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| Born | Sarah Margaret Ferguson (1959-10-15)15 October 1959 (age 66) London, England |
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Sarah Margaret Ferguson (born 15 October 1959), formerlySarah, Duchess of York, and commonly known by the nicknameFergie, is a British author and the former wife ofAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor (then Prince Andrew, Duke of York), the second son ofQueen Elizabeth II and younger brother ofKing Charles III.
Ferguson was raised inDummer, 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, andthey were married on 23 July 1986 atWestminster Abbey, upon which she becameDuchess of York. They have two daughters:Princess Beatrice andPrincess 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 theTeenage Cancer Trust from 1990 to 2025 and foundedChildren in Crisis andSarah'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 offenderJeffrey Epstein led to the termination of her roles as patron and spokesperson for multiple charities. In October 2025, Ferguson ceased using thecourtesy title Duchess of York following Andrew's announcement that he would no longer use hispeerage titles.
Sarah Margaret Ferguson was born on 15 October 1959 atLondon Welbeck Hospital,London. She is the second daughter ofMajor Ronald Ferguson (1931–2003) andSusan Barrantes (née Wright; 1937–1998).[1][2] She has one older full sister, Jane. After Ferguson's parents divorced in 1974, her mother married polo playerHéctor Barrantes in 1975[3] and moved toTrenque Lauquen in the Argentinepampas. Ferguson stayed at the 480-acre (1.9 km2) Dummer Down Farm atDummer, Hampshire, her father's home since age 8.[4][5] Major Ferguson married Susan Deptford in 1976 and had three more children: Andrew, Alice, and Elizabeth. Ferguson later mentioned that at the age of 12, when her parents' marriage started to fall apart, she developed an eating disorder and "turned toovereating for comfort".[6]
Ferguson, known informally as "Fergie", once described her family as "country gentry with a bit ofold money". She is a descendant of KingCharles II of England via three of his illegitimate children:Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond;James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth;[7] andAnne Lennard, Countess of Sussex. She has aristocratic ancestry, being the great-great-granddaughter of the6th Duke of Buccleuch, a great-granddaughter of the8th Viscount Powerscourt, and a descendant of the1st Duke of Abercorn and the4th Duke of Devonshire.[5][8] Ferguson is distantly related to Andrew, as they are both descended from the Duke of Devonshire as well as KingJames VI and I.[5]
Ferguson attended Daneshill preparatory school inStratfield Turgis, Hampshire. The staff of the school described her as a "courageous, bubbly and outgoing little girl".[5] She then attendedHurst Lodge School in Ascot.[9] She did not shine academically but showed talent in swimming and tennis.[5] At a young age, she developed an interest inskiing and later worked briefly as achalet girl.[10] In her teenage years, she worked both as a cleaner and waitress.[11] After finishing a course at Queen's Secretarial College at the age of 18,[12] Ferguson went to work for an art gallery.[5] Later she worked in two public relations firms in London, and then for a publishing company.[5] Prior to marriage, she dated Kim Smith-Bingham, a stockbroker, andPaddy McNally, a motor racing manager more than 20 years her senior.[5][13]
On 19 March 1986, Prince Andrew of the United Kingdom (fourth in line to the throne at the time) and Sarah Ferguson announced their engagement.[14] Andrew had known Ferguson since childhood, and they had met occasionally atpolo matches and became reacquainted with each other atRoyal Ascot in 1985.[5][15] Also prior to their engagement, Ferguson had accompaniedDiana, Princess of Wales, during her official tour of Andrew's shipHMS Brazen.[5][7] Andrew designed the engagement ring himself. It consisted of ten diamonds surrounding a Burmese ruby. He chose the Burmese ruby to complement Ferguson's red hair.[16] Her friendly approach and fun spirit made her a welcomed addition to the royal family.[5][7]
After securing the Queen's consent (which at that time was required by theRoyal Marriages Act 1772 for all descendants ofKing George II), Andrew and Ferguson were married inWestminster Abbey on 23 July 1986. The Queen bestowed the titleDuke of York upon Andrew, and, as his new wife, Ferguson automatically assumed her husband's royal and ducal status and becameHer Royal Highness The Duchess of York. AsDuchess of York, she joined her husband in carrying out royal engagements, including official overseas visits.
