How Sarah Ferguson paid off her debts, according to royal author

In her four decades in the spotlight, Sarah Ferguson has regularly found herself at the centre of controversy. 

Last week, the Duchess of York faced what could be her most damaging scandal yet after a newly uncovered email from 2011 revealed that Sarah – or Fergie – called the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein a ‘supreme friend’.

Since the email, which also included a private apology for Fergie’s public rejection of Epstein, was made public seven charities have dropped the duchess as a patron.

Other charities are reportedly reviewing their positions following the publication of her grovelling messages to the notorious sex predator. 

This is just the most recent headline grabbing controversy involving the Duchess of York. One such impropriety which loomed Fergie for years was her excessive debt. 

Royal biographer Andrew Lownie, who spent four years researching the first joint-biography of the Duke and Duchess of York, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, explores Andrew and Fergie’s relationship, Andrew’s business dealings and Falklands record, their finances and involvement with Jeffrey Epstein.

During her marriage, Fergie is said to have spent wildly on staff, holidays, parties and flowers – with no regard for settling bills.

She reportedly had debts in excess of £3.7million by 1994 and became well-known for running up huge bills in stores such as Harrods without paying.

In the chapter ‘Paying the Debts’, Lownie discusses the time the Duchess of York became the first royal to endorse a product on television – and how this venture helped her settle what she owed.

In January 1997, she advertised Ocean Spray cranberry juice for a fee of £50,000 – which reportedly took more than 100 takes for the two 30-second shots. 

‘The following month, for £100,000, she accepted an invitation from an Austrian building magnate, Richard Lugner, to open a shopping precinct in Vienna,’ wrote Lownie.

She also did a book signing and, like Joan Collins, Sophia Loren and Raquel Welch before her, accompanied Lugner to the Vienna Opera Ball – a calendar highlight.

‘By February, it appeared she had paid off her debts – though she still had a £1.6million tax bill to clear – helped by the advance on memoirs, the Weight Watchers income, the advertisement, the six interviews with Paris Match and £300,000 for two children’s books,’ Lownie added.

‘In April, she began writing a column for the New York Times syndication section, which was sold to 75 US newspapers and syndicated worldwide, helped by Jeff Coplon, who had ghosted her memoir, for which each was paid £5,000 an article.

‘The same month, OK! Magazine paid her £200,000 for an interview in which she said she was “trying to leave the Duchess of York behind and develop Sarah’s potential”.

‘In May, she undertook a ten-day American lecture tour, garnering another £200,000. 

‘She met golfer Tiger Woods, taking a 1,500-mile flight to see him and inviting him to join her at McNally’s villa that summer.’

Piers Morgan noted in his diary a dinner with Sarah at the private London club Mosimann’s the following month, according to Lownie.

‘She got more hilariously indiscreet as the evening wore on,’ he said.

‘I asked her how her love life was going, and she squealed with laughter.’

She proclaimed to Morgan ‘I’m in love’.

‘Who’s the lucky guy?’ Morgan asked, after she had previously had an obsession with actor Kevin Costner. 

Lownie suggests in the book that the duchess ‘plagued’ Costner with ‘raunchy phone calls’ and was interested in George Clooney at one point. 

‘Well, he’s more of a boy really and he doesn’t know yet – it’s Tiger Woods! He’s so gorgeous. Do you think I stand a chance with him?’ Sarah asked of the then 22-year-old golfer.

Lownie wrote: ‘When Morgan suggested Woods might not have much time in his schedule for dating royals, Fergie roared again, “Well, I am going to follow him around the course for a bit and see how I get on”.

‘Morgan concluded, “Poor old Tiger isn’t going to know what’s hit him”.

Morgan’s insinuation that it would not end well for the duchess ended up being misguided advice, as she became good friends with Woods.

In 1997, after Woods won the Byron Nelson tournament in Texas, the pair were pictured embracing while Fergie sported a beaming smile.

As recently as 2019, she was seen congratulating Woods’ jaw-dropping comeback to win the Masters – which is his most recent major triumph within the sport.

On Instagram, she wrote: ‘Never have I been more proud. Good days and bad days, Tiger’s heart is loyal, steadfast, and he is an amazing friend.’