Sarah, Duchess of York: "Cash for Access" - May 2010


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How sad to see to what depths the duchess has sunk. IMHO , Libby Purves of the Times just hits the nail on the head:

Big business is too big a deal for the Duchess of York

She is neither evil nor greedy, but Sarah Ferguson should be tucked away cooking hearty lasagnes in the shires

I can’t cry “Disgrace!”, just “Oh, the pity!” I really wanted this story to be an exaggeration or unfair entrapment, but it wasn’t. Yesterday morning, courtesy or discourtesy of the News of the World’s secret cameras we (and the poor old Queen) woke to news of the newspaper sting.

In an echo of the recent cash-for-influence trapping of MPs, the Duchess of York was filmed trying to sell access to her former husband, the Duke of York. The reporter posing as a rich businessman was not vetted; she asked for a confidentiality agreement, but carried on recklessly when he wouldn’t sign it, trustfully asking him to keep the deal secret even from her own aides.

So now, online across the world, the duchess can be heard burbling absurdly: “I never talk about money ever, but since we’ve got business hats on, I’m going to . . .”, gloating over bundles of notes, and negotiating half a million pounds for the Andrew introduction, “because really I think you two could really do some good business together”. She does remember herself enough to insist touchingly that her children’s father is “whiter than white” because he is “the Prince of England” and can’t earn, but “look after me and he’ll look after you”. Rather less touchingly, apparently in a flat lie, she claims that he is aware of the deal: “And as Andrew said . . . Andrew will play as long as it’s nothing to do with him.” She asks for “a percentage” of any phantom deal on top of her half-million, remembers to stipulate a bit for her charities, and claims that she often hears through her husband of “viable projects” and investments. Yeah, right.
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Read more here.

Courtesy: Janet at the BRMB.
 
I've been silent on this but I think this is really sad. I never thought she would sink so low. This is very low of her. I never want to imagine the depth of shame she is feeling right now. Let's not judge her though. Sometimes when people think they have no options they do desperate things in desperate times. I hope she bounces back. Don't get me wrong, what she did IS a disgrace. This story is all over the news and its shameful of her. This could not have possibly been her last resort. There are so many other things she could do. But when someone is used to riches, they want riches.

I do agree that she shouldn't live beyond her means but shewas married to a prince! I think it was wrong to give her so little of a settlement, but it's wrong to do what she did too. Sarah's daughters are heirs to the throne. Sarah should be receiving more than $21,000 dollars a year! WTC! The part about Andrew is quite frankly beyond terrible. I guess desperate times call for desperate measures....even for a Duchess......
 
princess gertrude said:
I have to agree, whatever the settlement, she'd have spent all of it. Definately living beyond her means. When you think about it, she really could have had a tidy little life. Live free of charge with Andrew, see her girls whenever she wanted and done some charity work on the side. She could have banked her payments and still taken decent vacations and bought nice clothes.
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She didn't want to. She wanted to live the glamourous Diana life. And this is the result.
I don't see what, if anything, the BRF could do to fix Sarah. She has serious psychological problems, IMO. She doesn't respect or love herself and treats herself shabbily, and now the BRF. She should just pop herself into a rehab facility and then she would have the public sympathy and favor and hopefully, LEARN some NEW--HEALTHY behaviors!!
 
The Times article says it perfectly, nothing else to be said really I think. It will just be interesting to see the fallout. I don't think the fallout will be that bad though, as long as Andrew is protected, Sarah will just be humiliated and eventually move on. Move on to what, who knows. Hopefully a quieter, stable life in the UK. She loves American and quiet rightly has a grudge against her own country, but I think she needs to finally come to terms with everything that has happened throughout her life and realize she is not an american celebrity but a former british royal.
 
Indeed, let's hope something good will come out of this and that she will change her lifestyle to somethig more fitting her financial means.

Although technically it is not the responsibility of the BRF, I think it would be foolish not to prevent the duchess from digging her own grave any further. Who knows what is next? And even though she is divorced, her behavior still reflects on the image of the roya family, like it or not.
 