In 1987, Andrew and Ferguson undertook a 25-day tour of Canada.[17] In February 1987, Ferguson got a private pilot's licence and, after passing a 40-hour training course that was paid for byLord Hanson as a wedding gift, was presented with herwings atRAF Benson in December.[18][19]
On 22 January 1988, during a trip 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 was screaming "murderers 3/8" and had the Irish Republican Army flag in his hands when he rushed at Ferguson, was charged with "attempted assault on the Duchess and assault on a federal agent".[20] Later, a State Department press officer stated that "she was unharmed in the incident".[20]
In March 1988, the two visited California.[21] The trip was described by two British newspapers as a "brash, vulgar, excessive, weak-humored exhibition by two royals".[21] The couple was defended by city officials of Los Angeles who stated that the criticism was "awful" and offensive, and observers described the Duke and his wife's behaviour as friendly and said that they fulfilled their duties.[21]
In May 1989, Ferguson went on an official solo trip to Berlin.[22]
The couple became parents on 8 August 1988, with the birth of their daughterBeatrice. Ferguson suffered fromhigh blood pressure and excessivewater retention during her pregnancy.[23] In September, Ferguson joined her husband in Australia for an official visit. The decision to leave her newborn daughter at home in the UK while she was touring the country brought her criticism from the press and media.[24] Their second child, another daughter,Eugenie, was born on 23 March 1990 bycaesarean section.[25][26] During her marriage, the tabloid press ridiculed the Duchess of York for her weight (which climbed to 15 stone 10 pounds (100 kg) (220 lbs) during her first pregnancy), labelling her the "Duchess of Pork" and "Fat Fergie".[27][23] She vowed to lose weight after the birth of her first daughter.[28] In 1989, Ferguson was credited with kickstarting the UK popularity of exercise regimeCallanetics after it was widely reported that founderCallan Pinckney had given her private tuition.[29] She received praise for her weight loss and some criticism for not gaining enough weight during her second pregnancy.[30] She later discussed the negative effect of the press stories about her weight on her self-esteem and added that they made her eating disorder worse.[6]
BiographerSarah Bradford described how Andrew's duties as a naval officer required him to stay away from home for long periods.[31] According to Ferguson's account, the couple saw each other 40 days a year in the first five years of their marriage.[32] By 1991, the marriage was in trouble, as Ferguson was finding life as a member of the royal family increasingly difficult. Her friendship with Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt (son ofLynn Wyatt) gained much publicity when photographs, including one of Wyatt with Ferguson's toddler daughter, appeared in newspapers in January 1992.[33] The Duke and Duchess of York announced theirseparation on 19 March 1992.[34] Following the separation, the palace announced that Ferguson would no longer carry out public engagements on behalf of the Queen.[34] Furthermore, the Queen announced in a statement that she would not take responsibility for Ferguson's debts.[31] Ferguson separated her residence from her husband and moved to Romenda Lodge on theWentworth Estate, Surrey, in 1992.[35]
In August 1992, the BritishtabloidDaily Mirror published surreptitiously taken photographs of John Bryan, an American financial manager, kissing Ferguson's toes as she sunbathed topless.[36][37] Ferguson endured widespread public ridicule, contributing to her further estrangement from the British royal family.[38] French magazineParis Match was ordered to pay £84,000 in damages for publishing the photographs, though the original amount sought was £1.32 million.[39] On 28 March 1993, it was announced that the formal separation agreement between the Duke and Duchess had been settled, despite months of speculation that the couple might be reconciling.[40] In 1995, Andrew's auntPrincess Margaret, who had received a bouquet of flowers sent by Ferguson, reportedly wrote in a letter to Ferguson: "You have done more to bring shame on the family than could ever have been imagined".[41]
Reports and speculation about the couple reuniting continued into late 1995,[42] ending when the Duke and Duchess announced their mutual decision to divorce in April 1996. In the years after her divorce, Ferguson claimed that she had received £15,000 a year as a divorce settlement and cited her deal as a spokeswoman withWeight Watchers as her main "source of income".[41][43][44] However, subsequent information given by senior officials toThe Sunday Telegraph revealed that she had received £350,000 in cash, £500,000 from the Queen to buy a new house for her and the children, and a monthly allowance that was estimated to have reached £500,000 in total by 2010.[45] The couple shared custody of their children.[46] In November 1996, Ferguson published her autobiographySarah: My Story and embarked on a promotional tour to support it. On a US chat show she implied she and Andrew had had an open relationship, and that throughout the marriage and separation "He always knew exactly what was going on", she said. "It's not a one-way street. We respect each other's space."[47][48] In a 2007 interview, as to 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."[49]
