Options for Sarah to recover from the 'Cash for Access' scandal

[Katrianna]

I suppose if Sarah wanted money bad enough, SHE could write a tell all book, but it would be another incredibly stupid thing she would do. Andrew and their daughters would be embarrassed and Sarah would lose support from her biggest ally, Andrew. She's already lost credibility and a scandalous book would put another nail in her tattered reputation plus the Queen and Andrew could withdraw the monetary support she's now getting. Sarah would be left in a huge lurch. You don't want to bite the hand that feeds you or pays your debts.

[Nikki63]

I'm of the opinion...and this is strictly my opinion, that Andrew does it because his daughters demand it of him. It wouldn't surprise me if they don't turn the thumb screws quite often if he doesn't help take care of their adored mother. He's in a spot for sure. Take care of Sarah and keep the girls happy and look like a cuckold to everyone else for doing it, or kick her out on her keester and have them spitting mad at him for years, or longer, while everyone else applauds him for having finally grown a spine. Not to mention having to answer to HM every time Sarah hits the wall in a most spectacular way. I'm sure there must be days when he wonders what the heck he was thinking when he married her, no matter how much he may still care about her.

[Wisteria]

I believe that you are right about the daughters but if he looks like a cuckold, wasn´t he cuckolded very publicly by Sarah that seems to be the reason he divorced her.
I think when he first married her it was because opposites attract, she is bubbly and full of spirits and he seems so sombre and rather humourless or at least that seems to be the side he shows in public.
I think the sorriest person would be the Queen for giving her permission to the marriage and she really seemed to like Sarah. Prince Philip´s opinion on all this would be interesting indeed.
I hope that everything turns out well for Sarah and that she starts being sensible but I have my doubts that she is able to be.

[Roslyn]

I don't think Sarah would write a tell-all book, regardless of her circumstances. I don't think she would hurt her beloved daughters that way, or Andrew, or the Queen. For all her faults, I don't think she has a malicious bone in her body.

[Polly]

Originally Posted by Roslyn

I don't think Sarah would write a tell-all book, regardless of her circumstances. I don't think she would hurt her beloved daughters that way, or Andrew, or the Queen. For all her faults, I don't think she has a malicious bone in her body.

I agree, Roslyn. Sarah has done some very foolish things, but I remember that she paid off all of her debts before and worked hard to do so. From memory, she wasn't well treated by the Family when she left it, unlike Diana, and I think that it's to Andrew's credit that he's given her a home and help over the years, and not only because she's his children's mother.

I've heard Sarah speak in the past about the Family and she was graceful and pleasant about them all, praising them for their hard work. It's unlikely that she'd betray any confidences at this stage.

As for her recent silliness and inappropriate behaviour, that's nothing to what I think about the scurrilous newspaper reporter who coaxed a drunken women to humiliate herself and impugn the integrity of a member of the Royal Family.

[angieuk]

The trouble is Sarah is a spender and always has been. She likes the good life and would no more tighten her belt in this time of economic gloom than step on board the Titanic. Her daughters adore her, Prince Philip loathes her, where does that leave Andrew? Somewhere in the middle who has never moved on with his life. It is a shame he never married again like Camilla's husband did. Sarah's meal ticket has always been her title DUCHESS OF YORK which she will never let go of ... not for all the tea in China!

Fergie's billionaire bail-out: it looks like the duchess is really feeling the pinch of those £2m debts | Mail Online

[Wisteria]

As long as there are people who curry the favour of anyone with a title, especially royal, and as long as Sarah hangs on to the name Duchess of York she will always be able to find a helping hand and will never change her ways. In her defence I really believe she is unable to change, it is part of her makeup.
It is very strange how a title of any kind, even an ex title can make very sensible business people do all kinds of things, they give huge amounts of money to charity, not always because they are fond of that charity or are even really charitable in their hearts, but the idea that it may lead to a title is irresistible. Strange and I will never understand it. I wonder what these people would think of someone with a title who does not use it.

[Warren]

There appear to be plenty of people with the financial acumen to help her sort out her financial mess but you have to wonder why she had to reach near-bankruptcy and public humiliation before they stepped in.

Anyway, from the Daily Mail, here's some rich, famous and not-so-famous friends...

Fergie's billionaire bail-out: it looks like the duchess is really feeling the pinch of those £2m debts | Mail Online

One tycoon's given her a £160,000 Bentley. Another's lent her his jet. Now she's partying with Branson on his private island...

On Thursday, she [boarded] the Gulfstream private jet owned by her longtime friend Peter Brant, the U.S. newsprint tycoon. Once on board, she was flown...from his Connecticut home, where she has been staying for several days, to the 60th birthday party of Sir Richard Branson on his private Necker Island in the Caribbean.

...yet another tycoon, venture capitalist Jon Moulton, was also riding to her rescue. Now running a £200 million private equity fund, the former Coopers & Lybrand insolvency specialist has quietly agreed to see what he can do to unscramble Fergie's financial affairs.

So just how does businessman Jon Moulton intend to replace the missing millions and put Fergie, now 50, on the road to solvency? No one is quite sure. 'The trouble is there is no "Brand Fergie" any longer,' declares a major public relations figure who has been consulted about her rehabilitation...Who on earth would buy anything with the Duchess of York's name backing it at the moment?

[NoorMeansLight]

^ Gosh, I hope she's not onto something weird again... Thank you for the info, Warren!
Wonder what P Andrew has to say about that.

