The Tragic Story Of Sarah Ferguson

She may have married a prince, but Sarah Ferguson's story is far from a fairy tale. She first sprung onto the scene in the '80s as the young, red-headed friend of Princess Diana and girlfriend of Prince Andrew — naturally, the tabloids were interested. Soon, she acquired the nickname "Bad Fergie" and the reputation of being a little too wild and unpredictable for the royal family. Nevertheless, she married Andrew and took on a new name: Duchess of York. Soon enough, however, she once again fell out of favor with the British press when she separated from Andrew and, shortly after, was pictured allegedly having an affair with her financial advisor (via Mirror).

For years, she was seemingly shunned from the royal family's good books. However, in recent years, Fergie has come back into prominence. First, she made headlines for controversially standing beside her ex-husband when he faced accusations of sexual abuse and assault. And now, she seems to be forging another new persona as an author of historical fiction — her first novel, "My Heart is a Compass," was released in 2021. 

Fergie has certainly been on quite the journey. Here is an in-depth look at her ups and downs over the years.

Sarah Ferguson may have married into the royal family, but hers isn't exactly a "Cinderella" story. From the beginning, she was part of Britain's upper class. Her father was Major Ronald Ivor Ferguson, who managed the Prince of Wales' polo team (via Biography).

As a child, she attended two elite private schools — Daneshill School in Hampshire, followed by Hurst Lodge School (via The Famous People). According to Express, she lived in a rural estate named Drummer Down Farm as a child. Apparently, the large home sits in the middle of "Jane Austen country" and has a staggering 800 acres. Before this, Fergie lived at Lowood House, which she once called "a big white Edwardian house." In other words, Fergie had a pretty luxurious upbringing — even if it wasn't exactly up to royal standards. Nevertheless, her father always tried to remind her of her privilege. "I remember my father's saying: remember that the kitchen's more important than the dining room table," she recalled to Financial Times. 

While her childhood certainly wasn't perfect, it was very comfortable and quiet, making what happened next more tragic.

Despite her privileged upbringing, Sarah Ferguson's early life wasn't always easy. When she was 13, her parents separated, and her mother swiftly eloped with a polo player from Argentina, leaving Fergie behind in England. Suddenly, her family seemed to split apart. "I became head of the house at 13, with my sister going to live in Australia," she told Financial Times. "Dad was morose and lived on the horse and the polo ground, so it was just me." 

In an interview for the 2011 documentary "Finding Sarah," Fergie revealed that her mother abused her. "When she used to hit me because I didn't sit on my potty or wouldn't eat, a little vein would come up on the centre of my head near my red hair," she said, explaining that her mother thought it was a "sign of the devil." Then, when her mother set off for a life in Argentina, she was left feeling "pointless," "emotionally bankrupt," "unlovable," and "worthless." And her strict father was no help. According to Fergie, this childhood trauma led to a lifetime of self-doubt and low self-esteem (via the Daily Mail).

After a difficult childhood, Sarah Ferguson began to forge her own path. She landed a job in publishing and, for a few years, lived a pretty normal life. Then, she suddenly found herself thrust into the public eye at the age of 26 when the tabloids discovered that she was Prince Andrew's latest girlfriend. 

Because of her looks and personality, she was quickly branded as a wild party girl. "When you have a sense of humor and you're a redhead, everyone takes you for a big hurricane," she told People. "But sometimes, you don't always want to be the storm."

Life as a tabloid leading lady wasn't easy. Over the years, she was ridiculed as the "Duchess of Pork" and was often made the villain of the royal family. For someone who already had self-image issues from childhood, it wasn't easy. "I had major mental health problems because of the trauma," she said to People.

Sarah Ferguson officially joined the ranks of the royal family in 1986 when she tied the knot with Prince Andrew. The wedding itself was a suitably extravagant affair. Held in Westminster Abbey, the royal wedding was televised to an estimated 500 million around the world. After the famous kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, she and Andrew set off for a romantic honeymoon in the Azores Islands (via Town & Country).

However, this idyllic happily ever after didn't last long. Soon after the ceremony, Fergie began to realize that the reality of being a princess in the royal family wasn't exactly a fairytale. With the pressures of the vicious press on one side and the demanding family on the other, she claimed to have felt quite suffocated and trapped. She even felt herself becoming, as she wrote, "a stiffly disciplined woman, drowning in duty."

