Sarah, Duchess of York Current Events 18: January 2014 - July 2018

[Osipi]

Either way, when I hear she's launching a new [commercial] venture, my blood runs cold...

I think the same. As an American, I can only give my opinion on what sells here. Even if she was trying to get the foot in the door on the market for whatever she wants to sell using her royal family title connections of the '90s, for most Americans, they would have no clue of who she is or anything about her life. That connection probably would do better in the UK. On top of that, what she is trying to market isn't in any way unique or "in demand" for American consumers. Americans tend to gravitate towards their coffee more than tea and we're inundated over here with farm type games. (she was reputed to be going to market a Fergie's Farm game along with her children's book). There's a whole boatload of these types of games available for dirt cheap on the internet along with the free ones on social media.

If, by chance, I was looking to invest in a marketing venture, I would definitely steer clear of these.

 

[Dman]

The American people know who Sarah is and she's been around in the American media for years now. She's guest co-hosted TV shows and she's been on late night talk shows as well. Also, lets not forget she was spokesperson for Weight Watchers for years. It's the American people that have embraced her when the UK wanted her gone for good.

 

[Mirabel]

I doubt many Americans care about her one way or another.
We'll have to see how this venture does, but I agree with Osipi that it's a very saturated market right now. I don't see people buying these items just because Fergie is promoting them.

 

[rmay286]

Using "Sarah, The Duchess of York" isn't proper, but it's also not the end of the world. The correct and only way she can be styled is "Sarah, Duchess of York"...but according to Debretts, in conversation, you'd say "The Duchess of York" even though she's divorced:

Former Wife of Duke, Duke and Duchess, Titles, Forms Of Address | Debrett's

What I find interesting about the way she's marketing this venture is that she's referred to as "Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess"...but the "of York" is absolutely nowhere to be seen. I think it was an attempt to keep her style out of the equation, keep the "York" out of the business.

And I'm sure the family knows too, this has been in the works for at least a year. I say good luck to her, the tea is what interests me!

This has been in the works for a long time; I've seen hints about it on Twitter for the past fall and was just waiting for it to come out into the open. I am sure Andrew knows about it, and probably the Queen knows something about it too, since Sarah was at Balmoral in August.

Sarah is trying to earn a living because she thinks she doesn't have a choice and this is the only way she knows how.

ETA: You can see this show was already filmed in July: https://www.facebook.com/events/596592547106605/

 

[Roslyn]

There is [for the millionth time] NO such thing as Morganatic marriage in British law.

Attorney General Sir Donald Somervell, Lord Advocate T.M. Cooper, and Parliamentary Counsel Sir Granville Ram (as they then were) would disagree with you. In 1937, they "came to the conclusion that the wife could not claim this right on any legal basis. The right to use this style or title, in our view, is within the prerogative of His Majesty and he has the power to regulate it by Letters Patent generally or in particular circumstances.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morganatic_marriage#cite_note-55"

That's a fairly impressive bunch of legal minds expressing the opinion that a wife could not claim a husband's style "on any legal basis". The wife of whom they spoke was, of course, the Duchess of Windsor.

IF she has remarried the Duke, she is the HRH Duchess of York,

Actually, she'd be HRH The Duchess of York, unless the Queen decided otherwise. It would be up to The Queen.

if not she can only use 'Sarah, Duchess of York'.

Yep. This is her name, and it is the way she ought to be described, and the way she ought to describe herself on trademark applications.

I really don't think for one moment that they have remarried. My comment to that effect was just my smart-arse reaction to her apparent use of the incorrect name on the trademark application. If they had remarried I seriously doubt that Sarah would be starting up a new business in America.

I do like Sarah and I am pleased that she is trying to make some money. I would prefer her to be doing it in a less flashy way and through a business that was likely to have some staying power. I fear she'll be broke again soon and back to square 1.

 

[Mermaid1962]

The video was put on YouTube on 19 Nov. So far, there are 279 views and 2 subscribers. The product she's selling appears to be a blender/juicer. I wish Sarah all the best with her new endeavors, but I wonder how successful she'll be? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[HRH Princess Sonya]

Wow this is nothing more than one of those infomercials that air between 3am and 7am here in the US. Don't laugh at me I travel a lot for work so I am up late a lot.
Any money she makes from this idea she will squander away as usual.

 

[ada]

I feel sorry for Prince Andrew, it's embarrassing!! 'You either have or you haven't got class' and this ad just made me cringe

 

[sndral]

...