Thedecree nisi was granted on 17 April 1996 and the divorce was finalised on 30 May 1996,[50][51] after which she legally retained the styleHer Royal Highness with the style of other divorced peeresses. However, it was announced in April that Ferguson had chosen not to use the styleHer Royal Highness and would relinquish it under the divorce terms.[50] In accordance withletters patent issued in August 1996 regulating post-divorce royal titles, she formally ceased being aRoyal Highness.[52]
Since her divorce, Ferguson has attended some functions with her daughters, such as the investitures of Andrew into theRoyal Victorian Order and theOrder of the Garter, andRoyal Ascot, and on those occasions, she is afforded the courtesy of treatment as a member of the royal family.[53] She hinted at the idea of remarrying Andrew in several interviews.[54] In August 2013, she was invited to stay atBalmoral Castle with Andrew and their daughters as guests of the Queen, and in September 2013, in response to a question about the possibility of remarrying Andrew, Ferguson said, "He's still my handsome prince, he'll always be my handsome prince."[55][56]
She was not invited to the1999 wedding ofPrince Edward andSophie Rhys-Jones or the2011 wedding ofPrince William andCatherine Middleton,[54][57][58] but she attended thewedding ofPrince Harry andMeghan Markle in 2018. However, she did not receive an invitation to the evening reception atFrogmore House hosted byPrince Charles, and was reportedly "deeply upset" by her exclusion.[59]
TheLord Chamberlain's Office listed Ferguson as a member of the royal family until November 2025, along with other extended family members such asDaniel Chatto andMike Tindall.[60] As of June 2023[update] she is not, however, listed on a section of the royal family's website titled "Members of the Royal Family".[61] She attended thestate funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, and was seated by her daughters' side, but she was not invited to thecoronation of King Charles III in May 2023.[62][63]
On 25 December 2023, Ferguson joined the royal family for Christmas atSt Mary Magdalene Church, Sandringham, marking her first attendance at the service since 1992.[64]
After the divorce, the British tabloids continued to cover Ferguson's lifestyle. In 1995, a baggage handler atJohn F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City pleaded guilty to stealing her $382,000 diamond necklace and bracelet.[65][66]
Her first autobiography,My Story, was published in 1996 to poor reviews.[67] Another autobiography,Finding Sarah: A Duchess's Journey to Find Herself, was published in 2011 and discussed her financial and public troubles.[68]
Until 2004, Andrew and his former wife shared the family's home,Sunninghill Park in Berkshire.[69] That year, the Duke moved to the refurbishedRoyal Lodge inWindsor Great Park, previously the home of his grandmother,Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who resided there until her death in 2002. In 2007, Ferguson rented Dolphin House inEnglefield Green, less than a mile from Royal Lodge;[70] a small fire in the bathroom at Dolphin House in 2008[71] caused her to vacate the premises and move into Royal Lodge with her former husband.[72]
In 2015, Ferguson was reported to have moved out of Royal Lodge and assumed residence inVerbier, Switzerland, where she and Andrew owned a £13 millionchalet.[73] She applied for Swiss residency in 2016.[74] As of 2016 she maintained a rented apartment inEaton Square in London.[75] In 2025, she sold a townhouse in London'sBelgravia for £3.85 million, which she purchased in 2022 for £4.25 million.[76] The property was originally bought as an investment for her daughters, rented out to a tenant, and then sold.[76] She continued to primarily reside at Royal Lodge until October 2025 when Buckingham Palace announced that formal notice had been served to Andrew to surrender his lease and Ferguson would be making her own living arrangements.[77]
As one of the victims of theNews International phone hacking scandal which came into public notice in 2006, Ferguson received an undisclosed amount in an out-of-court settlement.[78] In April 2016, she was named in thePanama Papers.[79]
In the mid-1990s, Ferguson reportedly had a £4.2 million deficit in her bank account which she paid off by going on "a four-year earning spree" in the United States.[45][46]
In 2006, Ferguson used the money she had earned from her career as a film producer and writer to found Hartmoor LLC in the US.[80] A lifestyle company, it was set to help with her "career in publishing, media and public speaking".[81] The company collapsed in 2009, leaving Ferguson with a debt of £630,000.[81] Later in the same year, it was revealed 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] It was reported in August 2010 that Ferguson might declare voluntary bankruptcy with debts of £5 million,[82] though other sources had suggested she owed about £2 million.[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, Fernandez allegedly withdrew large sums and left the country, and the charity never conducted any work and was shut down.[84] 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]
