Sarah Ferguson gave an exclusive interview to People Magazine for this week’s issue. She’s promoting her latest historical romance book and she’s name-dropping to get attention, basically. Fergie is, as always, a train wreck. But at least she’s not actively spreading hate on any of the Windsors, I guess? That’s why they let her speak – she’s not doing any reputational damage to anyone but herself and her ex-husband. So, after she talked about QEII, she was asked about King Charles, the coronation and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Some highlights:
On the Sussexes creating their own path: “I don’t believe that any single person has the right to judge another person. I’m not in a position myself to make any judgments,” says the Duchess of York, whose new novel, A Most Intriguing Lady, is out March 7. “I have been judged all my life, and I have no judgment on the Sussexes.”
How Diana would feel: “I think that [Princess] Diana would be incredibly proud of her grandchildren. And not just the Sussex grandchildren, but Will’s children,” the Duchess adds, referring to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three children: Prince George, 9, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4.
Supportive of King Charles: “I’m very supportive of the King and the Queen Consort, and I really am glad to do whatever it takes to support them on their road ahead,” says the Duchess, 63. On the patriotic pomp surrounding the crowning ceremony, she adds, “I think it’s very British, and it’s very exciting. I love the institution of monarchy, and I believe in upholding the institution.”
Just after Christmas, royal sources gave credit to Queen Camilla for bringing Andrew and Fergie “back into the fold” over the holidays. Apparently, Camilla has always been fond of Fergie because they come from similar aristocratic/adjacent stock. Personally, I think Camilla likes Fergie for the same reason Diana liked Fergie – Fergie is a trainwreck and she makes other people look good by comparison. But as I said before, Fergie gave this interview before the news came out about Charles evicting the Yorks from Royal Lodge. It’s possible Fergie’s thoughts about Charles have changed since Royal Lodge was her home too, and where she lived rent-free.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Sarah Ferguson attending the British LGBT Awards at The Brewery in City Of London, London, United Kingdom.,Image: 629254836, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights, Model Release: no, Credit line: Cat Morley / Avalon
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- Sarah Ferguson arrives at the state funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain, September 19, 2022.,Image: 724104766, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Geoff Pugh for the Telegraph / Avalon
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- Sarah Ferguson arrives at the state funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain, September 19, 2022.,Image: 724130267, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Rowan Griffiths / Daily Mirror / Avalon
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- Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen, Service, Westminster Abbey, London, UK – 19 Sep 2022,Image: 724167979, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock / Avalon
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- Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen, Service, Westminster Abbey, London, UK – 19 Sep 2022,Image: 724168459, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock / Avalon
I doubt her thoughts have changed. At least the thoughts she’s willing to express publicly. Charles has shown himself to be a vindictive S.O.B.
I truthfully surprised she is still covered by the press at all. The fact that she defends the nonce is disgusting, I might have purchased one of her romances out of curiosity if not for that. That she is his defender says all anyone needs to know about her imo.
I’m not. She’s been financially dependent on him for 37 years and she still lives with him. At her age, what is she going to do to support herself if she burns that bridge? We know her books don’t pay enough to really support herself, that’s why she was taking money from Epstein. Also, how is she going to criticize Andrew for that when her own hands aren’t clean.
I have never thought that Andrew wanted to divorce Fergie. I believe he was “made” to divorce Fergie. If Andrew wants to financially support Fergie, his ex-wife, then that really is his business and whomever is giving him money.
Sarah defended Andrew for years and still does. Sarah called Piers a friend and reached out to support him after he got criticism for disbelieving Meg’s suicidal thoughts. Sarah is Camilla – in bed with a bad person, in bed with the racist tabloids – just less successful.
@Jane…..to be fair, we only hv the nasty lying snake’s word that it was Sarah who contacted him & thanked him for bashing the Sussexss. Its hardly likely that Sarah was gonna come out and say it wasn’t me.
The more likely scenario is that the snake got a call from KP.