She's also successfully obtained a trademark for 'Duchess Tea by Sarah Ferguson'

Source: DUCHESS TEA BY SARAH FERGUSON Trademark Application of Sarah, The Duchess of York - Serial Number 86203295 :: Justia Trademarks

I don't think she has successfully obtained a trademark just yet.
The link actually shows that the status of her application for a trademark is in non final action, which means that she has been notified that there is a problem with the application and she has 6 months to respond. Since the notice was mailed 6/4/14, her deadline to respond is tomorrow.

 

[democratnmonocole]

I hope this works for her though I doubt it. She looks horribly aged, her skin in particular. She is in her mid-50s but looks closer to 60. Definitely she has some appeal to the Oprah "crowd" who listen to self-help enthusiasts and drink beet-and-radish smoothies because Dr. "Oz" says it'll prevent aging past 40, but among the vast majority of the American population, they barely know who she is. If it isn't William, Catherine, George or Harry, the media doesn't cover the royals unless there's a major health problem or milestone (like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee) and most Americans have only a hazy notion as to who the others are or titles, etc. A lot of people think the Middletons are royal. Like everything else she does, this will not work well for her and in a year, she'll be crying her eyes out for Andrew to ride in on his white charger and magically wipe away her debts with more of the Queen's money.
I wish her the best but expect the worst.

 

[rmay286]

I hope this works for her though I doubt it. She looks horribly aged, her skin in particular. She is in her mid-50s but looks closer to 60. Definitely she has some appeal to the Oprah "crowd" who listen to self-help enthusiasts and drink beet-and-radish smoothies because Dr. "Oz" says it'll prevent aging past 40, but among the vast majority of the American population, they barely know who she is. If it isn't William, Catherine, George or Harry, the media doesn't cover the royals unless there's a major health problem or milestone (like the Queen's Diamond Jubilee) and most Americans have only a hazy notion as to who the others are or titles, etc. A lot of people think the Middletons are royal. Like everything else she does, this will not work well for her and in a year, she'll be crying her eyes out for Andrew to ride in on his white charger and magically wipe away her debts with more of the Queen's money.
I wish her the best but expect the worst.

Does anyone think that the way the video markets Sarah doesn't fit with what she is selling? I can tell someone has tried to capitalize on Sarah's strengths - she's a humanitarian, she's a people person, she's kind, caring and people are drawn to her. That's good, but what does that have to do with selling kitchenware? I see a disconnect. Also, sorry Sarah, but she isn't a savvy businesswoman.

 

[Mermaid1962]

Yes, rmay286, I know what you mean. Perhaps it's only a co-incidence, but I'm seeing a lot of this in advertising right now. When I'm watching vids on YouTube, there's often a long commercial emphasizing something that a particular company has done for humanity. Companies, including a credit card company and a bank--for two I can think of--show ordinary people receiving money so they can fulfill a dream of helping their community in some way. In another one, a regional airline gives Christmas gifts to people in what seems to be a poor Caribbean island. It's almost as though the message is: "We're a humanitarian organization as well as a business brand. Purchase our product and contribute to the well-being of humanity." This seems to be the idea that's being communicated in this ad with Sarah: Buy this blender/weight-loss program and you'll be part of the legend of this world-renowned-fitness-and-nutrition-guru humanitarian woman. I suppose it's the same with the other products under the Duchess Sarah brand, but I don't know. Plummy British accents are often used in North American advertising to communicate the idea that something is quality and high-class. That probably ties in as well. It's a real mish-mash. Unless the brand is a department store, I can't see how stories and games about farming, kitchen gadgets, and teas can possibly have in common.

 

[sndral]

Google Hartmoor - Sarah's last "diet, clothing, candles and jewelry' lifestyle company. When she was co-running/promoting it for the 18 months it took to run through the $8 million investors put into it (and another $1-2 million in debts) Sarah said it was like a department store for her brand. In fact her picture for the 2006 publicity of the launching of Hartmoor looks just like the picture in the video above from this year.
The video sort of looks like it was made to showcase her as a potential spokesperson for various products perhaps to pitch to companies to use her as their TV salesperson on those informational/shopping channels.

 

[maria-olivia]

Prince Andrew is the less popular Member of the Royal Family , if He is present of not nobody cares...he is the 5th wheel of the Firm's car !

 

[Mirabel]

Yes, rmay286, I know what you mean. Perhaps it's only a co-incidence, but I'm seeing a lot of this in advertising right now. When I'm watching vids on YouTube, there's often a long commercial emphasizing something that a particular company has done for humanity.

