Buckingham Palace is increasingly uneasy as Sarah Ferguson
weighs a series of lucrative proposals for a televised interview,
her first since she lost her courtesy title of Duchess of York.
Broadcasters in the United States are understood to have put
forward offers in the six-figure range, while interest has also
come from networks in the Gulf and the UK. Her team is said to be
assessing the bids with care, amid concerns that any appearance
would inevitably reopen the controversies surrounding both her
former husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and her own connection
to Jeffrey Epstein.
Sources close to the Palace say officials are nervous about what
the 66-year-old might choose to reveal now that she is no longer
bound by royal expectations. One insider suggested that, in the
absence of formal ties to the monarchy, the former duchess may feel
freer to speak candidly.
The insider told The Sun:
“There’s a danger of her going rogue and saying things that could
cause embarrassment for King Charles and Queen Camilla, or other
members of the family.”
Another royal source told the publication that the Palace would
have little control over the narrative should Ferguson decide to
proceed with a high-profile interview, saying: “The royals are
bound to worry at the prospect ‘but there’s not much they can do to
stop her.”
Ferguson is said to be “taking stock” of her options, with
advisers fully aware that any interview would define her future
public image.
Several people familiar with discussions suggested she feels she
has been treated harshly. She gave up her courtesy title when her
former husband said he would no longer use the title of Duke of
York. He has since lost that title for good after The King asked
the Lord Chancellor to strike it from the Roll of Peerage.
She is now known as Sarah Ferguson, her maiden name.
Another blow was the loss of her long time home at Royal Lodge.
She shared the thirty room residence in Windsor Great Park with
Andrew for decades but he has now surrendered the lease and will
move to a home on the Sandringham estate, provided by The King.
Sarah Ferguson is understood to be making her own arrangements for
her home after Royal Lodge.
Her supporters argue she has long wished to explain her position
regarding Epstein, whom she once described in an email as a
“supreme friend”. The fallout from that comment—along with the
pulping of her recent children’s book—has placed considerable
financial pressure on her.
One insider said: “Sarah is actually quite keen to answer
questions as she strongly believes she’s done nothing wrong, and
been harshly treated.”
For Buckingham Palace, the uncertainty over what the former
duchess does next is deeply unwelcome. After months of attempting
to restore stability following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s fall
from grace, the prospect of a high-profile, unscripted interview by
his former wife has revived anxieties at the very moment the King
hopes to draw a line under the affair.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source royalcentral.co.uk ’