In June 2019, Andrew arranged a private tour of Buckingham Palace forJay 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".[85] 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.[85] 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.[85] 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.[85] 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.[85] Bloom and Evers regularly visited London in 2019, meeting the York family frequently.[85] Bloom also made a second palace visit in July 2019.[85] 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.[85] Court documents showed Andrew also received £60,500 traced to Gleave's businesses, though neither explained the payments.[85]
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.[86] 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;[86] interest had increased this to £6.8 million.[87] Despite reports that the Queen would assist them, a spokesperson for Andrew confirmed that she "will not be stepping in to settle the debt".[88]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.[89] 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.[87]
In March 2011, it was reported thatJeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, had helped Ferguson avoid bankruptcy by paying £15,000 to an employee to whom she owed money.[90] The payments were reportedly made after intervention from Andrew, who hada close friendship with Epstein for which he came under scrutiny in 2019.[91] She later admitted getting money from Epstein and called it a "gigantic error".[92] In the summer of 2011,Finding Sarah aired on the OWN network. One episode of the U.S.-filmed reality series depicted Ferguson meeting withSuze Orman, the internationally known financial advisor, receiving from Orman a strict lecture and practical advice on how to resolve her financial issues.[93] 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".[94][95][96]
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.[97] 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.[98] 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.[99][100]
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.[101] A representative for Ferguson stated that neither she nor her daughters had any recollections of such a visit.[102] 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".[102] 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.[101][102]
In May 2010, Ferguson was filmed by theNews of the World offeringMazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter posing as an Indian businessman, access to Andrew for £500,000.[103] 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".[104] She is seen taking away a briefcase containing £40,000 in cash. Exposure surrounding the incident increased her public profile and notoriety.[105]
Sterling Publishers substantially increased the print run ofAshley Learns About Strangers, Sarah's latest book for children; however, the notoriety did not translate into additional book sales.[106] In an interview withOprah Winfrey, titledOprah 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".[107] 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.[108]
In November 2016, it was reported that Ferguson intended to sueNews Group Newspapers (parent company of theNews of the World) and its ownerRupert Murdoch for £25 million in damages citing her "loss in earnings" as well as the subsequent "distress" that the media sting brought to her as the main reasons.[109] In January 2018, it was reported that the actual amount Ferguson was seeking was £45 million.[110]
In March 2022 it was reported that the wife of jailed Turkish politicianİlhan İşbilen alleged that Ferguson received at least £225,000 from businessman Selman Turk, whom Mrs İşbilen is suing for fraud.[111] 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".[112] 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.[112]
On 13 January 2012, theMinistry 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.[113] These charges carry sentences of up to 22 years imprisonment. Turkey and Britain have an extradition treaty; however, Home Office officials have stated:[114]
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.[115][116]
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.[117][118]
In June 2023, it was announced that Ferguson had been diagnosed with an early form ofbreast cancer following a routinemammogram. She successfully underwent a singlemastectomy atKing Edward VII's Hospital, and her doctors stated her prognosis as "good".[119][120] She also underwentreconstructive surgery following her mastectomy.[121]
In January 2024, it was announced that Ferguson had been diagnosed withmelanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.[122]
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 theTeenage Cancer Trust. Over those years, she opened many of the charity's specialist units, including those atMiddlesex Hospital,University College London,St James's University Hospital, Cardiff University Hospital and Royal Marsden Hospital.[123] She began her work with people suffering frommotor neurone disease in the 1990s. In her capacity as patron of theMotor Neurone Disease Association, she promoted fundraising campaigns for research about the disease and later became president of the International Alliance forALS.[124][125] To help and support those affected by drug misuse, she joined therapy sessions at theChemical Dependency Centre and was later made their patron.[125] In 1993, Ferguson foundedChildren in Crisis, a children's charity focused on education and grant making to international programmes. She serves as founder and life president.[126] She founded the charity after meeting a young cancer victim named Ania during her visit to Poland in 1992.[127]
