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

[Dierna23]

I'm torn when it comes to this whole thing. At first I was just shocked. And yes, my first thought was: Fergie, the time bomb, again. She must be desperate, indeed. But I think if she isn't grown up at 50, she won't grow up anymore. I used to like her, but during the last years my opinion quite changed. I'm still unsure whether it are gaffes or if she's not calculating. I don't know her, so I'll never know and that's just subjective.

On another point I thought about how tasteless this kind of journalism is. Speaking of ethics...

 

[maria-olivia]

No reaction from the Firm to-day ?
Yesterday even on belgian TV the famous video "open doors" was showed. I was surprised.

 

[Zonk]

I thought the Queen helped Sarah in the past when they were married and Sarah had a slight over draft is that not the case? If that is the, why help out in the 2nd and 3rd way. And it makes you wonder....if money ran thru Sarah's hands in the past. Perhaps this why her divorce settlement was low (also due to Andrews income). Like I said, the girls never suffered for anything and isn't that the point. Most divorce settlements are about the children. I would also hazard a guess that at teh time, Sarah was not in the position to play hardball (if you recall the scandals) like Diana was in her divorce.

In regards to the royals, I agree its good that Sarah didn't speak about them but I think its more that she doesnt know anything about them. Her royal contacts are Beatrice, Eugiene and Andrew. She might see the Queen on occasion but she doesnt' see Philip, and I think the last time she saw Charles and Zara was before Charles married Camilla. I think there was an event that Zara rushed over and kissed her because she hadn't seen her in a while.

 

[muriel]

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.

I am no fan of the tabloids, but I really do not think that this demonstrates that the tabloids are *&@#$%!!!!" IMO, the only person looking like *&@#$%!!!! out of this whole affair is Sarah. Despite her apparent desperation, her behaviour was completely unexcusable, and one that the tabloids cannot be held responsible for. If anything, in this case, I do think that the newspaper in question cannot be criticised at all.

 

[Idriel]

I am flabbergasted by those comment insinuating that Sarah's modest divorce settlement is the main reason for her financial troubles.

I fail to see how on hearth she deserved anything more than she got.
The marriage ended because of her very public infidelities and the reason why she was in mountainous debts upon divorcing Andrew was because she had lived beyond her means for years and her lifestyle was extravagant even by Royal standards.

Was the Royal family supposed to financially reward her disloyalty and pay off the debts of her frivolous lifestyle?
She couldn't claim loss earning either: she didn't gave up a high-flying career to marry Andrew. By her own admission her financial situation was precarious before her marriage and after the divorce she was free to earn money whichever way she saw fit (and she did).

Blaming her current troubles on the fact that she didn't get wealthy off her divorce is really low and petty and very 1950 in term of mentality.

Also, anyone who think that if she had received £10 millions in 1996 she would not be exactly in the same situation today is seriously deluding themselves.

 

[rominet09]

How right you are Idriel ! Brilliant analysis !

 

[Zonk]

I have to agree with Idriel on this one.

I think if Sarah had received a signficant divorce settlement she would have blown thru that as well. It appears that she has lived beyond her means for at least the last 20 years. You can only borrow from Peter to pay Paul for so long before both Peter and Paul AT THE SAME TIME ask for their money back.

 

[grevinnan]

Who knows - perhaps she took a page out of Andrew's playbook.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Sarah Ferguson: What has Duchesss of York been up to? | Mail Online

We’re told the Duke of York, 50, the UK Spe­cial Representa­tive for Trade and Investment, didn’t know his former wife Sarah Ferguson, also 50, was offering business types access to him for £500,000 - plus one per cent of any deals they made.
He didn’t know.

The dodgy Duchess tells a News Of The World undercover reporter, after accepting a $40,000 down-payment in cash: ‘Look after me and he’ll look after you... you’ll get it back tenfold. I can open any door you want

 

[rmay286]

I've noticed that a lot of papers seem to be attributing Sarah's financial problems to her small divorce settlement. I personally don't agree. I do think the settlement seems too small especially compared to Diana's, yet no matter how much money Sarah had, she would have spent it. She obviously spent all the money she earned from Weight Watchers.