What I see are rather strange ads; it's often difficult to discern exactly what the product is!
There will be shots of crowds in the street singing and dancing and it turns out they're selling detergent, or something like that! Weird.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I Googled Hartmoor and found this: Hartmoor/ Sarah Ferguson on Vimeo I`d forgotten about her using his daughters and Prince Andrew in her promotion.

Google Hartmoor - Sarah's last "diet, clothing, candles and jewelry' lifestyle company. When she was co-running/promoting it for the 18 months it took to run through the $8 million investors put into it (and another $1-2 million in debts) Sarah said it was like a department store for her brand. In fact her picture for the 2006 publicity of the launching of Hartmoor looks just like the picture in the video above from this year.
The video sort of looks like it was made to showcase her as a potential spokesperson for various products perhaps to pitch to companies to use her as their TV salesperson on those informational/shopping channels.

 

[SElizabeth]

I saw something on TV tonight that surprised me, Sarah Duchess of York was on a TV show that I turned on by flipping through the channels, Project Runway, a fashion design show for up and coming fashion designers, the group was in London, I think it was sometime this past summer as they are wearing summer clothes, She was going to be wearing the design of the winner for this segment of the program sometime , where or when I don't know. Has anyone seen it or is this something that happened in the summer that I missed? She is looking very hard and rough around the edges on the show....she wasn't on the show for a long period of time, just briefly and then having tea with the group of designers.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to mention this, wondering if anyone else saw this...

 

[Osipi]

I saw something on TV tonight that surprised me, Sarah Duchess of York was on a TV show that I turned on by flipping through the channels, Project Runway, a fashion design show for up and coming fashion designers, the group was in London, I think it was sometime this past summer as they are wearing summer clothes, She was going to be wearing the design of the winner for this segment of the program sometime , where or when I don't know. Has anyone seen it or is this something that happened in the summer that I missed? She is looking very hard and rough around the edges on the show....she wasn't on the show for a long period of time, just briefly and then having tea with the group of designers.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to mention this, wondering if anyone else saw this...

I didn't catch it but I did cringe at the idea of fashion and Fergie in the same sentence. She has never been known for her sense of fashion by any means. Perhaps these designers can really help her out a bit.

 

[csw]

I watched it. I like the show a lot but even I was a bit uncomfortable that she was part of it. She really was fine on it and I have no reason for feeling it was awkward. I was glad she wasn't a judge or anything. She met the designer and the host addressed her as "Duchess." I'm trying to remember the exact quote the host made to the contestants about not embarrassing her (the host) in her home city and in front of the Duchess. One of the contestants said something about having a tea party. I think they rerun the shows the following week right before the new episode if folks want to watch it.

recap: http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/project-runway-all-stars-season-4-episode-5/

 

[csw]

ps: People in the US can watch it online at Designing for the Duchess - Watch Project Runway All Stars Online - myLifetime.com

 

[rmay286]

Thanks for the link, csw. I hope I can watch the show in Canada!

On another note, does anyone know where (on which channel) and when Duchess Discoveries airs?

Sarah has been busy lately - it seems from Twitter that she was at one of Andrew's events again yesterday, although she wasn't officially part of it.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I can't. I get a black screen and a voice saying, "This content is currently unavailable."

 

[AdmirerUS]

I didn't catch it but I did cringe at the idea of fashion and Fergie in the same sentence. She has never been known for her sense of fashion by any means. Perhaps these designers can really help her out a bit.

She was lovely on the show. She was really plumping for the Paddington Bear as an iconic representation of GB (the show plumped for the Paddington movie to be released in winter). She chatted with the participants about their lives, poured tea and told them she would wear the winning coat design. The winning coat was terrific, flattering, appropriate, practical and pretty.
Decent recap of the show: 'Project Runway All Stars' recap: 'Designing for the Duchess' | Season 4 Episode 05 | EW.com
Fabio won with this coat http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2014/12/04/PR-LOOKS-04.jpg Time will tell if Fergie ever wears it. It is far better in motion or closer up than in this image. But I found an image - so YAY.

 

[Mermaid1962]

There was one comment about Sarah in the comments about the recap, and it was a negative one that mentioned her misdeeds.

 

[helenbeee]

I hate to sound pessimistic but isn't setting up for e-books, apps and games a bit like putting the cart before the horse? Children's authors are pretty much a dime a dozen and I think it would take something extraordinarily special and different to really cause a book to generate the interest that games and apps and such would stem from. Not everyone is a J.K. Rowling.

no

its marketing strategy and everyone does it that way these days. I had her book for my girl when she was little and it was a favourite for both of us. Shes a clever writer and probably not as stupid as some of you are presuming her to be.