In December 1994, Ferguson went to the US to take part in a fundraising event forPeace Links and to launch her own charity, Chances for Children, in the US.[128] Her decision to launch a fundraising event for her charity in the US was criticised by the British press, who claimed that through herBudgie 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.[128] The claims were denied by Ferguson's representative,[128] 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".[125] "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.[129]
In June 1998, Ferguson made a brief trip toBethesda to receive an award from theJournal of Women's Health.[130] She also visited theNational Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center.[130] 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."[130] Ferguson, whose elder daughter Beatrice was diagnosed withdyslexia at the age of seven, became a patron of Springboard for Children, a charity that helps students who struggle with reading and writing.[131] Ferguson has also described herself as "a little bit dyslexic".[131]
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In 2003, Ferguson joined theAmerican Cancer Society at a congressional briefing. She was a founding supporter of the American Cancer Society's Great American Weigh In,[132] 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 ofSOS Children's Villages – USA and in 2005 she became a global ambassador forRonald McDonald House Charities.[133][134] In 2006, she established The Sarah Ferguson Foundation[135] 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, includingMental Disability Rights International, the African-Caribbean Leukaemia Trust, Tommy's, theMotor Neurone Disease Association, andCARE International.[136] 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 bySir 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.[137] In 2008, Ferguson became patron of Humanitas, a charity focused on providing children with education, healthcare and family support.[138] In the same year, she became an ambassador for New York mayorMichael Bloomberg's anti-poverty campaign.[139] In 2010, Ferguson became a supporter of the Mullany Fund,[140] 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.[141] 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 retailerTopshop. In 2014, Ferguson was appointed an ambassador for the Institute of Global Health Innovation atImperial College London.[142][143] 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.[144]
In 2016, Ferguson collaborated with British contemporary artistTeddy 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. BritishGQ magazine published an exclusive on the creation of the painting.[145] 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.[146]
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".[147] 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,[147] and her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are the ambassadors.[127]
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.[148][149] 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".[150]
In June 2020, Ferguson launched her new charitable foundation calledSarah's Trust. The charity provided aid forNHS, care home and hospice staff by delivering more than 150,000 items, including food, masks, scrubs, and toiletries.[151] 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.[152] In March 2022, Ferguson visitedDenver after being chosen as the keynote speaker at a Junior League of Denver fundraiser.[153] In the same month, she travelled to Poland amid theRussian invasion of Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian refugees and help her charity the Sarah's Trust in organising goods donated by UK citizens.[154] In the following month, she travelled to Albania and met Afghan refugees at a resort inGolem.[155] 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.[156] In July 2022, her charity secured money to fund £14,000-worth of computers for Ukrainian refugees in Poland.[157] She also helped with setting up the 'Play in a Box' tent inUpper Silesia to host refugee children for reading, playing, and baking.[157] In December 2022, she hosted a choir for the blind fromKharkiv'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.[158]
In March 2024, Ferguson co-chaired theGlobal Citizen NOW summit in Melbourne, Australia with the aim to end extreme poverty and address the climate crisis.[159]
In 2000, Ferguson co-produced and served as presenter in a documentary for BBC television calledIn Search of the Spirit.[160] In September 2003, she was a co-host for three days onBBC Radio 2's afternoon showSteve Wright.[161] In May 2004, Ferguson hosted an eleven-minute production featurette on Universal's DVDPeter Pan, titledThe Legacy of Pan.[137] Five months later,Walt Disney Feature Animation released a DVD shortThe Cat That Looked at a King, with Ferguson's voice in the role of the Queen;[137] the story is derived from theMary Poppins books byP. L. Travers.
