Sarah Margaret Ferguson (born 15 October 1959), formerly Sarah, Duchess of York, and commonly known by the nickname Fergie, is a British author and the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and younger brother of King Charles III.
Ferguson was raised in Dummer, Hampshire, and attended the Queen's Secretarial College. She later worked for public relations firms in London and for a publishing company. She began a relationship with Andrew in 1985, and they were married on 23 July 1986 at Westminster Abbey, upon which she became Duchess of York. They have two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Their marriage, separation in 1992, and divorce in 1996 attracted extensive media coverage.
Both during and after her marriage, Ferguson has been involved with several charities, primarily focused on supporting cancer patients and children. She was the patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust from 1990 to 2025 and founded Children in Crisis and Sarah's Trust. She has written several books for children and adults, and has worked on TV and film production.
In the years following her divorce, Ferguson was the subject of various scandals that affected her relationship with the royal family. Her friendship with the American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein led to the termination of her roles as patron and spokesperson for multiple charities. In October 2025, Ferguson ceased using the courtesy title Duchess of York following Andrew's announcement that he would no longer use his peerage titles.
Early life
Sarah Margaret Ferguson was born on 15 October 1959 at London Welbeck Hospital, London, the second daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson (1931–2003) and Susan Barrantes (née Wright; 1937–1998).[1][2] She has one older full sister, Jane. After her parents divorced in 1974, her mother married polo player Héctor Barrantes the following year[3] and moved to Trenque Lauquen in the Argentine pampas. Ferguson remained at the 480-acre (1.9km2) Dummer Down Farm at Dummer, Hampshire, which had been her father's home since she was eight.[4][5] Major Ferguson married Susan Deptford in 1976, and had three more children: Andrew, Alice, and Elizabeth. Ferguson later said that, at the age of 12, when her parents' marriage began to break down, she developed an eating disorder and "turned to overeating for comfort".[6]
Ferguson attended Daneshill preparatory school in Stratfield Turgis, Hampshire. Staff at the school described her as a "courageous, bubbly and outgoing little girl".[5] She later attended Hurst Lodge School in Ascot.[9] Although she did not shine academically, she showed talent in swimming and tennis.[5] From a young age, Ferguson developed an interest in skiing and later worked briefly as a chalet girl.[10] During her teenage years, she worked as both a cleaner and a waitress.[11] After completing a course at Queen's Secretarial College at the age of 18,[12] she took a job at an art gallery.[5] She subsequently worked in two public relations firms in London, followed by a position at a publishing company.[5] Before her marriage, Ferguson dated Kim Smith-Bingham, a stockbroker, and Paddy McNally, a motor racing manager more than 20 years her senior.[5][13]
On 19 March 1986, Prince Andrew and Ferguson announced their engagement.[14] The pair had known each other since childhood, meeting occasionally at polo matches, and were reacquainted at Royal Ascot in 1985.[5][15] Before the engagement, Ferguson had accompanied Diana, Princess of Wales, during her official tour of Andrew's ship HMSBrazen.[5][7] Andrew designed the engagement ring himself: ten diamonds set around a Burmese ruby, chosen to complement Ferguson's red hair.[16] Her friendly manner and lively spirit made her a welcomed addition to the royal family.[5][7]
After securing the Queen's consent, which was then required under the Royal Marriages Act 1772 for all descendants of King George II, Andrew and Ferguson were married at Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986. The Queen bestowed the title Duke of York upon Andrew, and, as his wife, Ferguson automatically his royal and ducal status, becoming Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York. In her new role, she joined the Duke in undertaking royal engagements, including overseas visits.