Jane your so right, fergie is camzilla Mark 2, and don’t be surprised if she gives another interview saying something completely different
Fun fact Fergie’s late mother, Susan Barrantos, and Camzilla were friends.
Everything seems always slightly incestuous in those circles.
Sarah leaks whatever garbage Andrew wants to leak to the tabloids, a less than reputable tabloid revealed her as their source last year. She’s like the police chief in Casablanca who proclaims to be shocked by the appearance of gambling in his town and then the croupier hands him his winnings.
It looks pretty bad for Charles and Will when Fergie has enough insight to realize she is not in a position to judge anybody and they do not.
I know, right? I read this extract aghast at Fergie managing to walk such a diplomatic line!
I came here to express the same thoughts! How did Fergie end up with the one PR person who can do their job? Or has her lifetime of train wrecks left her with a dash of humility the Royals could never have? Such… a well thought out answer?!?
I, too, am incredibly impressed by Fergie’s diplomacy. I’m also impressed because Fergie’s position in /with the BRF has almost always been somewhat precarious. At the same time, she has a more normal sense of what positive, emotionally connected relationships are like than most of them, and may understand, express, and experience love and loyalty in ways that many of the blood- borns don’t and can’t.
I think that Diana and Fergie were genuinely close, and, when their kids were young, they made deliberate efforts to foster positive relationships among their kids by doing joint vacations and ski trips, as well as more normal, everyday things that even the tabloids didn’t cover. I think Fergie genuinely sees herself as Harry’s aunt. Unlike the rest of them, she approaches Harry as a fond, and even loving aunt —rather than from a place of competition. Fergie also experienced concerted hatred from the tabloids, although without the virulent racism, and probably has genuine empathy for Meghan and her difficulties with both the press and the complexities of negotiating relationships within the BRF.
Fergie’s managed to balance her own precarious position — financially and relationally — with the BRF, her positive relationship with her nephew and his wife, her loyalty for Eugenie’s relationship with Harry and Meghan, and her own complicated relationship with the press masterfully. Brava Fergie!
I agree, she walks that fine line very well. I’m very impressed too by that very diplomatic answer. I remember how badly she was treated by the press and her “Duchess of Pork” moniker. But she needs to watch out with Camilla, she’s no friend of Fergie’s.
I think at bare minimum Fergie respects that Eugenie is not only close with Harry and Meghan, but that Harry has been very supportive to Eugenie and her family. Giving them Frogmore Cottage to live. Hosting them in their home and probably a bunch of other things.
But yeah, of all people, Fergie is the diplomatic one. Who would have think it.
I think this is it. For all (and I mean ALL) their faults, Fergie and also Andrew have been loving parents to their girls, which is more than can be said for Charles and the rest of that lot. They are clearly close to their children and listen to what they have to say, and at the very least Eugenie & Jack are clearly and publicly close and aligned with H&M (it’s not so clear what Beatrice’s relationship with them is). Fergie sees and understands what Harry and Meghan did for E&J by letting them live in Frogmore. I think if she doesn’t want to upset her daughter(s), she’ll stay out of the fray and not contribute to the pile-on of H&M. It’s also possible that she genuinely does like them both and actually has a shred of integrity (ha!) unlike the rest.
I read this sentence of hers with a translation going jff automatically in my head:
She said: “I love the institution if monarchy and I believe in upholding the institution.”
I heard: “I love living in this society which is structured on a strict social hierarchy and I looooove being kept within the highest tier of the social structure where everyone who laughs at my cringeworthiness MUST still look at me with envy.”
So not relevant at all to the story but in that top pic with legs akimbo, Fergie looks like she is re-creating that Holbein portrait of Henry VIII. Hell, add a beard and with those calves and the red hair, the likeness is uncanny.
I’ll leave quietly now.
💯 this!
OMG The Hench, now I cannot see it!!!!!
I can’t stop laughing over this comment. If you don’t know the reference, google it for a good laugh.
