King Charles Should Keep Sarah Ferguson Close to Prevent Another 'Spare'-Like Scandal: Expert
Fears of another royal memoir have reportedly pushed King Charles to reconsider Sarah Ferguson’s place in the royal circles.
Sometimes, keeping old allies close is the safest path to save the image of the monarchy. After being heckled by a fan recently, King Charles is facing a very different kind of challenge within his own family. The latest concern surrounds the monarch’s handling of Sarah Ferguson and whether he may be better off keeping her close rather than cutting ties with her. The former Duchess of York, who continues to reside at Royal Lodge with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, has again found herself at the center of royal discussions. Reports now suggest she may be planning another memoir, something that Charles dreads, with the echoes of Prince Harry’s Spare still lingering through Buckingham Palace.
On the residence front, Andrew has reportedly been asked to vacate his 30-room Windsor residence of more than two decades. This move, said to be a part of the monarch’s plan to tighten royal spending, has led Andrew to set two conditions before consenting to move out. The former couple hopes to remain on the Windsor estate, with the prince seeking Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Harry and Meghan Markle, and Ferguson reportedly has her eyes set on Adelaide Cottage, the current residence of Prince William and Princess Kate. The two are expected to move to Forest Lodge in early November, leaving the four-bedroom residence open for Ferguson.
While some experts have called them out for living in their own ‘weird fantasy world,’ others look at the proposed ‘double property exchange’ as reasonable. One source told The Sun that “Frogmore Cottage and Adelaide Cottage were on the table in May." The debate has drawn mixed opinions and reactions from royal commentators. After noting that Ferguson is ‘completely on edge’ and ‘embarrassed,’ royal correspondent Rebecca English suggested, while writing for the Daily Mail, why it’s ‘prudent’ for Charles to keep his former sister-in-law close within royal circles. She suggested that by allowing her continued access to a royal residence, it could help maintain stability and discretion within the Firm.
English’s comments follow reports of Ferguson’s failed family ‘summit,’ which Princess Eugenie notably did not attend. On top of that, the former Duchess, who previously penned the memoirs My Story in 1996 and Finding Sarah in 2011, has reportedly held ‘exploratory talks’ with several publishers who have shown interest in a potential memoir after almost 15 years. While her husband has reportedly assured his brother that he will not ‘pull a Harry’ on him with a tell-all memoir, Ferguson has made no such promise. Reports also suggested that she was ‘wailing and crying’ with the loss of her ‘Duchess’ title, a detail that may shape the King’s decision to act with care.
A palace source told English, “The King is a kind man but his patience has been pushed to the limit,” adding, “However, the last thing he also wants is another Spare [the vitriolic memoir brought out by his own son, Prince Harry, in 2023].” For the King, the dilemma may not be about affection but more about preservation. In a family where private tensions often spill into public view, proximity can be a form of controlling things. So, by allowing Ferguson to stay ‘in the royal fold,’ Charles could prevent another wave of damaging revelations and a fractured public image.
