New Book Details Sarah Ferguson’s Alleged Deal to Reveal Royal Secrets Following Diana’s Passing
Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana were reportedly not on talking terms at the time of the latter's tragic death on August 31, 1997. After her sister-in-law’s passing, Ferguson publicly expressed her grief and offered condolences to the royal family. However, royal author Andrew Lownie’s new book claims her true intentions were far more sinister. Leaked excerpts reveal that Ferguson allegedly tried to capitalize on Diana’s death.
Lownie's biography, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, is an investigative account of Prince Andrew and Ferguson. As reported by Page Six, the book details the Duchess of York's constant money problems and schemes, including ghost-written books, deals with Weight Watchers, and embarrassing reality shows. Lownie alleges that after Diana's demise, Ferguson met with an editor from HELLO! magazine to discuss how she might fill the gap left by the late Princess. She reportedly agreed "to give HELLO! everything about her for a monthly retainer." A source quoted in the book claimed, "The deal was thought to be worth $134,000 a month."
The alleged incident involving Diana wasn’t the first time Ferguson was accused of exploiting a royal family member for money. In 2010, the former British tabloid News of the World ran a sting operation in which a reporter, posing as a businessman, offered Ferguson cash in exchange for a meeting with Andrew. As per ABC News, Ferguson said on the tape, "500,000 pounds when you can, to me, open doors." After the tape was leaked, she expressed regret for her actions, saying, "It is true that my financial situation is under stress; however, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment, and I am very sorry that this has happened. I can confirm that the Duke of York was not aware or involved in any of the discussions that occurred."
As for Ferguson and Diana’s equation, while the sisters-in-law appeared friendly and smiling in photos, things were reportedly tense behind closed Palace doors. According to Lownie’s book, Ferguson once had a full-blown crush on John F. Kennedy Jr. The Duchess of York was so smitten that she allegedly flew into a jealous rage after discovering Diana had met him first. Excerpts serialized by the Daily Mail reveal she reportedly yelled, "He's mine! Why can't she just leave him alone?" Diana had allegedly met Kennedy for a private 30-minute meeting at a New York hotel during Christmas of 1995, which was said to be arranged by Patrick Jephson, her private secretary, and RoseMarie Terenzio, JFK Jr.'s assistant.
In her 1996 autobiography, My Story, the Duchess of York addressed her complicated relationship with Diana, noting that they were not on speaking terms for periods before Diana’s death. She described their relationship as strained but expressed sadness over the distance between them. In a 2017 interview with Good Morning Britain, Ferguson reflected on this estrangement with regret, emphasizing that despite their personal and family difficulties, she mourned Diana deeply.