Sarah Ferguson Was Seen as a Liability by One Senior Royal — Much Before the Scandals Hit
One senior royal family member avoided Sarah Ferguson like a 'plague' throughout his lifetime.
The former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, is experiencing personal and financial instability, leading a transient life between wellness retreats in Switzerland and Austria. Following her departure from Royal Lodge, she faces serious reputational challenges and a significant decline in her public image due to her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s legal issues. These current hurdles offer a poignant echo of her past struggles within the institution, particularly with the late Prince Philip, who declared her "persona non grata."
Philip considered the former Duchess a liability even before she officially became his daughter-in-law. "She’s the one person that Prince Philip would not have anything to do with. He didn’t like Fergie – she knew that she wasn’t welcome when Prince Philip was around,” royal biographer Jane Dismore revealed while appearing on The Firm: Blood, Lies and Royal Succession podcast. She further underlined the palace staff's negative feelings about Ferguson, citing a courtier's opinion that she embodied a 'vulgar' idea of monarchy. This was something that Richard Fitzwilliams had also implied previously, noting that Fergie lacked actual understanding of royal life and demonstrated "awful lapses of judgment."
During the podcast, Dismore went on to disclose that Philip's hatred towards Ferguson increasingly grew after she was on the verge of bankruptcy due to terrible financial ventures that left her with debts totaling $8 million. To add on that, her affair with American financial manager John Bryan, which became public in 1992, allegedly further strained her relationship with the late Duke of Edinburgh. However, Philip's anger peaked in 2010 when Ferguson was caught red-handed in a tabloid sting attempting to sell access to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for $500,000.
Royal reporter Richard Mineards later revealed, “After that, Prince Philip decided that she was just out of it; he would never deal with her, would not attend events with her," also adding, "And of course, the Queen, being the subservient wife, agreed with him. And so Fergie was totally out of the picture.” Royal Fever author Cele Otnes remarked that Philip became so angry over the embarrassment caused that they effectively declared her 'persona non grata' at the Royal Family. Additionally, when Ferguson's inappropriate images with Bryan were flashed on the front pages of the Daily Mirror in 1992, Philip reportedly confronted her with the newspaper, saying, "There but for the grace of God go I." After which, she was quietly removed from the inner circle of the Royal Family.
This tension is said to have also affected his attendance at his granddaughter Princess Eugenie's 2018 wedding, where he decided to join at the last minute. His presence in the official portrait led to mixed interpretations about their relationship, with some seeing reconciliation and others attributing it to coincidence in seating arrangements. However, after the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, Ferguson was invited back into the royal fold by the late Queen Elizabeth.