During her marriage to Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson became incredibly close to Princess Diana. Both were roughly the same age and had married into the royal family. In many ways, the pair were best friends. "She and I were the only two who really understood what it was like back in the '80s — the pressure was ferocious and yet together, the two of us were powerful," she told Metro. "Not powerful in the sense of strength or importance, but in the love we had for each other, and the way we helped each other cope. Nobody else is left who understands those days."

However, the press often pitted the pair against each other and spread rumors of a rivalry between the two royals. "Everybody wanted (to see a feud) because we were so strong together," Fergie told People. "People want to break something so strong." Eventually, it seems that the tabloid rumors did drive a wedge between the friends and result in some real conflict between the pair. In fact, when Diana died in 1997, they weren't even on speaking terms — "though I never knew the reason," said Fergie to Harper's Bazaar.

Sarah Ferguson had her first daughter, Beatrice, in 1988 and her second, Eugenie, in 1990. Becoming a mother was one of the happier parts of Fergie's life. "One of the best jobs... is that I'm a really good mum," she told People. She went on to explain that as a mother, she was able to help her daughters learn from her own mistakes and grow into strong, stable women. As she explained on the podcast "The Matt Haycox Show," she became a great-grandmother, too. "I teach my grandchildren the same way as I've taught my two beautiful girls who are the best ambassadors for good mothering because I'm a darn good mum" (via the Daily Mail).

Over the years, it has been sad to see that Beatrice and Eugenie have offered support for their mother when no one else would. As body language expert Judi James told the Express, they have become inseparable."The 'trio' effect of Fergie and her daughters will often look more like three friends sharing life and even partying together," she said.

Sarah Ferguson's marriage to Prince Andrew was short-lived, lasting only six years. Things became rocky early on. As she explained to Harper's Bazaar, shortly after their wedding, Andrew was sent away by the navy. "When Beatrice was born, Andrew got 10 days of shore leave, and when he left and I cried, they all said: 'Grow up and get a grip,'" she said. The pair drifted apart, and within a few years, rumors of extramarital affairs began to swirl around them. Things came to a head when Fergie was pictured on holiday with her financial advisor, John Bryan. One photo of Bryan apparently sucking on Fergie's toe led to a major scandal (via The Washington Post). Rumors also spread that Fergie was having an affair with an American called Steve Wyatt in the early '90s (via Mirror).

As Fergie later told Rosie Magazine, she was spiraling out of control at the time. "I had out-of-control debts, an out-of-control lifestyle that I couldn't keep up anymore. I'd now ruined my marriage," she said, adding, "Probably, and I had a breakdown too" (via ABC News).

The pair officially split in 1992 and divorced in 1996 (via Hello!).

Even though the marriage between Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew failed, she and her ex-husband remained close in the following years. The pair worked together to co-parent their children. "We are co-parents who support each other and believe that family is everything," she told The Telegraph. and in 2011, Fergie revealed to "Good Morning America" that they were actually still living together despite being separated. "We're a wonderful unit. We still live together," she said.

In recent years, some publications and royal experts have suggested that Fergie and Andrew might actually marry again. However, as Fergie told The Telegraph in 2021, their unique set-up was working just fine. "All I can say is that we're happy with the way we are right now," she said. "We always say we are the most contented divorced couple in the world. We're divorced to each other, not from each other." Maybe this is one couple who got closer after their divorce than after their marriage. And while Fergie seems pretty happy with their situation, in some ways, it's sad to see how she never got the chance to move on from her ex.

Sarah Ferguson found herself embroiled in yet another scandal in 2010 when she was accused of asking a reporter for money in exchange for access to her ex-husband. As The Guardian reported, Fergie was taped speaking with Mazher Mahmood, a reporter from News of the World, who was disguised as a businessman. She allegedly asked for £500,000, promising him, "That opens up everything you would ever wish for. I can open any door you want, and I will for you. Look after me and he'll look after you... you'll get it back tenfold." After the tape was released, Fergie apologized publicly, saying it had been a "serious lapse in judgement." 

The incident continued to haunt Fergie for years. As Town & Country explained, despite her attempts at an apology, she became a widely hated public figure. Apparently, her media attorney remarked to her, "I think you probably are the woman in the world who has had more bad front pages than any other." Said Fergie, "I took it as a huge compliment. I'm really proud that I'm still here."