I've seen articles saying that the royal family is going to completely freeze Sarah out, kick her out of Royal Lodge, etc. and I actually don't see that happening. The big consequences of this scandal are going to be in Sarah's future earning potential. She's already no longer a "big name" who can sign advertising and marketing contracts the way she could 10 years ago. I just don't think people are nearly as interested in Sarah as they once were, and anything she tries to sell, whether it's her books or endorsements for products, won't bring in much money anymore. What's more, Sarah will never again be able to do an interview where she talks about all the mistakes she made in the 80s and 90s and how she's worked to redeem herself, because guess what? She still makes the same mistakes. And the next time she tries to tell papers how Andrew is her best friend, everyone will remember that she tried to sell access to this "best friend" for cash. Sarah cannot live off her royal connections and recycled stories anymore. She's going to have to find another way of earning money, but I don't know what it will be.

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

Would we feel differently if Sarah were a politician's wife instead of the ex-wife of Prince Andrew? Or any other person trying to make money out of the promises of providing access to someone in position? I feel sorry for her daughters, her ex-husband and a little sorry for Sarah but this debacle is of her own making. It matters not that her divorce settlement was not as lucrative as others might have expected. Sarah had money and blew through money. Time for her to atone for her actions and try to make a decent living like the rest of us.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Well for a start we wouldn't be discussing it if it was a politicians wife or any normal person. It may make the headlines, but it wouldn't make this forum.

 

[Vasillisos Markos]

Right o, which is my point--does her status as a minor royal entitle her to more understanding? Or does she deserve to be raked over the coals. Here is an interesting essay by Tina Brown about the mess:

Fergie Bribery Scandal: Tina Brown on Sarah Ferguson - The Daily Beast

"Excoriating the luckless Duchess of York, who’s now caught up in a kamikaze bribery scandal, has been a British national sport for years. But I’ve always found her a sympathetic figure."
.

 

[Hereditary Thane]

How you can "dislike" and call "stupid" a woman you have never met is an indication of how the media controls (or tries to manipulate) our reactions. What was the reason for this sting. The lady was clearly under the influence of alcohol. I am begining to suspect the duchess is more a victim than we would care to admit. There seems lots of people on this website that are always eager to offer a drowning dog a drink of water.

How many abandoned wives with children and a set of dysfuctional in laws who haven't done an honest days work in their lives would have the guts to do what the Duchess of York has? If she was really devious you'd never hear about it. It is a sad chapter in her life, I know she will learn from this error of judgement.

 

[muriel]

I am flabbergasted by those comment insinuating that Sarah's modest divorce settlement is the main reason for her financial troubles...

Fully agree with Idriel.

 

[muriel]

How many abandoned wives with children and a set of dysfuctional in laws who haven't done an honest days work in their lives would have the guts to do what the Duchess of York has? If she was really devious you'd never hear about it. It is a sad chapter in her life, I know she will learn from this error of judgement.

Perhaps she is devious and inept?

 

[Russophile]

Would we feel differently if Sarah were a politician's wife instead of the ex-wife of Prince Andrew?

Yes, because politicians don't seem to stand for anything anymore. HM and Prince Andrew stand for what is Good in England.

 

[Russophile]

Perhaps she is devious and inept?

What about brazen and wretched?
Cheap and contemptible?

 

[Zonk]

Okay...lets not start throwing out the nasty names.

Remember TRF rules.

Zonk
British Forums Moderator

 

[CrownPrincess5]

It's just a pity she had to go so low! She should feel ashamed of herself. She was caught red-handed. She can't lie or anything cause it's all on tape. My thing is, if she's gonna be doing stuff under-the-table like that , then she could at least check for camera's. Did she think she wouldn't be caught? I feel sorry for her, but like I said in my post above:

Desperate times call for Desperate Measures.

When one is used to living a certain way it's really hard for them to live any other way. I know people who were once millionaires and they have nothing now, but still they are working their butts off, they're not out there trying to get "easy" money. I feel sorry for Sarah, but at the same time, she made her bed, now she must lay in it.

 

[royals-royce]

I...My thing is, if she's gonna be doing stuff under-the-table like that , then she could at least check for camera's.

Exactly! I would have sent a totally unknown individual that is not in public in my place last minute (the negotiator) Send a second person to retrieve the cash And change the location last minute also. And do the important talking through paper never verbally. The point being leave as little paper trail and physical evidence as possible.

