Sarah Ferguson’s Scandal Was an ‘Utter Betrayal’ That Left Queen Elizabeth Fuming
While currently Sarah Ferguson finds herself under a cloud of trouble due to her links to Jeffery Epstein, this is not the first time she has been pulled into a scandal. In fact, one of the most bruising episodes of her public life happened fifteen years ago when she was caught offering access to her former husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, in exchange for money in what was later dubbed as the ‘cash for access’ scandal. The severity of the incident left Queen Elizabeth fuming, and she allegedly referred to her former daughter-in-law as 'The Duchess of Deceit.'
Ferguson was caught on a hidden camera by Mazher Mahmood of the News of the World, who posed as a businessman and recorded Ferguson discussing what she could provide in return for a substantial payment. She was heard saying, "I can open any door you want, and I will for you. Look after me, and he’ll look after you... you'll get it back tenfold." Mahmood presented her with a briefcase full of cash, about $52,000, as a down payment while a larger six-figure deal was reportedly discussed off camera. The former Duchess was also filmed suggesting that introductions to Mountbatten-Windsor could be arranged for over $654,000.
After the scandal was exposed publicly, it stunned Buckingham Palace as well as the late Queen. According to a senior insider quoted by royal commentator Andrew Lownie in his Lownie Report, the monarch had never been seen so angry. She allegedly regarded the behavior as an unforgivable breach. "Sarah's misconduct left everlasting interpersonal consequences between herself and Her Majesty," the insider opined, also adding, "The Queen described Sarah as the type of person who was beyond experiencing guilt, shame, or regret for her terrible actions because all she cared about was herself and nobody else. The Queen said Sarah was 'remorseless'."
According to the same account, it was also feared that the exchange shown in the sting may not have been a one-off and that Ferguson was willing to sell “access to the Royal Family and secrets of the Royal Family…to make a quick buck.” The source argued, “It was an utter betrayal of the trust placed in her. It was all calculated to prioritize her own personal interests.” While the controversy proved to be an embarrassing event for Queen Elizabeth, Ferguson herself spoke candidly about the episode during a tense Oprah Winfrey interview.
She admitted that she had barely been able to face the footage, adding, “I haven’t actually sat down and watched it.” Looking back, she admitted that her life had slipped far off course long before the scandal broke. "There aren't really very many words to describe an act of such gross stupidity. I think this is the key to the whole of my life now," she told Winfrey, calling it a turning point that left her feeling stripped of all pretenses.
She also detailed that it was her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who urged her to turn a new page and start afresh, adding, "Beatrice and Eugenie just called me and said, 'Mom, actually it's a really good, fresh, clean start for you, because we're here 100 percent for you, and we love you.'" Unfortunately, scandals and controversies have not left her side for long, and she is yet again, in the middle of one such incident alongside her ex-husband.