Sarah Ferguson Spotted Incognito Abroad & One Shady Question Is On Everyone's Lips

In February, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's birthday arrest created a kind of royal drama that hasn't been seen for hundreds of years. By then, Andrew had already left his longtime home, Royal Lodge, where he lived with Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, his ex-wife. While Sarah was clear that she wouldn't be living with Andrew, her plans were ambiguous. Rather than settling on a more permanent location, Fergie went on a lavish getaway, purportedly visiting Switzerland, Qatar, and the United States. As she tried to avoid media attention, interest in her whereabouts deepened. After evading paparazzi for months, Sarah's luck ran out when she was recently spotted in Austria. However, it seemingly wasn't for lack of trying. "Her choice of outfit when she popped out was obviously carefully chosen to help her avoid being recognized," one insider remarked to The Sun. From afar, her low-key leisurewear, hat, and glasses might prevent all but the most eagle-eyed observers from noticing her.

Sarah Ferguson seen for first time since Epstein scandal pic.twitter.com/2wBySzq1wE

— The Sun (@TheSun) April 16, 2026

What's not low-key are the costs of the former duchess' accommodations. At £2,000 ($2,712) per night, many people are perplexed. "Thought she was totally broke," commented one poster on X. "That doesn't sound broke to me," retorted another. "One night is some people's month budget." Several others thought Fergie might be getting help footing her ballooning bill. "Who's paying this time?" snarked one. 

Although it's not clear when Andrew's ex arrived at her current place, it may have been for longer than expected. In late March, Priscilla Presley's spokesperson refuted rumors that Fergie was bunking with her in the U.S.     

Budgets are often in the eye of the beholder. In Sarah Ferguson's case, "She complains a lot about being broke — although I don't know if that is broke in the sense that you or I would understand it," one of her friends explained to the Daily Mail. While people may scoff at her current pricey rental, financial difficulties have dogged her for decades. When she left the royal family, her divorce settlement was 46 times smaller than Princess Diana's settlement when she divorced Charles, putting her at risk for potential future shortfalls as soon as she left the royal family. 

Although Fergie was eager to earn her own money, her business successes were impacted by unexpected costs, like legal fees surrounding her book ventures. In 2009, Sarah reported that she was £6,000 underwater. Even so, she was determined to figure out a way to increase her cash flow. "Bankruptcy would be the easy option. I couldn't do that. You only go bankrupt when you have lost all hope," she informed Hello! Magazine at the time (via ABC News).

However, a year later, Fegie's panic about her debts appeared to cause her to make hasty decisions, including reportedly asking Jeffrey Epstein for money. By February, she had made the decision to close multiple businesses. While the companies weren't providing her with notable earning power at the moment, her connections to Epstein seem to be increasing her financial turmoil, causing one of her books to get canceled, as well as damaging her future earning prospects.