Author Claims Prince Philip Had Fergie’s Phone ‘Illegally Wiretapped’ And Used 'Hidden Cameras'
With the cloud of controversy surrounding the royal family, every now and then a shocking claim emerges that pulls an old chapter back into the spotlight. This time, it is the late Duke of Edinburgh at the center of new allegations. Royal author Andrew Lownie has now claimed that Prince Philip authorized secret surveillance on Sarah Ferguson during the collapse of her marriage to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the 1990s. The claims appear in Lownie’s Substack, The Lownie Report, and detail just how far the late Prince went to keep track of Ferguson’s whereabouts and understand her activities during that unsettled period.
According to Lownie, sources close to the royal household told him that Philip “ordered illegal wiretapping” and arranged for a private investigator to watch Ferguson for nearly a year. The insider also claimed that the monitoring also included “audio bugs and hidden cameras” as well as the alleged bugging of her telephone. The timeline covers the period leading up to her 1996 divorce, when tensions between Ferguson and the wider royal family were already running high. Royal watchers have long noted that the late Prince’s relationship with his former daughter-in-law soured after the famous 1992 photographs showing her with advisor John Bryna during a holiday in France.
Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth wrote in the Daily Mail that Prince Philip felt “enough was enough.” He added, “He did not want - or need - to have anything more to do with her. For the remainder of Sarah’s stay at Balmoral, his actions spoke louder than words.” These remarks are shocking, given the fact that, allegedly, at one point, Ferguson was considered Philip’s most favored daughter-in-law. As per W Magazine, the 66-year-old often appeared far more at ease within the royal fold than many expected. While many struggled to understand Princess Diana’s independent streak, Ferguson settled pretty quickly.
Part of that comfort came from familiarity since she knew the late Duke of Edinburgh even before she married Mountbatten-Windsor in 1986. Her father, Major Ronald Ferguson, worked as the polo manager for Philip and later held the same position for the then-Prince Charles. While their relationship reportedly soured over time due to Ferguson’s many scandals, she has often spoken kindly of her former father-in-law. Speaking on Alan Carr’s Life’s a Beach podcast in 2023, the former Duchess of York described how Philip shaped her early years inside the royal family and how his presence can leave even a confident newcomer uneasy.
Sarah Ferguson waves as she leaves after attending the Easter Mattins Service. (Image Source: Getty Images | Hollie Adams - WPA Pool)During the conversation, Ferguson recalled a piece of advice the late Duke of Edinburgh often repeated to her when she was still learning the realities of public life, adding, “It's quite interesting. The Duke of Edinburgh used to say, "Remember, Sarah, you've got to be electable but never elected." She smiled as she recounted it, then added, "Resonates, right?" The host remarked that the Queen’s husband had always struck him as a man of considerable authority and insight. Ferguson agreed and quipped, "Very wise. You had to be on your best."
The former Duchess offered these stories as warm recollections. But they surfaced at a time when she is under significant scrutiny due to her past links with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, with new headlines keeping her name abuzz in the media once again.