After Sarah Ferguson's bribery scandal and the toe-sucking scandal, she quickly fell out of favor with members of the royal family. Soon, she found herself shunned by her former family. 

As one source told the Express, Prince Philip found her behavior so distasteful, he actually refused to let her stay at Sandringham House, even when she came to visit her family at Christmas. "When she comes up for Christmas, she's not allowed to stay in the house," said the source. "To be frank, the Duke of Edinburgh doesn't like her." In 2011, she also wasn't invited to her nephew, William's, wedding to Kate Middleton. Instead of letting herself become too upset about the situation, she tried to focus on herself. "I didn't think I was probably worthy to go to their wedding," she told Town & Country. "I took myself to Thailand, actually, to be far away from it so that I could try and heal."

Over the years, her relationship with the family seems to have improved. By 2018, she was once again receiving royal invitations — she even made an appearance and Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.

Sarah Ferguson shocked many people when she decided to stand by her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, after he was accused of sexual assault. "Whatever challenges he has, I will stand firm to the co-parenters that we are together," she told People. "I believe that he's a kind, good man, and he's been a fabulous father to the girls." In another interview with Times Radio, she again praised him, calling him  "a very good and kind man." 

It seems that Fergie's support of Andrew is unshakeable. While some people may have said nothing, she went out of her way to speak up. As royal commentator Penny Junor noted to The Guardian, "She has not just stood silently by his side. She actually speaks out in favour of him." 

While this may not be sad for Fergie, for many fans of the duchess, it's been hard to see her seem to stand beside a man who faces such heinous accusations.

One of the biggest tragedies of Sarah Ferguson's life was her constant battle with the judgmental and cruel British press. In fact, it wasn't until she was in her 60s that she finally came to terms with the trauma the tabloids had caused. As she explained to People, "It's taken a great deal of work [to get over it] because I believed every word that the front pages told me. It was self-shame. I'm stratospherically sensitive."

Finally, Fergie feels "free" — even though she admits she'll never fully get over the damage to her self-esteem. "She's still with me, that person who thinks she's fat, ugly, and disgusting, and she still has to have her hair done to talk to you, but she's now not so vocal," she explained to Town & Country. "The truth is, I am 61 years old and I'm free of the self-­sabotaging Sarah." 

Sarah Ferguson finally got to pursue one of her passions — writing. She was in her 60s when she released her first novel, "Her Heart for a Compass." The book was a light-hearted romance.

Becoming an author wasn't easy for Fergie, who had a history of struggling with public attention. "It has been really hard putting myself above the parapet," she told Town & Country. "I'm not worried about the book. I just find it quite alarming being so public." Unfortunately, the book was largely met with scathing reviews. The Times gave it two stars and dubbed it a "slog," while The Telegraph described it as an "interminable door stopper." Yikes.

But for Fergie, despite the reaction, becoming a novelist felt like a much-needed fresh start. After years of difficulties, it gave her the chance to start again. "I personally believe today is a first, a first in the new normal," she said. "This is a first — that I can start a new career at the age of 61." While Fergie's life may have been filled with tragedy, it seems that she may have finally found the happiness and stability she was always looking for.

During her time as the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson caught a lot of flak from the press. Everything that she did was considered wrong — from the way that she enthusiastically greeted crowds at walkabouts to the oversized "LA" hat that she wore on a 1988 tour of California. Unfortunately, Sarah's body came under fire, as the tabloid press applied the same importance to her fluctuating weight that a finance journalist might apply to the changing stock market. One male editor of a tabloid magazine even labeled Sarah the Duchess of Pork — a cruel nickname that other publications would adopt rather mean-spiritedly.

Years later, Sarah would reveal that, unbeknownst to these irresponsible journalists, she had struggled with binge eating since she was a pre-teen. As she told the Daily Telegraph in a 2024 interview, "My addiction was my addiction to food. So I ate to compensate for my feeling. It started at 11, my whole world was food, and my life was in the corner on the bottom right-hand side." Reading about her weight in the papers did not help Fergie. On the contrary, press criticism of Sarah's body only made her feel awful. In a 2023 conversation with Glamour's Samantha Barry, the then-Duchess of York reflected on her first encounter with the man who created the Duchess of Pork title. Apparently, she thought, "You were the cause of my eating disorders, my mental stress, my demise."