That's what Sarah should have done. IMO

 

[CrownPrincess5]

Royals-royce, that's exactly what she should have done.

Another thing, she should not have produced The Young Victoria, especially with her situation. Her money was wasted on that. Someone else could have produced it.

 

[Lady Karen]

Okay if she was really sorry, why did she do it in the first place?

Good point. I have always admired and supported Sarah for pulling herself up when she was down. But this time, I find that while I can forgive her, I no longer trust her or believe in her.

She has apologized, but as with most everyone that gets caught, she is sorry that she was caught, not for what she has done. She did this knowing that IF she were to get caught, it would harm the RF and more importantly, Andrew and their daughters.

When watching the video again, something became clear to me – she knew how to do this...how much to ask for, a down payment in cash, the remainder of the money specifically sent via wire transfer, knowing what to say to the "businessman" to make him believe these introductions could happen, making it clear that this deal was for her and not Andrew, sending her aides to have a confidentiality statement signed (indicating that she knew this was wrong). IMHO, these are very strong indicators that she has done this before.

Desperate or not, whether you support her or not, everyone needs to realize one very important fact: if she had not been caught on film, she would have gone through with this, regardless of the safety and emotional results to Andrew and their daughters.

Before and after their divorce, Andrew has given her love, shelter, friendship, emotional support, and possibly even financial support. He has never publicly criticized her; he has stood up to HM and Prince Phillip in her defense, and he has suffered both public and private humiliation. But apparently this was not enough for Sarah. Rather than talk to her "best friend" (who happens to live in the same house), she chose to hurt him, their daughters and his family for profit...period.

Even more disturbing is that she did this because she knew she could. Think about this people….think of your spouse, best friend, sister, brother, whomever….imagine them risking your own safety and reputation simply because he/she could AND receive a payment for doing it. That is not greed or desperation folks - that is arrogance. I will never believe she was that desperate for money….she did this because she could. For those that have been following Sarah from the time of her engagement to PA, you will remember that she has said several times that her father told her that she could do whatever she wanted to do as long as she did not get caught. Hmmmm....I wonder what his advice was if she did get caught!!!

Like I said earlier, I have always supported her, but this time, she knew what she was doing, why she was doing it, and who she was doing it to. And if you think she was worried about the outcome, just remember that she took the money. Everyone needs to remember that….she took the money.

My hope is that Andrew will insist that they both move on. If nothing else, he needs to distance himself from her for the sake of Britain's business/trade reputation abroad. If possible, new restrictions need to be created for Beatrice's and Eugenie's trust funds to keep Sarah out of their money. Perhaps a home could be bought for her and placed in something similar to a living trust...meaning that she cannot under any circumstance sell the house - because this has proven that she would sell anything given to her.

I do not believe that Sarah can change in the public eye. I know that as a mother of two princesses she will never be completely out of the public eye. But this is a totally different situation. Buckingham Palace can step in to protect two royal princesses whose access could be sold by their mother at any time. I do not know if Sarah would do this, but after this sting, it is a definite possibility.

Additionally, Sarah needs to transfer leadership of her charities to those who have the funds to do all the traveling required and who have good reputations.

I wish Sarah all the happiness she can find, but as far as I am concerned she is down for the count. I think the public will forgive her, but they have had enough. She needs to quietly retire.

Just my teeny tiny two cents worth!!

 

[sesa]

I've always liked Sarah. I like her pesonality and her spunk and her drive that she used to have. But lately it seems as if she has gone back to her old ways of thinking that there is always an easy way out of things.

I feel sorry for her in the aspect that she was set up. That is never a good feeling.
But on the flip side of the coin, she was stupid and lacked sense. Right now she is in desperate mode. She wants quick easy cash and her troubles to be gone. She does not want to cut back on things or change her way of living. So once again, she is looking for an easy way out.
I just can't believe that she was so stupid as to think that someone walking around with a suitcase filled with cash is a normal thing. And to sell out her ex husband is as low as it gets. With this one action, she has confirmed what everyone has said about her all these years about her living off the coat tails of the RF.
I feel sorry for Andrew that he is still attached to her in so many ways. and then for her to do this to him is betrayel of the worst kind. As for the girls, I would just be really embarrased by her actions. They will forever be living in her shadow of decet.
My opinion of her has radically changed because of this. There is always a way to fix ones problems, but to sell out your family and drag them down in the mud with you, when all they've done is support you, to me, is un fixable.

