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


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Russophile said:
Good point.
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Exactly, Countess & Russo. The cycle will go on since nothing has changed with the principal players.

Case in point: This article from October 9, 1998.

http://articles.nydailynews.com/1998-10-09/gossip/18087740_1_pamela-digby-churchill-hayward-harriman-broadway-producer-leland-hayward-35th-birthday-party/2


'Meanwhile, Ferguson just went to work as a British talk-show host for media titan Rupert Murdoch, whose tabloid reporters have hounded her for years.

"I have got to get myself a career; it's as simple as that," Ferguson said. "I have bills to pay." '

One might remember that during this period, 1996-1998, Sarah was in debt up to her eyeballs. So nothing has changed in the thirteen years from 1998 to 2011.

You'll note that in that article, she's waxing rhapsodic about Andrew as well. Her eternal "Plan B."

Duchess in Debt - Bills, Bills, Bills, The British Royals, Sarah Ferguson : People.com

In 1996, she was unable to live on $500K per year, either.

Nothing's changed. I expect that nothing will. She'll spend like a drunken sailor, live off Andrew, and whine that she doesn't get to go to Balmoral.

The only difference is that she'll be whining to a smaller audience, based on and evidenced by her book sales results.
 
Funny they placed that article next to the Pam Churchill one, NaP. IMO, Sarah could have learned alot from that Courtesean. :whistling:



:D
 
bethaliz6894 said:
yes, she died 7 million pounds in debt.
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Then, how did she manage to bequeath much to anyone? Did the Queen pay off her mother's encumbrances so the will could be carried out? If so, that's awfully nice of her (and I can see how she'd be reluctant to chip in much more to the offspring who benefitted from the QM's legacy).
 
Russophile said:
Funny they placed that article next to the Pam Churchill one, NaP. IMO, Sarah could have learned alot from that Courtesean. :whistling:

:D
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I know! Wasn't that a kick? However, the commentary about Pam Churchill was not positive in that article, with one person saying that the depiction had been far too positive! LOL.

Sarah could learn a lot from the much-married, acquisitive Ms. Churchill. While they had a shared taste for the luxe life, Ms. Churchill did a far better job of maintaining not only appearances, but capital. :lol:

What was also fascinating about that article was that Sarah worked for the evil Murdoch Empire, which eventually brought about the Cash for Access scandal. Perhaps during her tenure, her colleagues learned enough about her predilictions to accurately select the correct ingredients for the fishing chum.
 
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NotAPretender said:
I think we did not see the same program.

The numerous inconsistencies between her past stories and her current stories, and the yawning gap between her stated intent and actual actions, begged to be brought out. Frankly, they were stunning in their legion count.

It does her no good to be allowed to continue her lies without challenge. Outside of this program, an excellent point in case (just one of many!) is her flat-out denial in the Time video interview of the "suitcase of cash." Well, for heaven's sake: it was pictured! Videoed! Present! Does she genuinely believe that if she says "white" but the photographic evidence is "black," then merely repeating "white! white! white!" will change the evidence? If that's not an example of a lie, it's certainly deep delusion.

If she truly wishes to "get on with it," it's her burden to end the rug-sweeping of her prior actions and get to the root of the "why" of the self-sabotage, and to thus end the cycle. I don't believe any longer that she has any interest in doing so, which in and of itself makes a massive lie of both the series and the book.

She simply wants a paycheck without introspection, which quite frankly was how this paycheck was to be earned. Screaming "Mommy" then spending uncontrollably doesn't seem like much in the way of progress.

No recovery noted here.
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I agree. The various therapists/helpers are doing what they often do - which is try to establish rapport with the patient, but she seems them so sporadically (and apparently, only when she wants to), that no real therapy is done.

That doesn't surprise me. Sarah has set up a fake therapy scenario for reality television - in itself, something she needs to be called on, by someone, anyway (Suze Orman could do it - it's not a sound financial strategy).