She obviously is a good person as her daughters and ex husband clearly adore her. She has brought up 2 royal offspring to be kind thoughtful and levelheaded young women who are adored by their Grandmother the Queen.

We all make stupid mistakes in our lives that we regret and wish we could do differently but that doesnt mean we have to pay for them for the rest of our lives.

Andrews forgiveness and acceptance of his part in their marriage failure actually makes me like and admire him.
He would have faced incredible pressure by the media and probably his family to outcast her but he didnt. He continued to love and respect her and that means so much to me.
The fact that they didnt allow their marriage troubles to impact on their children is admirable.

Some people who post here are very quick to judge this relationship with very little knowledge of the reality of the situation. I find that a bit disrespectful to a family that clearly puts love and loyalty above being royal.

 

[Valerie Rose]

Lovely post, helenbeee

 

[Osipi]

no

its marketing strategy and everyone does it that way these days. I had her book for my girl when she was little and it was a favourite for both of us. Shes a clever writer and probably not as stupid as some of you are presuming her to be.

She obviously is a good person as her daughters and ex husband clearly adore her. She has brought up 2 royal offspring to be kind thoughtful and levelheaded young women who are adored by their Grandmother the Queen.

We all make stupid mistakes in our lives that we regret and wish we could do differently but that doesnt mean we have to pay for them for the rest of our lives.

Andrews forgiveness and acceptance of his part in their marriage failure actually makes me like and admire him.
He would have faced incredible pressure by the media and probably his family to outcast her but he didnt. He continued to love and respect her and that means so much to me.
The fact that they didnt allow their marriage troubles to impact on their children is admirable.

Some people who post here are very quick to judge this relationship with very little knowledge of the reality of the situation. I find that a bit disrespectful to a family that clearly puts love and loyalty above being royal.

I was not in any way trying to denigrate Sarah. She seems to be a wonderful, bubbly and spontaneous type of person one would be drawn to and enjoy being with. Although she's made mistakes, there are a lot of things she has done right and her two girls and her relationship with Andrew and the Queen are just a few examples.

It was the marketing strategy I found to be quite feeble. I just don't see what she is promoting making a big splash in any way. We're inundated here with farm type stuffs for kids already and good gravy, you can't watch TV for an hour without running into at least 2 or 3 different weight loss type advertisements. Perhaps if her "Duchess Teas" were to become a part of Starbucks offerings it might gain some business but I do think Americans prefer their coffees over teas.

 

[sndral]

no

....

She obviously is a good person as her daughters and ex husband clearly adore her. She has brought up 2 royal offspring to be kind thoughtful and levelheaded young women who are adored by their Grandmother the Queen.
That someone's family loves them despite their problems says more about the family's kindness than it says about the wrongdoer. It does not IMO form a basis to label some one a 'good person.' If the people she has wronged such as the business associates and employees who suffered financial harm in her two previous near bankruptcies still label her a 'good person' then I'd agree.
We all make stupid mistakes in our lives that we regret and wish we could do differently but that doesnt mean we have to pay for them for the rest of our lives.I absolutely believe people should be able to own their mistakes, learn from them and move on. Sarah just keeps making mistakes, the toe sucking was 20 years ago, the cash for access scandal was 5 years ago. Every time she does something stupid all of her previous stupid acts are resurrected.

Andrews forgiveness and acceptance of his part in their marriage failure actually makes me like and admire him.
He would have faced incredible pressure by the media and probably his family to outcast her but he didnt. He continued to love and respect her and that means so much to me.
I don't know that Andrew loves and respects her - calling her his third child hardly suggests respect to me, he's certainly behaved as a gentlemen towards her and has supported a number of her activities.
The fact that they didnt allow their marriage troubles to impact on their children is admirable.Yes, they certainly did better than the Wales and Sarah never tried to use Beatrice as an emotional support as Diana did with William.

Some people who post here are very quick to judge this relationship with very little knowledge of the reality of the situation. I find that a bit disrespectful to a family that clearly puts love and loyalty above being royal.

My thoughts in purple. It will be interesting to see how this latest scheme of Sarah's plays out - it's just so much like her two previous schemes that failed that I'm a bit of a cynic - perhaps she'll prove me wrong.

 

[Mermaid1962]

I don't think it's that any of us want her to fall flat on her face business-wise or get involved with anything sketchy so that we can say, "We told you so!" Speaking for myself, I hope that her ventures are successful. I wish for happiness for Sarah and her family.

 

[iceflower]

.

Yesterday evening, December 9, Sarah attended the UK Premiere of 'The Theory Of Everything' at Odeon Leicester Square in London:



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 **