Sarah, Duchess of York
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Sarah, Duchess of York (Sarah Margaret Mountbatten-Windsor, née Ferguson) born 15 October 1959, is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York. A former member of the British Royal Family and the mother of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, the Duchess is known for being at the centre of a number of tabloid scandals, as well as her more recent charity and commercial work.
Royal family
She was born as Sarah Margaret Ferguson, and due to her maiden name is often referred to as "Fergie". During her marriage she was formally styled "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York", and became "Sarah, Duchess of York" upon her divorce (the form of title normally used by the ex-wives of peers), although this style would lapse if she remarried.Sarah is a daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson and his first wife, Susan Mary Wright. Sarah comes from an aristocratic background. She is a great-great-granddaughter of the 6th Duke of Buccleuch, a great-granddaughter of the 8th Viscount Powerscourt, a direct descendant of William the Conqueror, and a step-granddaughter of Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst. Through her paternal grandmother, Lady Elmhirst (née Marian Montagu-Douglas-Scott), she also is a distant cousin of Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, an aunt of Queen Elizabeth II.
She married The Prince Andrew, Duke of York, on 23 July 1986, and they had two daughters, Beatrice (b. 1988) and Eugenie (b. 1990), before divorcing in 1996. They agreed to share joint custody of their two children. Despite their divorce, the couple remain very good friends and reside together when their children are not in school.
Sarah has denied any infidelity during her marriage and maintained it was only tabloid gossip. After her divorce she did have a relationship with Tuscan aristocrat, Count Gaddo della Gherardesca. After that relationship ended, the Duchess admitted she never really dated anyone, at least not seriously. Her personal life is forever keeping her in the gossip columns as frequently and as prominently as her business endeavours and personal candour.
After the divorce
After her divorce she continued to struggle with her weight, under intense media spotlight, and saw many publications dub her unflatteringly as "The Duchess of Pork" [link]. The press criticism was constant, focusing not only on her weight but also on her lifestyle and perceived extravagance. Sarah now attracts far less intrusive and unflattering media reports. Since her divorce she has determinedly rebuilt her life with a successful media and commercial career.Having lost weight and discovered a new confidence, Sarah felt able to pass on her experience to others as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers, replacing Lynn Redgrave, who referred to the situation as "Rent-a-Royal". Her other commercial interests in the USA include fronting publicity campaigns for Ocean Spray Juice, Wedgwood China and Westfield Malls, drawing crowds of thousands at promotional events. These activities, as well as the success of her many books, allowed Sarah to overcome the huge multi-million pound debts that she ran up in the 80s and early 90s to the Queen's creditors within a year. She is now financially independent, although she avoids commercial activity in Britain so as not to upset the Royal Family.
Since her divorce, Sarah has hosted her own talk show, although this did not meet with a great deal of success. It did, however, lead to further broadcasting and advertising work on American television, especially with popular CNN talk show host Larry King. She had a cameo (as herself) in the 1998 season finale of the hugely popular American sitcom Friends, in an episode where the principal characters visited London. She has raised funds for children's charities, most notably as the official US spokesperson for the international charity SOS Children's Villages. Sarah also heads two charities of her own, 'Chances for Children' and 'Children in Crisis', and has spent time in Sierra Leone, meeting children wounded or orphaned by the civil war, and raising money and awareness of the cause.
Sarah, Duchess of York is also an author. Her best-selling autobiography, My Story (1996) tells of the transition from (relatively) ordinary country girl to Royal Duchess, and the struggles with her own self-esteem in the face of constant media criticism. 'What I Know Now; Simple Lessons Learned the Hard Way' (2003) is also autobiographical, but has a very different context. In it, Sarah relates to her readers short anecdotes, each demonstating a particular 'life lesson' or view of the world. Alongside several guides to dieting, she has published many children's books. In 1987, she was inspired by the helicopter lessons she was taking to create the character of 'Budgie the Helicopter'. The plot, style and illustration of the first Budgie book was alleged to be remarkably similar to an existing children's book, Hector the Helicopter by Arthur W. Baldwin. "It is difficult for us to say that anything has been literally copied," wrote Jane Moore, group legal adviser of Reed International Books in a letter, "but if this was not a major source of inspiration for the Budgie books then it is a remarkable coincidence"1. Reed International did not pursue a claim for copyright infringement, and Sarah has always vigorously denied accusations of plagiarism. In recent years, she has created a second children's character, 'Lil' Red'. Furthermore, Sarah revealed in a recent interview with London's Evening Standard that she is writing an adult novel entitled 'Hartmoor', in which the heroine, Lady Margaret Hartmoor, is a kind of 17th century alter ego of the author herself. (Margaret is an echo of her own middle name).
In her leisure time, Sarah is a keen equestrian, a passion that came from her childhood on her parents' farm in the Hampshire countryside. She is a qualified pilot and also enjoys skiing, painting, and spending time with her two daughters. She relishes her summer holidays when she "recharges the batteries". She has no permanent home as such, as her commercial activities require constant travel, but spends time at her ex-husband's home, Royal Lodge, Windsor, and an apartment in Manhattan.
Her divorce from Prince Andrew has always been amicable. They have a system of "co-parenting" their daughters and still enjoy each other's company. The Duchess encourages her children in their role as royal princesses and formally withdrew attending royal functions to avoid akwardness between herself and the Royal Family. Her relationship with the Queen is cordial although Prince Philip hasent spoken to her in years, and is said that he cant stand to be in the same room with her, this might have lead the Queen and Philip from attending the 18th birthday party of their granddaughter Beatrice, at which it is said was devistated that they refused to attend. she attempts to avoid talking about the Royal Family in interviews. That being said, as of late the Duchess has been somewhat drawn back into the Royal fold when Prince Charles requested that she sit with the family during Ascot. Additionally, the Duchess attended the funerals of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Diana, Princess of Wales, at the request of the Royal Family. In 2005 she was invited to have tea with the Queen at Balmoral and in June 2006 attended the procession of Prince Andrew as he was invested as a Royal Knight.
In her autobiography, Sarah, Duchess of York, proclaimed, "I was never cut out for royalty ... I have my life back, and I will not let go of it. And I just might live rather happily ever after."
Titles from birth
Her styles in chronological order are:
- Miss Sarah Ferguson (1959-1986)
- Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York (1986-1996)
- Sarah, Duchess of York (1996- )
Selected works
- Budgie: The Little Helicopter
- Budgie: At Bendick's Point
- Budgie Goes To Sea
- Budgie And The Blizzard
- The Royal Switch
- Bright Lights
- Friends the one in london
Cultural References
She is mentioned In the BBC sitcom series, "Bottom", the episode entitled "Digger". When Richie and Eddie are at a Dating Agency, Eddie says to their rep: "And what have you got for me ... ?", the answer being "Sarah Ferguson!" to which he replies, "Do you mind, I'm a respectable man! Come Richie, while we still have our dignity."
External links
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