I've been hopeful that Sarah would rise to the occasion and do enough work that someone would want to hire her afterwards (perhaps as a talk show host), but I'm beginning to think she will be a financial drain on her ex-husband and daughters for as long as she lives. They will have to be the ones to set limits for her - and the girls seem a long way from that. She's still their mum first and foremost.

Sigh.
 
PrincessKaimi said:
Then, how did she manage to bequeath much to anyone? Did the Queen pay off her mother's encumbrances so the will could be carried out? If so, that's awfully nice of her (and I can see how she'd be reluctant to chip in much more to the offspring who benefitted from the QM's legacy).
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She had debts of 7 million pounds but her personal assets (Castle of May, jewels, art, horses, investments etc) were far greater than the debts. She had also established trusts for the grandchildren and great grandchildren several years before her death (in order to avoid death duties).
She did live a grand Edwardian lifestyle and was never much concerned with the cost of living but nobody really begrudged her extravagances. There was a story I remember about her milliner making new hats for her one of which had some exotic feathers on it. He told her they were very expensive and recommended something cheaper. Her response was to ingore his cost cutting advise and say she would take 2 of the originals.
 
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Russophile said:
Good point.
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Perhaps, but then he doesnt seem to base his whole life on a part of his life that officially ended a long time ago. Perhaps if he had married someone a few years after the divorce and there was a new HRH The Duchess of York in his life Sarah would have been forced to deal with it and move on as well.
 
I just noticed that one can get a "personal message" from "The Duchess" by going to A Message From The Duchess - OWN TV (I think that's it; sorry not actually doing it). I suspect that this hit counter project results in some percentage to "The Duchess."

So her "milking of whatever's available" behavior, so enabled by Oprah & Crew is definitely supported by the show itself - something I no longer expect Sarah herself to notice. She seems to pay attention to what's right in front of her at the time, with little forethought about consequences - especially for her age. I'm almost the same age, and I do think it's something one learns (to think more about consequences), and we all start at different places. Many people are not cut out to be Royals in reality.

I'm at the point in the show where she is starting to give up on her intentions for the Canada trip - having not thought about the reality of the training. It's definitely a theme in her life.

Boy, would I hate having a reality show made about me and allowing Oprah to find "themes" in my life - I'd rather earn money a different way.
 
Look, Andrew and Sarah are non-starters. He has the, offical leverage, from his family. She is an outsider. He loves her, I believe, she loves him. I will not explain this, as I have no idea why. It just is. None of these royal children, except Anne, does anything important to affirm their existence. Edward is a big nothing, Charles has his causes, which would fade if he had to make a living. Right organic farming. Works sometimes, very expensive, so regular people can afford produce. And he is not working the soil.
 
PrincessKaimi said:
I just noticed that one can get a "personal message" from "The Duchess" by going to A Message From The Duchess - OWN TV (I think that's it; sorry not actually doing it). I suspect that this hit counter project results in some percentage to "The Duchess."

So her "milking of whatever's available" behavior, so enabled by Oprah & Crew is definitely supported by the show itself - something I no longer expect Sarah herself to notice. She seems to pay attention to what's right in front of her at the time, with little forethought about consequences - especially for her age. I'm almost the same age, and I do think it's something one learns (to think more about consequences), and we all start at different places. Many people are not cut out to be Royals in reality.

I'm at the point in the show where she is starting to give up on her intentions for the Canada trip - having not thought about the reality of the training. It's definitely a theme in her life.

Boy, would I hate having a reality show made about me and allowing Oprah to find "themes" in my life - I'd rather earn money a different way.
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Very few people who are not raised in that manner are cut out to be 'royals'. I can't imagine the pressure of trying to maintain a marriage in full view of the media every time you set foot out the door. Having to be 'on point' every second you are in public, not being allowed to have any flaws. Then the first 4 or 5 years you are married only seeing your husband 40 odd days a year. It's a bit much for a well grounded/stable person let alone someone with major insecurities.