In 1987, Andrew and Ferguson undertook a 25-day tour of Canada.[17] In February that year, Ferguson passed her private pilot's licence after completing a 40-hour training course paid for by Lord Hanson as a wedding gift, and she was presented with her wings at RAF Benson in December.[18][19]
On 22 January 1988, during a visit to New York to attend a fundraising event, Ferguson was attacked by a young man at the entrance of her hotel.[20] The man, who shouted "murderers 3/8" and carried an Irish Republican Army flag as he rushed towards her, was charged with "attempted assault on the Duchess and assault on a federal agent".[20] A State Department press officer later confirmed that "she was unharmed in the incident".[20]
In March 1988, the couple visited California.[21] Two British newspapers described the trip as a "brash, vulgar, excessive, weak-humored exhibition by two royals".[21] City officials in Los Angeles defended the couple, calling the criticism "awful" and offensive, while observers described the Duke and Duchess as friendly and said they had fulfilled their duties.[21]
In May 1989, Ferguson undertook an official solo visit to Berlin.[22]
The couple's first child, Princess Beatrice, was born on 8 August 1988. Ferguson experienced high blood pressure and excessive water retention during the pregnancy.[23] In September, she joined Andrew in Australia for an official visit, a decision that drew criticism from the press for leaving her newborn daughter in the United Kingdom.[24] Their second daughter, Princess Eugenie, was born by caesarean section on 23 March 1990.[25][26] During her marriage, the tabloid press frequently mocked the Duchess's weight — which reached 15stone 10pounds (100kg) (220lbs) during her first pregnancy — and labelled her "Duchess of Pork" and "Fat Fergie".[27][23] She vowed to lose weight after Beatrice's birth.[28] In 1989, Ferguson was credited with helping to popularise the Callanetics exercise regime in the United Kingdom after reports that founder Callan Pinckney had given her private tuition.[29] She received praise for her weight loss, as well as some criticism for not gaining enough weight during her second pregnancy.[30] Ferguson later said that the press coverage of her weight damaged her self‑esteem and worsened her eating disorder.[6]
Separation and divorce
Biographer Sarah Bradford wrote that Andrew's duties as a naval officer required long periods away from home.[31] According to Ferguson, the couple saw each other for only 40 days a year during the first five years of their marriage.[32] By 1991, the relationship was under strain, with Ferguson finding life within the royal family increasingly difficult. Her friendship with Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt, son of Lynn Wyatt, attracted considerable publicity when photographs — including one showing Wyatt with Ferguson's infant daughter — appeared in newspapers in January 1992.[33] The Duke and Duchess of York announced their separation on 19 March 1992.[34] After the announcement, the palace stated that Ferguson would no longer undertake public engagements on behalf of the Queen,[34] and the Queen later confirmed that she would not assume responsibility for Ferguson's debts.[31] Ferguson established a separate residence from her husband in 1992, moving to Romenda Lodge on the Wentworth Estate in Surrey.[35]
In August 1992, the Daily Mirror published surreptitiously taken photographs of John Bryan, an American financial manager, kissing Ferguson's toes while she sunbathed topless.[36][37] The incident led to widespread public ridicule and contributed to her further estrangement from the royal family.[38] The French magazine Paris Match was later ordered to pay £84,000 in damages for printing the photographs, although the original claim had been for £1.32 million.[39] On 28 March 1993, it was announced that a formal separation agreement between the Duke and Duchess had been finalised, following months of speculation that they might reconcile.[40] In 1995, Andrew's aunt Princess Margaret, who had received a bouquet of flowers from Ferguson, reportedly wrote to her: "You have done more to bring shame on the family than could ever have been imagined".[41]
Reports and speculation about a possible reconciliation continued into late 1995,[42] ending when the Duke and Duchess announced their mutual decision to divorce in April 1996. In the years following the divorce, Ferguson said she had received £15,000 a year as a divorce settlement and described her role as a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers as her main "source of income".[41][43][44] However, senior officials later told The Sunday Telegraph that the settlement had included £350,000 in cash, £500,000 from the Queen to purchase a house for Ferguson and the children, and a monthly allowance that was estimated to have totalled £500,000 by 2010.[45] The pair shared custody of their children.[46] The decree nisi was granted on 17 April 1996 and the divorce was finalised on 30 May 1996,[47][48] after which Ferguson legally retained the style Her Royal Highness in the same manner as other divorced peeresses. However, it was announced in April that she had chosen not to use the style and would relinquish it under the terms of the divorce.[47] In accordance with letters patent issued in August 1996 regulating post-divorce royal titles, she formally ceased to be a Royal Highness.[49]
In November 1996, Ferguson published her autobiography Sarah: My Story and undertook a promotional tour. During an appearance on a US chat show, she implied that she and Andrew had had an open relationship, saying "He always knew exactly what was going on", and "It's not a one-way street. We respect each other's space."[50][51] In a 2007 interview, reflecting on why they finalised their divorce she said, "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."[52]
