What is Sarah Ferguson's net worth? Duchess who once faced bankruptcy isn't invited to Prince Philip's funeral
Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's ex-wife, will be a no-show at Prince Philip's funeral. But to show her support for the grieving Queen, 'Fergie' has been driving up to Windsor Castle and taking daily walks with the Queen and her corgis. While Fergie was not included as part of the 30-personnel funeral due to Covid-19 regulations, her ties with the family are expected to improve now that the Duke of Edinburgh has passed.
The reason behind Fergie's absence from the royal family was a falling out with her former father-in-law, Prince Philip, after a leaked photos scandal. Photographs of Fergie having her toes sucked by her financial adviser, just a few months after her split with Andrew, were behind the big clash. Prince Philip would describe Fergie as “odd” and “pointless”, also demanding she leave Balmoral during royal holidays before his arrival.
But despite their divorce in 1996, Fergie and Andrew have been living together for the last 13 years. Since their divorce, Fergie is now holding on to a fortune worth $2 million, reports Celebrity Net Worth.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Fergie's earnings and bankruptcy
Back in the day, Fergie used to be quite the Queen's favorite. However, things changed after the leaked photos scandal -- the embarrassment caused by the toe-sucking pictures caused the Queen to turn a cold shoulder to her. Initially, for a few years after the divorce, the Duchess of York claimed she had received a little over $20,000 yearly as a divorce settlement, and that her spokeswoman deal with Weight Watchers would be her main 'source of income'.
Seniors officials however subsequently revealed to The Sunday Telegraph that Fergie had acquired a settlement of a little over $4 million. With shared custody of their two daughters, Fergie had said they finalized their divorce because "I wanted to work; it's not right for a princess of the royal house to be commercial, so Andrew and I decided to make the divorce official so I could go off and get a job."
Financial woes followed when Fergie's company Hartmoor, was forced to shut down in 2009, after drowning in $1.1 million worth of debt. Fergie narrowly avoided personal bankruptcy in 2010, when she found herself in debt to the tune of between $3-9 million, as per reports.
Then followed the "pay for access" scandal where Fergie was videotaped by an undercover reporter, demanding "£500,000 (roughly $700,000) when you can, to me, open doors" for access to members of the royal family. It was also revealed in the same year that she owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid legal fees. She ended that year with a reality series titled 'Finding Sarah' on Oprah Winfrey's television network.
Fergie's return to Royal spotlight
Speaking to The Sun, sources confirmed that Fergie hasn't been invited to the upcoming April 17 funeral where the royals will gather to mourn the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh. But her presence by the Queen's side has been constant, along with her ex-husband. Insiders revealed the Duke and Duchess of York have been making a short drive from Royal Lodge to Windsor Castle twice a day for their walks. Sources however insist that Andrew has been asked to quash any plans of using these appearances to return to the royal forefront.
The Sun claims royal watchers believe that the Duke's death improved Fergie's chances of returning to the royal life after years away from the limelight. The Queen, who allegedly still has her 'soft-spot' for her former daughter-in-law might be more open to reconciliation, now that her husband has passed.
Fergie's support to the Queen
Fergie and Andrew have been living together for the last 13 years. They married in 1986 and separated in 1992, before Fergie moved back in with him and their daughter in 2008. Insiders said: “They have been going on short walks around the gardens with the Queen and her corgis. Sarah’s very much in the fold now that the Duke of Edinburgh has gone. The Queen has always had a soft spot for Sarah and regards her as an excellent mother.”
Fergie, who's the mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, didn't expect to be among the 30 mourners at the funeral, which has been scaled down due to current Covid-19 norms. Meanwhile, Andrew is claiming he's sure to be cleared of all sex scandal allegations and is expecting to convince his family that he can resume his public appearances at official events as a senior royal member. This has allegedly shocked senior royals. Courtiers don't think he will be warmly welcomed.
The Duke of York had quit the royal life after he was investigated by US authorities over ties with deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his underage victim soliciting pimp Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in prison. Andrew has denied all allegations against him and considers himself to be the Queen's 'rock' after the Duke's death.
Expected to be seen walking behind his father's coffin at the televised funeral, Andrew is "clearly clutching at straws," according to Nigel Cawthorne, author of 'Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell and the Palace'. "Whether he is forgiven by the family and public or not, there is a legal process which is a significant hurdle," he added.