In 2008, Ferguson was a special correspondent toNBC'sToday for which she presented segments for a series called "From the Heart".[137][139] In May 2008, her two-part filmThe Duchess in Hull premiered on ITV1, showing Ferguson helping a family on acouncil estate inHull to improve their lifestyle.[162] In the same year she travelled to Romania and Turkey for the documentaryDuchess 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.[163] In August 2009, her documentaryThe Duchess on the Estate, which was aboutNorthern Moor, Manchester, was shown on the same network.[164][165] Her report on the suburb area in Manchester caused criticism for exaggerating crime in the area.[81]
Ferguson had a producing role in the 2009Jean-Marc Vallée filmThe Young Victoria, starringEmily Blunt and featuring a background player role for Ferguson's daughter Princess Beatrice.[166][167] It was Ferguson who conceived the idea for a film based upon the early years ofQueen 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.[166]
Ferguson had the leading role onFinding Sarah, a mini-series onOprah Winfrey Network which premiered in June 2011. She talked about her struggles through life and financial issues in the show.[168]
In 2019, Ferguson said that she was producing a TV documentary aboutPrince Albert's motherPrincess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The documentary would focus on her life, particularly her separation from her husbandErnest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.[169][needs update] In July 2020, it was reported that Ferguson had been a judge on the pilot forFox'sDancing with Horses but the production and distribution were halted due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[170]
In October 2025, it was reported that Ferguson had been dropped from ITV'sLoose Women andThis Morning as a guest after insiders said there were no plans for any future appearances.[171]
Ferguson's commercial interests have included an eleven-year endorsement withWeight Watchers and product development and promotion withWedgwood andAvon.[172] In the 2000s she designed a set of tea-scented candles forBath & Body Works, and in 2007 she raised the possibility of launching a Duchess Originals homeware range, similar to the then-Prince Charles'sDuchy Originals.[173] 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.[174][175]
In April 2020, Ferguson launched a new series on her YouTube channel, calledStorytime with Fergie and Friends, in which she and a number of authors, includingNanette Newman andImogen Edwards-Jones, read stories to children from their homes during the lockdowns due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[176] From March to July 2021, the same channel showed 10 short episodes ofLittle Red News featuring characters from Ferguson's book series,Little Red.[177]
In May 2022, she co-founded the independent production house Vestapol Films, which is based in Paris.[178] In May 2023, she launched the weekly podcastTea Talks with the Duchess & Sarah together with Sarah Thomson, which premiered in June 2023.[179]
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 ofHer Royal Highness.[52] Meanwhile,divorced peeresses (such asduchesses) cannot "claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands",[199] but may continue to use the peeress title.[200] TheRoyal Household referred to Ferguson as "Sarah, Duchess of York",[201][202] 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".[203][204]
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.[205] On 21 October, she removed the title from her social media page handles.[206][207]
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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. CoronetCoronet of a child of the sovereign |
| Name | Birth | Marriage | Children | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Spouse | |||
| Princess Beatrice | 8 August 1988 | 17 July 2020 | Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi | Sienna Mapelli Mozzi Athena Mapelli Mozzi |
| Princess Eugenie | 23 March 1990 | 12 October 2018 | Jack Brooksbank | August Brooksbank Ernest Brooksbank |
... she was driven through the gates of her rented home at Romenda Lodge.
The infamous toe-sucking incident, which came while Ferguson was still married to Prince Andrew, outraged the British public...
Members of the Royal Family... Annex D - Royal Family
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 actressKaty Wix's fabulously throaty "Hullo, girls" in greeting.
When a lady is divorced she loses any precedence which she gained by marriage. With regard to divorced Peeresses, theCollege of Arms, acting on an opinion of theLord Chancellor, has long held that such persons cannot claim the privileges or status of Peeresses which they derived from their husbands
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)
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chancellor of theUniversity of Salford 1991–1995 | Succeeded by |