Since the divorce, Ferguson has attended a number of events with her daughters, including Andrew's investitures into the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of the Garter, as well asRoyal Ascot. On such occasions, she is afforded the courtesy of treatment as a member of the royal family.[53] She hinted at the possibility of remarrying Andrew in several interviews.[54] In August 2013, she was invited to stay at Balmoral Castle with Andrew and their daughters as guests of the Queen, and in September 2013, when asked about the prospect of remarriage, Ferguson said: "He's still my handsome prince, he'll always be my handsome prince."[55][56]
On 25 December 2023, Ferguson joined the royal family for the Christmas service at St Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, marking her first attendance at the event since 1992.[64]
Personal life after divorce
After the divorce, the British tabloids continued to report on Ferguson's lifestyle. In 1995, a baggage handler at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City pleaded guilty to stealing her diamond necklace and bracelet, valued at $382,000.[65][66]
Until 2004, Andrew and his former wife continued to share the family home, Sunninghill Park in Berkshire.[69] That year, the Duke moved to the refurbished Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, which had previously been the residence of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, until her death in 2002. In 2007, Ferguson rented Dolphin House in Englefield Green, less than a mile from Royal Lodge.[70] A small fire in the bathroom at Dolphin House in 2008[71] led her to vacate the property and move into Royal Lodge with her former husband.[72]
In 2015, Ferguson was reported to have moved out of Royal Lodge and taken up residence in Verbier, Switzerland, where she and Andrew owned a £13million chalet.[73] She applied for Swiss residency the following year.[74] As of 2016 she also maintained a rented apartment in Eaton Square, London.[75] In 2025, she sold a townhouse in London's Belgravia for £3.85 million, having purchased it in 2022 for £4.25 million.[76] The property had originally been bought as an investment for her daughters, rented to a tenant, and later sold.[76] She continued to live primarily at Royal Lodge until October 2025, when Buckingham Palace announced that formal notice had been served to Andrew to surrender his lease and that Ferguson would be making her own living arrangements.[77]
In the mid-1990s, Ferguson was reported to have had a £4.2million deficit in her bank account, which she addressed by undertaking what was described as "a four-year earning spree" in the United States.[45][46]
In 2006, using income from her work as a film producer and writer, she founded Hartmoor LLC in the US.[80] The lifestyle company was intended to support her "career in publishing, media and public speaking".[81] Hartmoor collapsed in 2009, leaving Ferguson with debts of £630,000.[81] Later that year, it emerged that she was in a financial dispute with three firms, and in September she was summoned "to court in the UK for unpaid bills".[81] By August 2010, reports suggested that she might declare voluntary bankruptcy with debts of around £5million,[82] although other sources estimated the figure at closer to £2million.[83]
Ferguson became closely involved with entrepreneur Manuel Fernandez around 2015, publicly appearing with him and investing in his tech start-up vVoosh in 2016, while also joining the board of its affiliated charity.[84] Despite her support, vVoosh filed for administration after failing to launch its app, which collapsed without ever launching a product despite receiving more than £1 million in UK government research and development tax credits and raising about £9 million in total.[85] Fernandez allegedly withdrew large sums and left the country, and the charity never conducted any work and was shut down.[84] The Charity Commission later began the process of removing the vVoosh Charitable Foundation from the register for not operating and for being more than four-and-a-half years overdue in its reporting.[85] Ferguson's involvement included a £36,000 loan from her company Gate Ventures and about 1% ownership via La Luna Investments, one of several struggling or dormant companies she controlled, including Coat Company Productions and Ginger & Moss, the latter of which faced significant debts.[84] vVoosh owed £50,000 to La Luna Investments.[85]
In June 2019, Andrew arranged a private tour of Buckingham Palace for Jay Bloom and Michael Evers, businessmen from the U.S. cryptocurrency mining company Pegasus Group Holdings. This company had agreed to pay Ferguson up to £1.4 million for her role as a "brand ambassador".[86] Bloom and Evers were driven in Andrew's car from their Knightsbridge hotel to the Palace. They later attended his Pitch@Palace event at St James's Palace before dining that evening with Andrew, Ferguson, and their daughter Beatrice.[86] Ferguson was promoting Pegasus's plan to use thousands of solar power generators to mine Bitcoin in Arizona, though the project collapsed after acquiring only 615 of the planned 16,000 units and generating just $33,779 (£25,000) in cryptocurrency.[86] Ferguson earned more than £200,000 from Pegasus, stood to gain a £1.2 million bonus and company shares, and required first-class travel, five-star hotels, and professional stylists for up to four events.[86] She first met Bloom in Las Vegas in 2018 and developed a business friendship that led to meetings at Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace, and the Royal Lodge, Windsor.[86] Bloom and Evers regularly visited London in 2019, meeting the York family frequently.[86] Bloom also made a second palace visit in July 2019.[86] In October 2019 Ferguson signed a contract via Alphabet Capital, a British company owned by Adrian Gleave, through which she was paid over £200,000 for Pegasus work.[86] Court documents showed Andrew also received £60,500 traced to Gleave's businesses, though neither explained the payments.[86]
In May 2020, it was reported that Andrew and Ferguson were in a legal dispute over a debt from the 2014 purchase of their Swiss chalet.[87] They had taken out a mortgage of £13.25 million and were expected to pay the remaining £5 million of the purchase price in cash instalments by the end of 2019;[87] interest had increased this to £6.8 million.[88] Despite reports that the Queen would assist them, a spokesperson for Andrew confirmed that she "will not be stepping in to settle the debt".[89]The Times reported in September 2021 that Ferguson and Andrew had reached a legal agreement with the property's previous owner, and would sell the house to pay back their debt.[90] The owner agreed to receive £3.4 million, half of the amount that she was owed, as she had been under impression that Ferguson and Andrew were dealing with financial troubles.[88]