It actually reminds me. Of the end of Death Becomes Her when the ladies are wobbling out of the funeral with their wonky legs and plastic melting faces.
@Noki
That was my first thought too! The Death Becomes her scene, lol
Oh my oh my oh my, I’m surprised no one on twitter has put those two images side by side. Good eye!
💀💀💀
Camilla would like Fergie because she’s willing to be used by the Palace as a distraction but I don’t think it goes beyond that. Camilla refused to attend Eugenie’s wedding and is said to hold a grudge against Andrew because he took Diana’s side.
Hmm… Camilla brought her and Andrew back into the fold. What devious plans does she have for Fergie?
They have to be terrible indeed
Will she use Fergie to get Eugenie to spill details of Harry and Meg? Or will she come up with ways to throw Fergie and pedo under the bus to run them over again and again? Or something else?
What’s really sad is Fergie is probably genuinely excited at Camilla being friendly and Fergie doesn’t realize she’s being corralled and stored for future use when Camilla needs to throw someone to the media wolves.
Birds of a feather those two — only Fergie isn’t canny enough to know that Camzilla is just biding her time until she needs a dog’s body to kick under the bus.
@Jaded – Really? I don’t see them as being birds of a feather at all. I think of Fergie as being opportunistic, yet generally good-hearted with people she cares about, fun-loving, and kind of jolly. Probably in that order. I’m imagining that her opportunism is her most consistent survival skill. In contrast, I think Camilla is flat out evil. I think she derives joy from the suffering that she’s deliberately put others through. So: psychopathic mean girl on steroids. And I’d guess that from her perspective, that’s served her well.
It will be interesting to see how the dynamics play out if Harry and Meghan step back even more completely than they already have. While I think Charles might really want peace — whatever peace is — I think Camilla and William, and possibly Kate, might always need targets for their animosities.
@Blithe – point taken, but I still can’t get past her friendship with Epstein, her taking money from him, and her support of a man who raped at least one underage trafficked teenager, possibly more. She may be Camilla Lite but the grift is strong in her.
@Jaded — Your comments have made me think a little harder about where to draw the line between Fergie’s opportunism and her ability to support behavior that’s outright evil. And maybe the problem is that I’m even trying to draw a line at all. I like @teecee’s comment further down: “people contain multitudes” and just from what we know, Fergie’s “multitudes” might have more vicissitudes than most.
I can’t imagine how these people live with themselves.
I’m sure she isn’t bothered since she bought a new home in Mayfair a few months ago, so something is not adding up was she given a heads up so decided to by a new place. I bet she is also hoping ride Harry’s coattails and improve her book sales
Where did she get the money? I think it might have been Andrew via QE2. Meaning QE2 gave Andy a lump sum, knowing she was on the way out, and Andy negotiated enough to get Fergie set up for the rest of her life.
Also weird, why would Andy not be able to afford Royal Lodge? Didn’t mummy leave him enough to cover it? She was definitely aware that Charles didn’t care for his brothers.
I read where she is said to have purchased the place from her friend the Duke of Westminster, 31, who is worth around £10billion. Seven million would be a drop in the bucket for him so maybe he arranged a private loan to her to *buy* it. I’d love to see her bank records.
Sue E. I think the issue is that Andy doesn’t want to use ‘his’ money to live on/maintain Royal Lodge. Not if he can get a handout.
Harry and Meghan did nothing wrong. Bill and Charles did
Fergie’s got a lot of issues, but I do remember that she was the one who rushed out to help Meghan learn how to curtsey. She was the only one with enough awareness to realize that Meghan might not know all the dumb rules and her first instinct was to help. Plus, both Meghan and Harry have spoken of her much more warmly than they do most of the other royals. I guess I appreciate her kindness towards Meghan especially. Fergie is in a precarious position, would probably benefit financially if she went after M&H, but she hasn’t.