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Oh, stop it. They all sell themselves. Sarah is just a product of marrying into a family that has never earned a dime, but thinks the world is coming to them. Paying taxes, until not too long ago was beneath them (how they got a good deal of this fortune) as the rest of the suckers were paying taxes and supporting them. Cutting ribbons and the like is not work. She is frivolous and silly. So are they. Look at the jewlels that hang around the neck of the DOC. Taken from governments who are less tha friendly at times. And she is a former mistress. Good job. Tours through Buckingham Palace, were instituted to pay for the fire at Windsor, which they had hoped would be paid for by taxpayers. That was "their home". Everyone sells what they have when they need cash. Andrew is what she has.
 
The very thought of a remarriage makes me shudder.

As I said before, it's not my idea of a great solution, but a bear-down-for-England solution: the BRF has got to step in and put a shield up between this woman and her own self. We can say things like greed, and we'd be right, but I think this a seriously damaged person who came into the family seriously damaged. The BRF has no obligation to assist but it is in their own best interest to do so.

She needs very serious mental assistance and perhaps the best solution of all is for her to disappear and let the adults sort out the mess - then permanently remove the car keys, the bank access, and perhaps even the passport for the time being.

There simply isn't a cure for stupidity, and when you have on top of that a completely addictive personality (to sex, to drugs back in the 1980's, to the booze, to money, to the spotlight...) and some deep-to-the-bone mental illnesses, you have the perfect concoction for a You Tube video. Except that this one has consequences.

No, throw the gentle white net over this one and drag her off for treatment. Have the band play louder to cover the cries of "but that's my cue! I must go on!"

Anyone that lends her a half-penny after this gets exactly what they deserve.

And no, there isn't anything justifiable about helping her out, especially to everyone who has taken financial hits in the past few years. But it's not like the BRF is exactly shopping at Tesco. They can and should step up, remove her from finances, and go from there.

If there is really an island of misfit toys, then perhaps they have a jet that can take her there.

Edited to add: I looked at the wedding snaps on-line again and oh, how I was happy that day even though I always had a soft spot for Andrew. What a tawdry outcome.
 
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Wow. The name of Sarah Ferguson is dirt now.
 
Diana and Sarah were never supported probably from the beginning.
Sarah was not allowed to be a Navy Wife even though The Queen herself
was one when she first married Philip.
Sarah is not perfect but if she had been given a proper divorce settlement and had her debts cleared at that time she would not have had to sell her
name to earn her living.

The latest scandal does look degrading, but then how many other royals
are making money off of their status. I do not believe for a moment that
Andrew is innocent in this. I remember that she got the blame for the
Hello article with them and their babies and it was Andrew who actually
had set this up.

Maybe they should look to the house of Denmark to learn how to prepare
those who are entering the royal house and how to treat them when they leave!
 
I just watched a piece on Larry King Live about this. The editor of News of the World was on there, telling everyone what a sordid piece of work Sarah is. I was shouting at the TV "And what does that make you, you *&@#$%!!!!" She was foolish to get "stung" but this tabloid is scum of the Earth.
 
Duchessmary said:
I just watched a piece on Larry King Live about this. The editor of News of the World was on there, telling everyone what a sordid piece of work Sarah is. I was shouting at the TV "And what does that make you, you *&@#$%!!!!" She was foolish to get "stung" but this tabloid is scum of the Earth.
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No shooting the messenger, now. The Duchess of York did this to herself.
 
Greed and avarice is what this is and willing to stoop so low I think is a reflection of her character. Sarah was trying to make a quick fast buck doing something unethical, not to say possibly illegal. She is entitled to make a living and to want more but do something respectable or make do with what you have.
 
:previous:
Maybe I'm less harsh but I think it's more likely a case of desperation rather than greed or avarice.

Nonetheless, what's hard to understand is why, after all this time, 'someone' hasn't insisted she appoint a reputable accountant or whatever to take control of her financial affairs. It's patently obvious (and has been for some time) that she's simply incapable of managing her own finances.
 
Zonk said:
I dont think Sarah was with Weight Watchers for ten years. And i do think she lost some of her money in the global climate....but hasn't anyone learned from the Great Depression?! The market crashes of the 80's and 90's?
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From 1997-2007 she served as U.S. spokesperson for Weight Watchers International, Inc and during that time she distinguished herself as a passionate wellness advocate and proponent for healthy weight-loss and weight management. Quoted from an article about the Duchess and Weight Watchers. :flowers:

So Sarah did make either 10 million or 20 million in that time span.