Jeffrey Epstein ties
In March 2011, it was reported that Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, had helped Ferguson avoid bankruptcy by paying £15,000 to an employee to whom she owed money.[91] The payments were reportedly made after intervention from Andrew, who had a close friendship with Epstein for which he came under scrutiny in 2019.[92] She later admitted getting money from Epstein and called it a "gigantic error".[93] In the summer of 2011, Finding Sarah aired on the OWN network. One episode of the U.S.-filmed reality series depicted Ferguson meeting with Suze Orman, the internationally known financial advisor, receiving from Orman a strict lecture and practical advice on how to resolve her financial issues.[94] Juan Alessi, a staff member at Epstein's Florida residence for 12 years, said in an unsealed deposition that he believed Ferguson visited "only once and for a short time".[95][96][97]
In September 2025, newspapers published emails showing that Ferguson had contacted Epstein in April 2011, despite her public statement in March 2011 that she had severed all ties with him.[98] In the email, she wrote that Epstein was a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend" and said she must "humbly apologise" for her earlier remarks. According to her spokesperson, the apology followed what was described as a "Hannibal Lecter-style" phone call in which Epstein threatened to "destroy" her.[99] Following renewed scrutiny prompted by the email's publication, seven charities, of which Ferguson was patron or ambassador, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Julia's House, Prevent Breast Cancer, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the Children's Literacy Charity, British Heart Foundation, and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, individually announced or confirmed that they had ended their association with her.[100][101]
In October 2025, The Mail on Sunday reported on leaked emails between Epstein and his lawyer in 2011 suggesting that Ferguson celebrated Epstein's release from jail in 2009 by visiting him in New York where she took her young daughters with her.[102] A representative for Ferguson stated that neither she nor her daughters had any recollections of such a visit.[103] Another email sent by Ferguson in January 2010 reportedly showed she was seeking more than the £15,000 she had previously admitted to taking, as she had asked for "50 or 100,000 US dollars to help get through the small bills that are pushing me over".[103] An email sent by Epstein to a friend after Ferguson had publicly distanced herself from him in March 2011 implied that Epstein had bankrolled her for over 15 years.[102][103]
Cash for access
In May 2010, Ferguson was filmed by the News of the World offering Mazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter posing as an Indian businessman, access to Andrew for £500,000.[104] On the video made as a documentary source for the story, which is publicly available, Ferguson is heard to say, "£500,000 when you can, to me, open doors".[105] She is seen taking away a briefcase containing £40,000 in cash. Exposure surrounding the incident increased her public profile and notoriety.[106]
Sterling Publishers substantially increased the print run of Ashley Learns About Strangers, Sarah's latest book for children; however, the notoriety did not translate into additional book sales.[107] In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, titled Oprah and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Ferguson explained her behaviour by saying that she had been drinking prior to soliciting the cash, and was "in the gutter at that moment".[108] She also claimed that her intention was initially to help a friend who "needed $38,000 (£28,000) urgently" but she ultimately asked for more money due to her own financial problems.[109]
In November 2016, it was reported that Ferguson intended to sue News Group Newspapers (parent company of the News of the World) and its owner Rupert Murdoch for £25million in damages citing her "loss in earnings" as well as the subsequent "distress" that the media sting brought to her as the main reasons.[110] In January 2018, it was reported that the actual amount Ferguson was seeking was £45million.[111]
In March 2022 it was reported that the wife of jailed Turkish politician İlhan İşbilen alleged that Ferguson received at least £225,000 from businessman Selman Turk, whom Mrs İşbilen is suing for fraud.[112] An additional £25,000 was sent by Turk in October 2019 to the bank account of Ferguson's younger daughter, Eugenie, the second instalment of which was referenced "birthday gift", reportedly "to pay for a surprise birthday party for the Duchess".[113] Ferguson was owed £225,000 by Pegasus Group Holdings for her role as brand ambassador, but she received the full amount from Turk, who was then set to reclaim the money from Pegasus.[113]
2012 Turkey legal incident
On 13 January 2012, the Ministry of Justice of Turkey issued an international arrest warrant for Ferguson. She had travelled to Turkey in 2008 and covertly filmed a Turkish state orphanage. The Turkish authorities alleged that Ferguson made a false declaration when entering the country (in regard to her motives for visiting Turkey), trespassed into a Turkish Government institution, and also invaded the privacy of children.[114] These charges carry sentences of up to 22 years imprisonment. Turkey and Britain have an extradition treaty; however, Home Office officials have stated:[115]
Under UK extradition law a judge must order the discharge of [an extradition request] if it is not an offence under UK law and in the country requesting extradition. In this case there is no offence in UK law so there will be no extradition.