I think it's amazing she's not in a sanitarium.

MM
 
Midwestern Mom said:
Very few people who are not raised in that manner are cut out to be 'royals'. I can't imagine the pressure of trying to maintain a marriage in full view of the media every time you set foot out the door. Having to be 'on point' every second you are in public, not being allowed to have any flaws. Then the first 4 or 5 years you are married only seeing your husband 40 odd days a year. It's a bit much for a well grounded/stable person let alone someone with major insecurities.

I think it's amazing she's not in a sanitarium.

MM
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Absolutely MM the pressure must be immense. It's also worth remembering that in the 1980's Diana and Sarah were the first females to marry into the BRF in a generation so it was a new experience for everybody involved. I think with Sophie and Catherine things have been done a bit differently. Having said that I think part of the reason people get so harsh and personal when criticising Sarah is because they liked her so much at the start, and really wanted her to succeed.
She would test the best of psychologists, in some ways vunerable and insecure, and in other ways a very stong woman.
Hopefully somehow, someway she will find some kind of balance.
 
Sarah isn't really changing. She is saying what Oprah and her fans want to hear but I don't see her doing any real work to change. Sarah is still doing exactly what she did before. Dr Phil and Suzie seemed to brush over some of the more important issues and didn't really make Sarah see the truth. Instead Dr Phil has given Sarah an excuse which she seems very happy with. She is addicted to people pleasing....what about the lying, selling access to Andrew, overspending, getting money of her daughters. She still lives in Andrews house yet can still get in debt. Sarah ran in Royal circles before she got married she watched Diana went through and she knew Andrew would stay in the Navy. Many women have long happy marriages with Naval men and Sarah actually got to spend more time with Andrew then most other service wives ever did with their men. Sarah loved the attention she was rarely on point anyway and didn't seem to really care. Sarah seems to lack discipline and her number of royal duties was pathetic which got her more bad press. IF Sarah really hated it she could off very easily had a much more private life instead she used her title and connections with the royal family to make money. Sarah wants her cake and to eat it too. She loves the priveledges of Royal life but not the duty, she likes the money but doesn't know when to stop. I watched an old interview of her on Parkinson when asked why she and Andrew divorced she skipped the whole she cheated on him and said she had gotten into debt and the only way she could really work and earn money was to leave the family! And there were some differences between her and Andrew which she doesn't seem to think there is anymore. I do think she will do something else and will continue doing what she did before because she really hasn't had any major consequences. Instead she has gotten a job and money out of the access scandal and not being invited to the wedding. Wow that is tough, poor thing making all that money and getting all this attention. The book isn't selling because you can see what she says on TV and it is clearly not the same as the first biography which makes you question the truth of it. I would love for her to show up in the UK if Finding Sarah shows over there because she won't get the same softball questions and the interviewers won't buy her excuses or call her Duchess which she actually isn't anymore. Not once have I heard her say no my name is Sarah! But I don't think she will do any promotion in the UK and the girls will suffer yet more embarrassment from the mother who seems to believe she is the best mother in the world. Which is scary in itself!
 
I agree, MM - which is why I still like Sarah. I just wish she'd cut the roles she takes on down to a size where she could manage them.

Meadow, I think she's a good enough mother - not a prize winning mother nor one to emulate, but kids are very attached to their moms - and that's a good thing. I'd be more worried if the kids repudiated her. But I do wish she'd correct people about the Duchess thing (i'm guessing Oprah told her not to).

BTW, in the one preview clip for this week, Oprah is a tad rude to The Duchess - must give Oprah a rush to try to convince Sarah of her own maturity. (Oprah has never been married, IIRC, nor had kids - much less tried to be married to the BRF...apples and oranges).
 
Meadow said:
If she has land and her mothers ranch to sell why would she stoop so low to sell access to Andrew? Maybe she has already sold it? I would think for her it wouldn't be too much of a problem it isn't a place she grew up and she rarely goes there these days. Also she keeps saying she is homeless without Andrew so is she has a place to live she really isn't. The cost of keeping it unless she is renting it is just silly for someone with such financial problems.
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No, Sarah still owns it, jointly with her sister Jane.