Joy Behar show had the author those book is coming out about William and Harry next week. She did not stay much except that Fergie really did not get much alimony from the BRF. And that it's hard for a Duchess to get a regular job. The author did plug her book by saying Ms Middleton is like by the Queen and the establishment by the way she has acted in the relationship with Prince William.:flowers:
 
Sorry, maybe I was harsh by suggesting greed motivated Sarah's actions but really, do we expect to give her a pass because she cannot manage her finances? I'm sure her divorce lowered her lifestyle to which she had become accustomed but doesn't everyone run that risk, royal or commoner? Not only did she make money by being a Weight Watchers spokesperson but what about her books for children? Did she keep any of the profits or did the proceeds go to charity?
 
Vasillisos Markos said:
Sorry, maybe I was harsh by suggesting greed motivated Sarah's actions but really, do we expect to give her a pass because she cannot manage her finances?
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Of course not. No one is giving her a pass, but I think everyone is extra hard on her because of her position in life.

Warren said:
:previous:
Maybe I'm less harsh but I think it's more likely a case of desperation rather than greed or avarice.

Nonetheless, what's hard to understand is why, after all this time, 'someone' hasn't insisted she appoint a reputable accountant or whatever to take control of her financial affairs. It's patently obvious (and has been for some time) that she's simply incapable of managing her own finances.
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I agree. This seems like desperation to me and she is in dire straits now, I think it would be wise to hire someone to handle her finances. Some people just aren't good at handling money.
 
georgiea said:
From 1997-2007 she served as U.S. spokesperson for Weight Watchers International, Inc and during that time she distinguished herself as a passionate wellness advocate and proponent for healthy weight-loss and weight management. Quoted from an article about the Duchess and Weight Watchers. :flowers:

So Sarah did make either 10 million or 20 million in that time span.:flowers:
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But did she actually make that much? Sometimes the actual worth is a little vague:).
 
This type of underhanded behaviour appears to be nothing new to Sarah. A book I recently finished reading called - FERGIE, HER SECRET LIFE - written by Alan Starkie (1996), is an interesting insight into the way Sarah lives her life. The author was her "right hand man" for many years and the book is very much an inside look. She seems to have sociopathic tendencies, certainly a split personality and is quite prepared to throw anyone she needs to - under the bus. Author observes blatant disregard for others, when she is in need. The author appears not to hate her, even though he ended up in huge financial debt, due to Fergies wheeling and dealing in Germany and his reluctant involvment in that. He sympathises to a degree. Interesting read!
 
:previous:
The book was written 14 years ago. While some aspects of Sarah's personality may be unchanged there's nothing in recent history to suggest she's a bad or nasty or malevolent person; she seems to be more of what I'd term a "hopeless case" who needs protecting from herself.

In retrospect, her financial incompetence was a disaster waiting to happen and again I wonder why no-one close to her didn't try to place her financial affairs in order and under some control. Maybe they did try, but not hard enough.
 
A quote from The Mirror article above:

It is thought to have come about after one of her acquaintances introduced him, saying he would help her with a commitment to support a friend who was studying in America. The source added: "She requested checks and they weren't done to the level they should have been. She was also asked a huge number of questions about the other royals, which to her credit, she would not respond to."
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This quote adds some new interesting dimensions to this story. First of all, the News of the World claims that Sarah didn't ask for any identification on the businessman. But this quote says that she requested background checks and they weren't done. It is possible that an assistant told Sarah they'd done checks and he was legitimate, and Sarah didn't ask for any further proof.

Also, if it's true that Sarah was asked a huge number of questions about the other royals, it's definitely to her credit that she didn't respond to them. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been if she had? It's also true that we only saw a few minutes of select video of Sarah's meeting with this man, probably the most sordid-looking parts on Sarah's part. What interests me now is what we didn't see.

Plus, the News of the World also did say that Sarah wanted the money to pay for a friend's school fees. Taking the money was totally wrong, but I think part of the reason Sarah gets into financial trouble isn't just spending on herself. She wants to spend on everyone else too, and she just can't.

This to me is starting to sound like the infamous 1992 photos. Sarah did it to herself, and yet, what kind of machinations were going on in the background to once again create a bombshell out of Sarah's indiscretions? She never should have entertained the idea of taking this kind of money in the first place, and yet, I can't help but think, what kind of plotting went on behind the scenes just to set her up? If they asked many questions about other royals, the News of the World was going for an even bigger scandal than the one they got.