Turkey maintains that Ferguson distorted information about the orphanage and used an isolated incident in a smear campaign against the Republic of Turkey. Turkey invited international human rights organisations to inspect any orphanage of its choosing to show its transparency in relation to the issue.[116][117]
On 5 May 2012, the trial began into the charges brought by the Ankara State Prosecutor's office. Cansu Şahin, representing Ferguson, who was not present, told the Ankara court that her client has apologised and would like to plea-bargain with the prosecution.[118][119]
In January 2024, it was announced that Ferguson had been diagnosed with melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.[123]
Charity work
Since her marriage, and continuing after the divorce, Ferguson has been involved with a number of charities.
From 1990 until 2025, Ferguson served as patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust. Over those years, she opened many of the charity's specialist units, including those at Middlesex Hospital, University College London, St James's University Hospital, Cardiff University Hospital and Royal Marsden Hospital.[124] She began her work with people suffering from motor neurone disease in the 1990s. In her capacity as patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, she promoted fundraising campaigns for research about the disease and later became president of the International Alliance for ALS.[125][126] To help and support those affected by drug misuse, she joined therapy sessions at the Chemical Dependency Centre and was later made their patron.[126] In 1993, Ferguson founded Children in Crisis, a children's charity focused on education and grant making to international programmes. She serves as founder and life president.[127] She founded the charity after meeting a young cancer victim named Ania during her visit to Poland in 1992.[128]
In December 1994, Ferguson went to the US to take part in a fundraising event for Peace Links and to launch her own charity, Chances for Children, in the US.[129] Her decision to launch a fundraising event for her charity in the US was criticised by the British press, who claimed that through her Budgie the Little Helicopter series she was "expected to earn 400 million pounds over the next five years, with 3 million pounds a year going into her royal pocket" despite her promise to donate part of her earnings to charity.[129] The claims were denied by Ferguson's representative,[129] and she later responded to the criticism by saying, "What you all must understand is that the Budgie books were produced in 1987. That's when I gave a large percentage to charity. ... And maybe after costs, after the animation is made, after everything else and the popcorn and everything else, then perhaps in five to ten years, maybe I might receive a little bit of my percentage, and that I hope will be at that time going back into Chances for Children".[126] "Little Red", the doll that was used as a logo for her American charity, later inspired her to write a series of books named after the doll. The proceeds from selling the doll also went to Chances for Children.[130]
In June 1998, Ferguson made a brief trip to Bethesda to receive an award from the Journal of Women's Health.[131] She also visited the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center.[131] NIH associate director for communications said, "The Duchess has many opportunities to talk to women via television, at lectures and through print media interviews" and was interested "in learning from NIH scientists what major health messages she should deliver to women, based on the research conducted through NIH."[131] Ferguson, whose elder daughter Beatrice was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of seven, became a patron of Springboard for Children, a charity that helps students who struggle with reading and writing.[132] Ferguson has also described herself as "a little bit dyslexic".[132]
Ferguson at The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection 2005 Fashion Show, in her role as ambassador of The Heart Truth
In 2003, Ferguson joined the American Cancer Society at a congressional briefing. She was a founding supporter of the American Cancer Society's Great American Weigh In,[133] an annual campaign (modelled after the Society's Great American Smoke Out) aimed at raising awareness of the link between excess weight and cancer. In 2004, Ferguson was named the official spokesperson of SOS Children's Villages – USA and in 2005 she became a global ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities.[134][135] In 2006, she established The Sarah Ferguson Foundation[136] based in Toronto, which derived funds from Ferguson's commercial work and private donations with the aim of supporting charities internationally that serve children and families in dire need. Included under this umbrella organisation was her patronage and support of several British charities, including Mental Disability Rights International, the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Tommy's, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, and CARE International.[137] In 2009, it was reported that despite its income of £250,000 over 18 months, the foundation had spent only £14,200 on grants, £6,300 of which was given to the charitable arm of a South African private game reserve owned by Sir Richard Branson, a friend of Ferguson's. Following the report, the foundation released a list that showed they spent around $400,000 on donations in 2008.[81]