The British royal family has a long history of cancer, and in 2023, Sarah Ferguson was diagnosed with breast cancer and a type of skin cancer called melanoma. Describing the experience in a piece for the Sun a year later, the then-Duchess of York admitted that she hadn't been the most on top of her medical appointments prior to receiving the diagnoses. "I had almost missed the [mammogram] appointment as I couldn't face a journey into central London on a hot ­summer's day and thought I would put it off," she confessed. Luckily, Sarah's older sister, Jane Ferguson Luedecke, encouraged her not to skip this exam — likely saving her little sister's life. As the former duchess wrote, "I'm living proof of the importance of never skipping screening appointments and always getting symptoms checked out promptly."

Sarah's plan of treatment included a single mastectomy in addition to the removal of portions of her skin. Although her prognosis was good following the operations, Sarah was informed that the cancer could come back at any time. "I've been told by my physicians that I shouldn't use the phrase 'cancer free', but treatment has been successful and tests show there has been no spread or recurrence," she explained in the same piece for the Sun. The then-duchess went on to write that her goal was to help other people with cancer. She even joined a charity called Prevent Breast Cancer to push this goal forward.

While she held the title of the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson had the unique opportunity to use her fame to do good. But, rather than serving others, Sarah decided to associate with one of the most notorious criminals of his generation — the sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. Sarah Ferguson's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein is understood to have been incredibly friendly. The pair traveled together to the Bahamas, attended the same dinner parties, and stayed at each other's residences. Epstein's leaked emails (via The Telegraph) claimed that Sarah even visited him after he was released from prison in 2009. He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence after pleading guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor. In his correspondence, Epstein wrote that Sarah "was the first to celebrate my release with her two daughters in tow."

In developing a close relationship with a criminal, Sarah not only gave up the chance to help society but also embarrassed her country. As someone who had the duty to represent the U.K., Sarah should have followed certain codes of royal behavior. Instead, she tarnished the reputation of the British monarchy. When the extent of Sarah's involvement with Epstein was revealed in 2025, she was stripped of her Duchess of York title and evicted from her royal residence at the Royal Lodge. She became the tragic example of a person who failed to use her power for the greater good.

In 2025, Sarah Ferguson's connection to Jeffrey Epstein became increasingly clear. That September, emails leaked to both the Sun and the Mail on Sunday revealed that, back in 2011, Sarah had sent an extremely complimentary message to the sex trafficker. "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family," the then-Duchess of York wrote. "I am apologizing to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you."

These emails had been sent from Sarah to Epstein just weeks after it was revealed that the then-duchess had accepted a £15,000 ($20,000) loan from the convicted pedophile. At the time, Sarah told the Evening Standard that her involvement with Epstein had been an "error of judgment." She declared, "I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again."

These words, however, rang empty 14 years later when the duchess' leaked emails proved that her friendship with Epstein continued beyond her public condemnation of him. In the hours after Sarah's private correspondence hit the press, several charities severed ties with her. A children's hospice known as Julia's House noted in a statement that it would be "inappropriate" for Sarah to work with them, per the BBC. This fallout just goes to show how much potential for good Sarah ultimately wasted.

After losing her titles and royal residence in 2025, Sarah Ferguson wrapped up her royal career in total disgrace. Once a member of the British royal family, Fergie left the monarchy as a persona non grata. Following her royal downfall, Sarah is said to have addressed Christmas cards to high-ranking royals, like King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Apparently, the notes were so poorly received that everyone was glad Sarah hadn't been included in the royal family's 2025 Christmas plans.

Speaking about this dynamic to OK!, one palace insider dished, "Sarah has been including apologies in the cards, expressing regret for past events involving the House of York. The tone is overly effusive and almost pleading, as though she's trying to smooth over the family's continued tensions." Given the evidence against her, Sarah's groveling did little to soften Charles and Camilla to her so-called plight. A second royal aide told OK! that the former Duchess of York's Christmas cards were just "motivated by a desire to maintain ties within the family despite them treating her and [ex-Prince] Andrew like lepers."

Interestingly, it does not seem that Fergie's ex-husband — the disgraced former Prince Andrew, Duke of York — has written any groveling snail mail of his own. "It seems he has withdrawn completely from public-facing correspondence, leaving Sarah to maintain a family-friendly front," a source told OK! for the same report. The presumed end of Sarah's royal journey reflected scandal — not triumph.