I think Diana liked Fergie both because they share the same background, she’s warm, and she seems fun. Now, she’s also a con artist self-destructive grifter, but people contain multitudes.
great comment. Fergie is complicated, messy, and in a very bizarre position. and I also think Diana liked her because she’s fun and outgoing. would I do business with her? no. but I bet she’s really fun at parties.
Same. I wouldn’t let her anywhere near my business or finances but I’d knock back margaritas with her.
With a massive caveat around all her messiness, lies, and support for truly terrible people, I think she has a humanity that the others simply don’t. They are title/job first (born royals and married in, cough, WanK) and while I don’t underestimate her love of the trappings and privilege, she’s also a loving mother and a actual human being (like helping Meghan learn how to curtsey in a hurry).
The bar is super low in that pit of vipers.
“people contain multitudes”
This is so true but most folks don’t seem to understand that. I think it’s something important to keep in mind when reading these stories.
I don’t think many people remember how horrible the press was to Fergie after the wedding. Doesn’t surprise me she is openly sympathetic to Meg.
she took money from and supports men who HURT GIRLS. there is just no coming back from that regardless of whether she’s nice to someone else once in awhile. i don’t get it, all of these royals are protecting a man who hurt girls for fun and everyone is just forgetting about it.
I think the Fergs and Kate use not only the same make up artist but the same botox/plastics doctor too.
Sarah has parroted the company line, as she is expected in regards to the King and her Consort.
The ‘her’ is deliberate since it is clear that Camilla is in charge.
The brothers are no longer united against a common cause, the heir is a trainwreck of bitterness and incompetence and the other capable one Harry is ostracizied.
Camilla’s revenge against Andrew and his parents (for not supporting her adulterous affair that was unprecedented that it made her the monarch¿) is almost complete.
Sarah knows a lot, but will tow the line as best as she can.
Always remember, she was invited and attended the Sussexes nuptials after years of exile from all things royal.
This is the best she can do, some one noticed in an earlier post, she is in a bizarre position.
My guess is that Sarah was invited to the Sussex wedding for several reasons: she was kind to Meghan, Harry and Eugenie are close, and unfortunately, Andrew is still one of Harry’s godfathers.
Fergie has learned her lesson—whatever that is. She now knows to be quiet, complacent, and complimentary. Her answers tell me that she doesn’t want any smoke. She knows she is dependent on the goodwill of Charles and the Windsors for upkeep and money. She’s been on the outside before. Poor thing tried to make her way in the world by herself but she’s always gotten tripped up. She has pushed weight watchers, written children’s books, and have done a whole host of other things to stay afloat but all to no avail. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.
She’s now come to grips with her reality—a grace and favor, financial hanger-on in the grand aristo tradition. She when asked publicly about the main branch of the family, she’s all smiles and bland compliments. After all, it’s Charles and William who ultimately handle the purse strings.
BTW, I too like hot-mess train wreck Fergie. Her humanness is always on display. I truly mean that in the best of ways.
Fergie is low rent Camilla, and I’m judging that eyeliner….
Her support for Pedrew is gross. But I’m glad she took the high road (never thought I’d use that phrase for Fergie) in this case.
Fergie, Please shut up.
What she means to say is “I’d sell out everyone if I could for any amount of money. I have zero class at all and my Ex Hubby Andrew should be in jail.”
But since C is still offering a home to Andrew and her, she will take orders.
Diana and Fergie fell out when Diana found out that Fergie sold her out in her biography. Something about Diana having a foot condition/fungus that Fergie herself got when she borrowed a pair of Diana’s shoes. Diana never spoke to her again. I think I read that Diana thought Fergie sold her out for money. I think Fergie expressed sorrow that they never reconciled before Diana died.
I remember that story and that at the time of Diana’s death they were not speaking.
It’s not possible to do reputational damage to Andrew. He’s got no reputation left to damage, and he did that all on his own.
Who knew Fergie would turn out to be the “diplomatic heavyweight” that Charles just pissed away himself by his ill-advised shenanigans against the Sussexes. So Fergie has better judgment than King Charles the 3rd. It figures.