[Blackadder]

Let's hope not another scandal is on its way.

[Irish Eyes]

I read in the "Mail on Sunday" about three weeks ago that Sarah and the girls are planning on going to Spain for their annual holiday in August, and YES you guessed it, Prince Andrew IS joining them as normal.
I suppose God help him, he must still love her.
Seriously though I'm sure she must have some lovely qualities, he's no fool, she must be doing something right.
The phrase "her own worst enemy" could have been coined just for her.
She's very popular in Ireland and TV people who have interviewed her, and people who met her at book signings really liked her, the woman they met very different to the woman they had read about.

[NoorMeansLight]

^ This is quite interesting. Thank you for the Irish point of view and welcome to TRF!

[rmay286]

Originally Posted by Irish Eyes

I read in the "Mail on Sunday" about three weeks ago that Sarah and the girls are planning on going to Spain for their annual holiday in August, and YES you guessed it, Prince Andrew IS joining them as normal.
I suppose God help him, he must still love her.
Seriously though I'm sure she must have some lovely qualities, he's no fool, she must be doing something right.
The phrase "her own worst enemy" could have been coined just for her.
She's very popular in Ireland and TV people who have interviewed her, and people who met her at book signings really liked her, the woman they met very different to the woman they had read about.

Sarah is definitely her own worst enemy, no question there. But she must have good qualities, because, according to the articles, her former employees are still loyal to her despite everything. I guess Andrew could be taking care of Sarah because his daughters would resent him otherwise. But I think the fact that Sarah`s daughters do obviously love her is an indication that she has good qualities, so why might Andrew not love those qualities for himself and not just because of his daughters?

Some of the people close to Sarah do seem very loyal to her. Not the obvious hangers-on who were close to her only for themselves (*cough* John Bryan, Allan Starkie, Madame Vasso) but the people who have been staying loyal to Sarah even though they`re not getting anything out of it, like Andrew and the girls and apparently, her employees. And the people from Northern Moor who I`ve seen posting on Facebook that they wouldn`t answer any questions from reporters because they liked Sarah and didn`t want to say anything that could hurt her.

Edited to add: although I guess even loyal employees have their limits. I just saw this article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...aring-her.html

[Duchess]

Originally Posted by Iluvbertie

Knowing from personal experience seeking out and following good advice is way easier said than done. Having suffered with severe depression and been suicidal in the couple of years after my mother's death I couldn't find anyone to help me (including the supposed depression help line in this country who were no use whatsoever so whenever I see them begging for money in shopping centres I go and listen to their spiel and then give them a spray for the lies that they are telling people).

If I could have someone to give good advice at that time I would be a lot closer to healing now - but what has saved me is my own faith that God wants me to live until he says it is time to go but nothing else.

i can sympathize with you all the way bertie. i've battled depression for 30+ years...so i hope you're able to find some sort of peace

my feeling is that sarah doesn't suffer from depression....but she just makes bad choices. i think she could find good advice very easily...her former husband for example probably wouldn't steer her wrong.

[sliver_bic]

Originally Posted by rmay286

I guess Andrew could be taking care of Sarah because his daughters would resent him otherwise. But I think the fact that Sarah`s daughters do obviously love her is an indication that she has good qualities, so why might Andrew not love those qualities for himself and not just because of his daughters?

That's unconditional love that has no boundaries. There's no doubt that she has good qualities it's just that bad ones are so bad and they have to do with money. Strange that if she had a drug or alcohol issue she'd be able to garner some sympathy but this is different, money, something the vast majority of the world doesn't have, is this particular thing that one can screw up with only so often before people just roll their eyes and walk away.

Sarah had been filmed drunkenly touting ex-husband Prince Andrew’s Royal status for £500,000 to a reporter posing as a shady foreign businessman.

Strange, Fergie said she was drunk but has that ever been proven? Seems weird that the mail, obviously not her or her family's biggest fan, would go with the line.

[Duchessmary]

I think she just needs to go on holiday, clear her mind, and then come up with a game plan, so to speak. She's done a lot of damage and it's time to recoup her losses. Dignity would help, and so would some humility.

[Lumutqueen]

How Fergie humiliated the long-suffering friend who spent 20 years clearing up after her | Mail Online

It was always going to be a difficult phone call. But Kate Waddington, the public ­relations consultant who had doggedly protected the ­Duchess of York for nearly 20 years, had taken time to think through what she was going to say

She is already on holiday isn't she?

[georgiea]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

How Fergie humiliated the long-suffering friend who spent 20 years clearing up after her | Mail Online

This article (to me) says Ms. Waddington was the Duchess' adviser and needed to say she is the one who left to save face. Sarah, the Duchess of York is now advised by Prince Andrew and his advisers. Hopefully, Sarah will be able to live without getting hemmed in by Andrew's advice and break away and self destruct. If that would happen I don't know if the Prince would stay around.

[rmay286]

It`s interesting that Sarah has gone from the control of "the grey men" (the courtiers), to some bad advisors in the days of her separation, to more recently, a team of people that included a successful PR woman, but none of them have really been able to restrain her in the end. Andrew really is Sarah`s last resort. Out of everyone, he might just be the one person Sarah will listen to, but if she abuses his resources, even Andrew will have to withdraw his support. His money and office are provided by the Queen, so there are limits to what he can do.

[NotAPretender]

But do you truly think that she will listen to him?