In 2007, Ferguson joined the Advisory Council of the Ophelia Project, an American initiative aimed to support people dealing with relational and other non-physical forms of aggression.[138] In 2008, Ferguson became patron of Humanitas, a charity focused on providing children with education, healthcare and family support.[139] In the same year, she became an ambassador for New York mayor Michael Bloomberg's anti-poverty campaign.[140] In 2010, Ferguson became a supporter of the Mullany Fund,[141] whose aim is to support British students wishing to study medicine or physiotherapy. In 2011, Ferguson became the global ambassador for Not For Sale, a charity focused on human slavery.[142] In 2013, Ferguson, along with her former husband and their daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, founded Key To Freedom, a business structure for women in vulnerable situations in India who can sell their wares through the British retailer Topshop. In 2014, Ferguson was appointed an ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.[143][144] In 2015, Ferguson revealed her connection with India and polo when she attended as a chief guest of HVR Baroda Cup in New Delhi under the invitation of Harshavardhan Reddy, chairman of HVR Sports.[145]
In 2016, Ferguson collaborated with British contemporary artist Teddy McDonald and her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to create the first Royal contemporary painting. Titled Royal Love, it was painted on the lawn of Royal Lodge and features positive thoughts and quotes by Ferguson and the princesses. The painting was exhibited in London at the Masterpiece Art Fair, Chelsea in June/July 2016 and later auctioned at private dinner. The proceeds from the sale of the painting were donated by McDonald to the charity Children in Crisis. British GQ magazine published an exclusive on the creation of the painting.[146] In 2017, Ferguson was joined by her daughter Eugenie to mark the second anniversary of the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Alder Hey Children's Hospital.[147]
On the 25th anniversary of Children in Crisis's foundation in 2018, Ferguson said that working with this charity "gave her a sense of perspective and purpose during tough times".[148] She merged her charity foundation with Street Child, an organisation run by Tom Dannatt in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sierra Leone, of which Ferguson has become a patron,[148] and her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are the ambassadors.[128]
From June 2019 until September 2025, Ferguson served as patron of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, an organisation established in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died in 2016 after suffering an allergic reaction to a baguette.[149][150] She became an ambassador for the technology infrastructure company Pegasus Group Holdings. Ferguson was chosen to initiate "the company's philanthropic endeavors" as they develop an "off-grid renewable energy data center".[151]
In June 2020, Ferguson launched her new charitable foundation called Sarah's Trust. The charity provided aid for NHS, care home and hospice staff by delivering more than 150,000 items, including food, masks, scrubs, and toiletries.[152] Organisations such as Under One Sky and NOAH Enterprise have helped the foundation by giving sleeping bags to homeless people in the UK. Essentials and supplies have also been sent to Ghana.[153] In March 2022, Ferguson visited Denver after being chosen as the keynote speaker at a Junior League of Denver fundraiser.[154] In the same month, she travelled to Poland amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian refugees and help her charity the Sarah's Trust in organising goods donated by UK citizens.[155] In the following month, she travelled to Albania and met Afghan refugees at a resort in Golem.[156] In her capacity as chief ambassador of the Montessori Group, Ferguson visited Croatia in June 2022 where she promoted the organisation's work on providing help for Ukrainian refugees and supporting children.[157] In July 2022, her charity secured money to fund £14,000-worth of computers for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.[158] She also helped with setting up the 'Play in a Box' tent in Upper Silesia to host refugee children for reading, playing, and baking.[158] In December 2022, she hosted a choir for the blind from Kharkiv's Special Training Educational Complex during their visit to the UK, for which she was awarded with a certificate and badge from Poland's National Institute for the Blind.[159]
In March 2024, Ferguson co-chaired the Global Citizen NOW summit in Melbourne, Australia with the aim to end extreme poverty and address the climate crisis.[160]
In 2000, Ferguson co-produced and served as presenter in a documentary for BBC television called In Search of the Spirit.[161] In September 2003, she was a co-host for three days on BBC Radio 2's afternoon show Steve Wright.[162] In May 2004, Ferguson hosted an eleven-minute production featurette on Universal's DVD Peter Pan, titled The Legacy of Pan.[138] Five months later, Walt Disney Feature Animation released a DVD short The Cat That Looked at a King, with Ferguson's voice in the role of the Queen;[138] the story is derived from the Mary Poppins books by P. L. Travers.