 

[susan alicia]

Tina Brown writes in this article: ..........How likely is it, really, that she could introduce some oddball businessman to him and he not suspect her of collecting a rake-off? Alternatively, perhaps, he suspected but didn’t care as long as it was never sourced to him..........

She makes sense to me. What will they do next is interesting. While her daughters were growing up there was the threat that her children might be taken away from her. That threat no longers excists and she is imo a loose canon with too many staff and not enough sense of decency.

Right o, which is my point--does her status as a minor royal entitle her to more understanding? Or does she deserve to be raked over the coals. Here is an interesting essay by Tina Brown about the mess:

Fergie Bribery Scandal: Tina Brown on Sarah Ferguson - The Daily Beast

"Excoriating the luckless Duchess of York, who’s now caught up in a kamikaze bribery scandal, has been a British national sport for years. But I’ve always found her a sympathetic figure."
.

 

[Iluvbertie]

I am flabbergasted by those comment insinuating that Sarah's modest divorce settlement is the main reason for her financial troubles.

I fail to see how on hearth she deserved anything more than she got.
The marriage ended because of her very public infidelities and the reason why she was in mountainous debts upon divorcing Andrew was because she had lived beyond her means for years and her lifestyle was extravagant even by Royal standards.

Was the Royal family supposed to financially reward her disloyalty and pay off the debts of her frivolous lifestyle?

She had never deliberately intended on hurting the royal family with her actions. Theyy were behind closed doors (so to speak) in supposedly private situations made public for a salacious public by an unspeakable press.

Diana deliberately tried to destroy the heir to the throne, lied to the public in and about a book and in an interview and she was rewarded for her disloyalty and infidelity with 17 million pounds.

Sarah's was rewarded with 15000 pounds a year and about 1 million pounds.

Seems that one was rewarded far more for her disloyalty and infidelity than then other.

 

[Iluvbertie]

People who say that she needs to do things that remove her from the public eye and her royal family connections - how is she to live?

She has no real work skills, no real work experience, is 50 years old and needs an income.

If BP won't help, and I don't think they will, her daughters are really all she has left to help her out. All they have are their trust funds, assuming that they actually have access to that money yet - which is unusual I would have thought for ones so young but they won't want their mother living on state benefits and really that is the only other alternative - a council flat and a unemployment benefit.

 

[Saragli]

The royal family did not reward Diana with 17 mil, Diana cunningly, somewhat maliciously set out to do as much damage and get as much as she could from the Royal Family. Fergie did not go to the level of Diana to get that much.

Plus, Fergie got a very good divorce settlement. I don't really see the argument that she did not. She got money, money for the kids, a place to live and my guess is that she does not pay for or do the groceries at Royal Lodge. Every thing else is just extra that Sarah did not need, but she got it, and then she lost it. Stiff Bickies, lifes tough. Its not Andrews or the BRFs fault she has no education and that she herself as ruined any chance of having a real job.

 

[Zonk]

We need to really focus on the wealth of their husbands at the time of the divorce.

Charles because of the Duchy of Cornwall, is wealthy. And Andrew (except for the Queen Mother's trust) is not.

 

[rmay286]

People who say that she needs to do things that remove her from the public eye and her royal family connections - how is she to live?

She has no real work skills, no real work experience, is 50 years old and needs an income.

If BP won't help, and I don't think they will, her daughters are really all she has left to help her out. All they have are their trust funds, assuming that they actually have access to that money yet - which is unusual I would have thought for ones so young but they won't want their mother living on state benefits and really that is the only other alternative - a council flat and a unemployment benefit.

Sarah doesn't have many options. Living on benefits is of course the worst alternative. If she got a job, whatever job, the papers would say she got it just because of who she is and would accuse her of never doing any work. And they might turn out to be right, because I somehow don't think Sarah has the discipline or life experience to work a steady job. It's sad because I'm not sure what she can do. Getting some sort of stipend from the Queen does seem to be the best idea.