Perhaps that's why she fought so mightily against bankruptcy; it would have become part of the asset pool from which her creditors would be paid.

It certainly gives lie to her repeated assertion that she is "homeless." I don't call joint ownership of a magnificent piece of property in excess of 300 acres, in the countryside to which she is accustomed and of which she has happy memories, to be "homeless."

That's her home. She evidently used to visit her mother there quite a lot, so her own daughters can continue the tradition. That's where she should go, to her home. But there aren't cameras and five-star restaurants around down there - perhaps that's part of her definition of a suitable "home."
 
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PrincessKaimi said:
BTW, in the one preview clip for this week, Oprah is a tad rude to The Duchess - must give Oprah a rush to try to convince Sarah of her own maturity. (Oprah has never been married, IIRC, nor had kids - much less tried to be married to the BRF...apples and oranges).
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It's true that Oprah never raised a child, but she did indeed give birth to one, and the loss of that child was a great and silent heartache for her. I'm far from an Oprah fan, but she's made something out of nothing in her life, so I'm sure her compassion for Sarah is much tempered by the knowledge that she herself survived tremendous blows without the kind of safety net that Sarah has always enjoyed.
 
I have to remind everone that Sarah,Duchess of York is her legal divorced name. When she was married she was HRH the Duchess of York. It is like most people, when they are married they are Mrs. John Jones, but divorced they become Jane Jones. The only way she will lose the Duchess of York is if she marries someone else. She did lose the HRH title.
 
Yes but she is Sarah, Duchess of York not The Duchess of York which some people seem to think. She should be called Sarah not Duchess which the interviewers in the States seem to insist on calling her. The Time interviewer called her that several times and even though Sarah was happy to correct her it wasn't about that. Up until not that long ago and well after her divorce she still had cards saying The Duchess of York a big deal was made about her crossing it out and putting in Sarah so she knows the difference. But now she is more then willing to let people call her the Duchess of York because it is what makes her money and attractive to the media. I've often wondered if that is the real reason she hasn't remarried she would lose her big selling point. Like Priscilla Presley who still calls herself that years after the divorce and another remarriage! So she is far from homeless but as you say it wouldn't be her ideal home not great shopping in that area and I doubt there is a lot of a social life. But she does have somewhere to go and she does have a way of getting money if she really needs it? Do they rent it out or is it just sitting there? It is also an assest and if she went bankrupt I'm not sure what would happen being her sister has half the estate.
 
Meadow said:
So she is far from homeless but as you say it wouldn't be her ideal home not great shopping in that area and I doubt there is a lot of a social life. But she does have somewhere to go and she does have a way of getting money if she really needs it? Do they rent it out or is it just sitting there? It is also an assest and if she went bankrupt I'm not sure what would happen being her sister has half the estate.
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One of Hector Barrantes' relatives currently lives there as a form of caretaker, which is a good idea; a country property shouldn't be left unattended. Evidently, it's in quite good condition and has been well kept up.

It's perfectly suitable for Sarah to be in residence; it has all the amenities and is even adjacent to the polo property owned by Kerry Packer. Sarah describes herself as a country girl, so this is more than eminently suitable.

It's quite a home to own, especially for someone who self-describes as being "homeless."
 
Grandma828 said:
I have to remind everone that Sarah,Duchess of York is her legal divorced name. When she was married she was HRH the Duchess of York. It is like most people, when they are married they are Mrs. John Jones, but divorced they become Jane Jones. The only way she will lose the Duchess of York is if she marries someone else. She did lose the HRH title.
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No.

When she was married to Andrew, she was HRH The Duchess of York, not HRH the Duchess of York.

Letters patent were issued to provide her with the name in keeping with the divorced wife of a peer, as the situation hadn't arisen before. It is most certainly not "like most people."