I'm starting to get the feeling that this only a tip of an iceberg and there is much more information to come, both about whoever was trying to create this expose, and about what Sarah had actually been doing trying to give businessmen access to Andrew...and possibly about Andrew's business deals in general.
 
Well lets put things into perspective, how much about the other royals does Sarah actually know? I would say that she knows very little, very little.

My emotions on this keep changing, she is obviously desperate and mentally weak but I cant decide to feel sorry for her or just not care. I'm definitely angry for still being a blotch on the image of the Royal Family. She tries to separate herself form them but then uses them and still embarrasses them. Our Sarah could never really get it right though could she. Though I do think she could garner enough sympathy to move on from this so long as she cools the jet setting.
 
I do not think Sarah is without conscience and indeed this deal we all now know about may bug her on one level, on another, she needs money and this was a way to gain it. Poor Andrew, used really.
 
I am really shocked about this whole thind. This is not a way to behave if you are 50 and have children. Sarah need to grow up and take responsibity for her actions and money. I really csant' speak about the divorce settlement because I don't know how must life costs in UK but really, if you receive each month a amount of money that is decent and you only have to manage it in the right way ,well.... I too agree with some of you who claim that she should withdraw form the spotlight and/or stop styling herself as Duchess of York , to do whatever it takes to saves her family's reputation, because if she keeps associating Yorks with bad publicity and scandals, she is not only jeopardising her ex husband reputation and liability, but also her daughters' good name. If she feels really sorry she should probably consider stop being styled as DoY to protect herself morw from bad publicity, and out of love for her children - even merely out of respect for the Queen , who was born a York herself and I assume she doesn't like this at all.
 
Maybe she'll opt for the good old American rehab ploy - alcohol made me do it and now 30 days at Promises has made me better and humbler.

And for a grace-and-favor residence, how about Fort Belvedere? Has it been used since 1936? :D
 
Okay if she was really sorry, why did she do it in the first place?
 
I'm really not sure how to respond to this development. I have always had a soft spot for Sarah and have been, and still am, prepared to forgive her a lot.

What has she really done? Made an astonishingly bad decision, I think. Illegal? Apparently not. Poor form? In her position, yes, because some of the fallout might adversely affect her daughters. It is certainly a blatant use of her contacts. But people take advantage of their contacts all the time. Are they pilloried for it? No, they are sought after as having useful contacts is a desirable asset in business. Why is it worse for Sarah to have done it? Because she is taking advantage of her contacts with a member of the Royal Family, who used to be her husband. Why is this different? Should it be different? I'm not sure, but I am fairly sure Andrew's not too happy with her right now.

Why did she do it? She needed money. Why did she need money? Because she hadn't received much of a divorce settlement and hasn't managed her finances very well. She should have looked out for her interests better and not lived beyond her means. The same can be said for many of us.

I still find it hard to be harsh with her. I think she's probably done her dash with Andrew now, and that's sad for her, but can we even be sure of that? Actually I don't think she looks very well in that video and I'm wondering if that might have something to do with her poor judgment.

No doubt we'll be hearing a lot more about this.
 
I really can not beleive people are so outraged that the Queen won't give Sarah any more money, in no other family in the world would it be expected that the mother pay money to her former daughter in law. That being said if I was in theQueen's shoes and i knew i could afford to easily do so (after all what ever people on here say none of us know the Queen's personal finances, none of us know how much cash she has) i would pay off Sarah debts, that way she does not have them to worry about and can start over with a clean slate. BUT i would only do so if Sarah agreed to, move out of Royal Lodge, stop being paid for by her daughters and stopped publicly flaunting her daughters so openly as ways to increase her own standing. i think the Queen doesn't want to bail out Sarah becuase she knows if she does then SArah will jsut keep spending it and we will be back here again in a few years, Sarah has to learn that she can't just keep turning to the RF to bail her out all the time.
Alot of people keep saying "but she is the mother to two princesses", yes thats true but these princesses aren't children anymore, they are grown adults and in a few years they will be married with familise of thier own, Sarah needs to realise that she isn't a member of the Royal Family anymore and accpeted that and start living her life like that in terms of money.
 
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