements of Royalty, including such pieces of jewelry on loan or given outrights as HM the Queen/King Charles III/King William deems appropriate.
It would be a heavy price to pay but I see few if any other options for her.
Quite honestly, I think this scenario is where she will end up, but without remarriage. So she would be "taken care of" physically, financially and practically, but with neither the duties of a member of the BRF, nor the titles/styles such as HRH. Since she hungers for that so desperately, she may refuse to see the advantages of being "taken care of" otherwise.
NotAPretender is quite right on Andrew's financial situation, although I would add that at the time of his Divorce it was stated that he had an Insurance Policy and of course it is well known that he was in receipt of his salary as a Naval Officer [which became a Naval Pension.]
As well as these aforementioned assets I would speculate that Andrew MIGHT, and I stress MIGHT, have also received a bequest under the will of the late Queen Mother. Under English Law, all wills are public except for Royal Wills, and so I expect we will not be able to find out whether Andrew was indeed in receipt of just such a legacy, although I can say that [as I have previously mentioned elsewhere]the broadsheet press [as welll as the tabloids] did print articles to the effect that the late Queen Mother did leave sums of money [possibly in the forms of trusts] to benefit those of her grandchildren and great grandchildren who were not going to be in receipt of money from elsewhere [i.e. from the Duchy of Cornwall etc etc]
Actually, the fact that the Queen now takes care of Andrew's old Civil List allowance herself does in fact make things easier on a re-marriage: Under the Civil List system, recipients were principally meant to use the sums to finance their 'royal duties' and not for their personal [i.e. non royal work] expenditure; therefore a re-married Sarah who was not undertaking engagements would probably be not able to receive any of Andrew's Civil List funding - and I can advise fellow forum members that Civil List expenditure is always very strictly audited as it is Public Money [that is why reports are periodically issued on what the Monarchy 'costs' - the figures have actually been obtained from the Audit of the expenditure. As the Queen is now responsible for the payment to Andrew, since it is not public money, he could quite easily use the money to support Sarah.
I fully agree with everyting NotAPretender has speculated about the pratical effects of Sarah's return including her 'duties' although I think I would probably take the view that even speaking engagements might be forbidden - although on the face of it entirely harmless, I feel that where Sarah is concerned, the BRF might take the view that based on Sarah's past form it could be the start of the 'Slippery Slope' and so I would speculate that the BRF would want her 'seen but not heard' - in other words, turning out only for occasional Royal Family events, rather in the manner that the Duchess of Kent [for entirely different reasons] has now adopted. And by 'Royal Public Events', I think that appearances at certain weddings [i.e. those of her daughters for a start] might be permissable, and possibly for any Jubliee Commemoration Service, and possibly for Remembrance Sunday [Cenotaph Service] but certainly NOT jointly with Andrew when he carries out engagements and certainly NO carriage appearances at Royal Ascot etc.
I am now going to risk making myself very unpopular indeed, but based on what I have seen recently reported here about 'Finding Sarah', i.e. the series and the book, I am afraid to say that I have come to the conclusion that Sarah is quite manipulative. Whilst this is purely speculation on my part, I honestly feel that she is exhibiting a form of 'cupboard love' for Andrew - this is a man who previously she had no difficulty in rejecting during her adulterous liaisons, but who she now professes love for now that her options [commercial, financial and for that matter romantic] seem to be rather limited.
Taking her Romantic prospects, I remember that in the late 1990's, Sarah was dating the wealthy Italian aristocrat Count Gaddo della Gherardesca. The couple was reported to be very close and had been dated for some time but the relationship could not end in re-marriage until the Count - who was sepaated from his wife, obtained a divorce. He showed no desire to hurry things along....which meant I suppose that he showed no real inclination for putting his relationship with Sarah on a formal footing. And as she was around 40 at the time, she had youth on her side in a way that she does not now - plus of course, she had racked up the last 10 years or so of additional scandal. More recently, Sarah was dating the Norwegian frozen food empire businessman Geir Frantzen, but he seemed to have got cold feet [pun unintentional!!] so I really do feel Sarah's romantic options are limited.
In view of what I have said above, I had better add my usual disclaimer that I don't mean to offend and these are just my views.........
I might, however, have more to report tomorrow. It is the Final of the Cowdray Park Gold Cup for the British Open Polo Championship. This is held at the Polo Grounds owned by Lord Cowdray, the former Ibiza-based 'hedonist' the Hon. Michael Pearson, who was an aquaintance of Sarah from her Paddy McNally days [she used to holiday in Ibiza.] Beatrice and Eugenie and Sarah have all turned up over the years at previous 'Gold Cup Finals', either for Trophy Presentation duties and/or to lunch with the Sponsors Veuve Cliquot Champagne and / or to dance the night away at the celebrations that follow. Your humble Diarist will go with her eyes open and her camera in her handbag so that she is able to report back!!
Alex