In 2008, Ferguson was a special correspondent to NBC's Today for which she presented segments for a series called "From the Heart".[138][140] In May 2008, her two-part film The Duchess in Hull premiered on ITV1, showing Ferguson helping a family on a council estate in Hull to improve their lifestyle.[163] In the same year she travelled to Romania and Turkey for the documentary Duchess and Daughters: Their Secret Mission, shown on ITV1 on 6 November 2008, investigating poor treatment and conditions in children's institutions in those two countries.[164] In August 2009, her documentary The Duchess on the Estate, which was about Northern Moor, Manchester, was shown on the same network.[165][166] Her report on the suburb area in Manchester caused criticism for exaggerating crime in the area.[81]
Ferguson had a producing role in the 2009 Jean-Marc Vallée film The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt and featuring a background player role for Ferguson's daughter Princess Beatrice.[167][168] It was Ferguson who conceived the idea for a film based upon the early years of Queen Victoria. Since her marriage, she had been interested in the Queen, and had written two books about her with the help of a historian. The Victoria-Albert relationship in particular drew her into the queen's history, as she believed there were parallels between their marriage and her own with Andrew, as they both "fought for their love" in the midst of public scrutiny.[167]
Ferguson had the leading role on Finding Sarah, a mini-series on Oprah Winfrey Network which premiered in June 2011. She talked about her struggles through life and financial issues in the show.[169]
In October 2025, it was reported that Ferguson had been dropped from ITV's Loose Women and This Morning as a guest after insiders said there were no plans for any future appearances.[172]
Other ventures
Ferguson at a 1997 Weight Watchers event
Ferguson's commercial interests have included an eleven-year endorsement with Weight Watchers and product development and promotion with Wedgwood and Avon.[173] In the 2000s she designed a set of tea-scented candles for Bath & Body Works, and in 2007 she raised the possibility of launching a Duchess Originals homeware range, similar to the then-Prince Charles's Duchy Originals.[174] In 2020, it was reported that she could possibly launch a lifestyle brand, Duchess Inc., and later in the year designed a range of tea and biscuits called the Duchess Collection in aid of her charity Sarah's Trust.[175][176]
In April 2020, Ferguson launched a new series on her YouTube channel, called Storytime with Fergie and Friends, in which she and a number of authors, including Nanette Newman and Imogen Edwards-Jones, read stories to children from their homes during the lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[177] From March to July 2021, the same channel showed 10 short episodes of Little Red News featuring characters from Ferguson's book series, Little Red.[178]
In May 2022, she co-founded the independent production house Vestapol Films, which is based in Paris.[179] In May 2023, she launched the weekly podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess & Sarah together with Sarah Thomson, which premiered in June 2023.[180]
Notable appearances on TV and radio
In the United Kingdom:
She participated in the programme The Grand Knockout Tournament, informally known as It's a Royal Knockout, on 15 June 1987, in which four teams sponsored by her, the then Duke of York, the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward competed for charity. The programme was criticised by the media and it was later reported that the Queen was not in favour of the event, with her courtiers having advised against it.[181]
This Morning in 2019 to discuss "Natasha's Law".[185] She guest-edited and co-hosted an episode in 2023.[186]
In the United States:
The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996 and 1999.[187][188] In 2010, she was interviewed for a special episode on the same show, titled Oprah and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, in which she discussed the "cash for access" scandal.[189]
She was caricatured in the satirical puppet show Spitting Image, "with horsey teeth amid a mane of frizzy ginger hair".[192]
The 2006 title of R&B/hip-hop artist Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson's debut solo album, The Dutchess (dutchess is a variant spelling of duchess dating to the 17th century)[193] was a reference to the fact that the two are associated with the same nickname. According to The Boston Globe, Sarah Ferguson contacted Fergie after the release of her album and remarked: "Fergie, it's Fergie... Now that you've done this, you have to sing at a concert for my foundation, 'Children in Crisis'."[194]
Between 2016 and 2020, a fictional version of her was portrayed by Katy Wix in the British sitcom The Windsors.[195]