Additional letters patent could certainly be issued by the Queen which would take a step further into downgrading her from the style of a divorced wife of a peer; it would be drastic, but so were the original letters patent for her and Diana to lose the HRH.

So there is more than one way Sarah can lose "Duchess of York."

And since exploiting that style of address has been her last option to recover from the Cash for Access, I sincerely doubt that she would remarry and lose that. However, she is certainly doing her darndest to induce Her Majesty to reach for a fresh parchment to write some additional letters patent. After all, the last Duchess of York was the Queen's mother, who stood up to Hitler and stuffed steel down her husband's spine to forge a King. It must be tremendously galling for HM to see that name traded ten-a-penny in the cheapsheets.
 
Yes !

That's exactly what I was saying too!

Sarah needs to think and possibly even ask for advice from within the firm before ever speaking publicly again.

HM needs to be spared any further embarrassment!
 
Midwestern Mom said:
Very few people who are not raised in that manner are cut out to be 'royals'. I can't imagine the pressure of trying to maintain a marriage in full view of the media every time you set foot out the door. Having to be 'on point' every second you are in public, not being allowed to have any flaws. Then the first 4 or 5 years you are married only seeing your husband 40 odd days a year. It's a bit much for a well grounded/stable person let alone someone with major insecurities.

I think it's amazing she's not in a sanitarium.

MM
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I completely agree. I've always been amazed at Sarah's abiltiy to rise from the ashes, again and again. I only wish the best from her and would like to offer her some advice: Try God. Our creator is always available and loves to hear from us.
 
shari-aree said:
Yes !
That's exactly what I was saying too!
Sarah needs to think and possibly even ask for advice from within the firm before ever speaking publicly again.
HM needs to be spared any further embarrassment!
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Sarah has no business getting any advice at all from the Palace. She is out, they owe her nothing at all. They don't owe her a nice place, they don't owe her advice, and HM, at this point in her reign, really does not need this. She's been through enough and I honestly think that if she ends up self destructing, the secret feeling will be a sense of relief. She has no options or chances left and the small window of opportunity to turn her life around is closing. Each time she goes on television or writes some book or ends up being interviewed and lying or admitting to 'joking,' she ends up tkaing herself down the path to self destruction, not the small, but difficult path of rehabilitation.
 
agogo said:
I completely agree. I've always been amazed at Sarah's abiltiy to rise from the ashes, again and again. I only wish the best from her and would like to offer her some advice: Try God. Our creator is always available and loves to hear from us.
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When I was watching the program I kept thinking that...she doesn't need a 'shaman' in the desert...she needs God.

MM
 
Agreed. She seems to be so empty at times, and she won't be able to fill that space with expensive things or all the affirmation in the world.


UOTE=Midwestern Mom;1298245]When I was watching the program I kept thinking that...she doesn't need a 'shaman' in the desert...she needs God.

MM[/QUOTE]
 
I think she would do well if she managed to turn three hundred acres into a working farm. She could plant specialty crops and sell them to gourmet companies. If she managed to expand, she could end up running a successful commercial farm all her own. It would give her more than enough to do and more than enough money and privacy away from the press.

As for her rising from the ashes, it's going to be almost impossible to do this time around. She looks like she's running out of steam and becoming a relic of a more carefree era. She's too old to be this stupid.
 
AristoCat said:
I think she would do well if she managed to turn three hundred acres into a working farm. She could plant specialty crops and sell them to gourmet companies. If she managed to expand, she could end up running a successful commercial farm all her own. It would give her more than enough to do and more than enough money and privacy away from the press.
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Somehow I don't picture Sarah doing this at all although I could see her in interviews saying her place is "sister farm" to Highgrove. :whistling:

This endeavor would definitely put her to work in one place and totally out of the public eye which I think is the last thing that Sarah would want at this time.
 
The more she's in the spotlight though, the more she self destructs.
 
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