During her marriage, Ferguson was styled "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York". On 21 August 1996, letters patent issued by Elizabeth II declared that former wives of British princes, other than widows who did not remarry, were not entitled to the style of Her Royal Highness.[49] Meanwhile, divorced peeresses (such as duchesses) cannot "claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands",[200] but may continue to use the peeress title.[201] The Royal Household referred to Ferguson as "Sarah, Duchess of York",[202][203] but on at least two occasions (the announcements of the engagements of her daughters), she was referred to together with her former husband as "The Duke and Duchess of York".[204][205]
On 17 October 2025, following her former husband Andrew's agreement to cease using his peerage titles, it was reported that Ferguson would no longer use "Duchess of York" as a courtesy title.[206] On 21 October, she removed the title from her social media page handles.[207][208]
In 2007, she received the ONE X ONE Difference Award for humanitarian work benefiting children worldwide, presented at the Toronto Film Festival.[138][140]
In June 2018, she received the Humanitarian Award at the Filming Italy Sardegna Festival for her work with Children in Crisis.[215]
In June 2019, she received the Inspiration of the Year Award at Hello!'s Star Women Awards for her work with charity organisations, including Street Child.[216]
In July 2022, she received the Global Humanitarian award at the 25th Magna Grecia Awards.[217]
In April 2023, she received the Golden Heart Award at the Women Changing the World Awards for her humanitarian work.[218]
In November 2023, she received the Red Cross International Award in recognition of her philanthropic activities.[219]
Or, growing out of a mound between two leaves three thistle stalks Vert blossomed Purpure all conjoined in base, alighting on the middle blossom a honeybee Or and Sable winged Argent.
Motto
EX ADVERSIS FELICITAS CRESCIT (Latin: From adversity grows happiness)
Other versions
During her marriage Ferguson's arms were impaled with those of her husband, Prince Andrew. They were emblazoned as follows:
Quarterly 1st and 4th gules three lions passant guardant in pale or 2nd or a lion rampant gules within a double tressure flory counterflory gules 3rd azure a harp or stringed argent; impaled with a shield Or, growing out of a mound between two leaves three thistle stalks Vert blossomed Purpure all conjoined in base, alighting on the middle blossom a honeybee Or and Sable winged Argent.
SupportersDexter a lion rampant gardant Or imperially crowned proper, sinister a unicorn argent, armed, crined and unguled Or, gorged with a coronet Or composed of crosses patée and fleurs de lis a chain affixed thereto passing between the forelegs and reflexed over the back also Or.
↑David Banks, Sarah Ferguson, the royal redhead (Dillon Press, 1987), p. 14: "From Daneshill School, she went to a private girls' boarding school called Hurst Lodge."
↑Kenny, Peter (23 August 1992). "Duchess of York leaves queen's holiday home". UPI Archives. Retrieved 6 December 2020. ... she was driven through the gates of her rented home at Romenda Lodge.
↑"From outcast to US princess: Fergie at 40". BBC News. 15 October 1999. Retrieved 4 May 2010. The infamous toe-sucking incident, which came while Ferguson was still married to Prince Andrew, outraged the British public...
123Roa, Gregory (28 July 1998). "Fergie Gets Royal Treatment at NIH". National Institutes of Health. Department of Health and Human Services. Archived from the original on 2 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
↑Betts, Hannah (19 May 2018). "The ups and downs of 'Her Royal-Naffness' Fergie – and why she's smarting over wedding 'snub'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 December 2020. As in the brilliant Channel 4 satire, The Windsors, the duchess seems to make a habit of turning up fresh from some new, mortifying escapade – now fixed in the collective consciousness as issuing actress Katy Wix's fabulously throaty "Hullo, girls" in greeting.
↑"Duchess1". hrkbenowen.com. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
↑Morris, Susan (2019). Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage 2019. Debrett's. ISBN9781999767006. When a lady is divorced she loses any precedence which she gained by marriage. With regard to divorced Peeresses, the College of Arms, acting on an opinion of the Lord Chancellor, has long held that such persons cannot claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands
↑Wyse, Elizabeth (2016). Debrett's Handbook. Debrett's. ISBN978-0992934866. If a marriage between a duke and a duchess has been dissolved, the former wife (although no longer a peeress) may continue to use her title as a duke's wife, preceded by her forename (unless she remarries)
The generations include wives of princes descended from George I, who formalised the use of the titles prince and princess for members of the British royal family.
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