Sarah, Duchess of York

Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959) is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She was married to Queen Elizabeth II's second son, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, from 1986 to 1996.

She is often popularly referred to as "Fergie", a common nickname for people named Ferguson.

The Duchess is the daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson and Susan Mary Wright Barrantes, both now deceased. Her children, Princess Beatrice of York and Princess Eugenie of York, are respectively fifth and sixth in line of succession to the British Throne.

Early life

Sarah Margaret Ferguson is the second daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson and his first wife, Susan Mary Wright. Sarah's older sister is Jane Ferguson. After Sarah's parents divorced in 1972, her mother remarried polo player Hector Barrantes and moved to Trenque Lauquen in the Argentine pampas. Sarah stayed at the 480-acre Dummer Down Farm at Dummer in Hampshire, her father's home since age 8. Major Ferguson remarried and had three more children.

Sarah attended a senior boarding school that specialised in ballet. After graduating from Queen's Secretarial College at the age of eighteen, Sarah went to work in a public relations firm in London. Later she worked for an art gallery, and then a publishing company. She says she lived simply, in a £30-a-week room in Clapham (Lavender Hill), and wondered how to pay her bills. But she did have a jet-setting social life, and took frequent ski trips to Switzerland. Her boyfriends included a racing car driver, Paddy McNally.

Ancestry

The Duchess once described her family as "country gentry with a bit of old money." She has aristocratic ancestry, being descended from both the Royal Stuart and Tudor houses. On her father's side, Sarah is a descendant of King Charles II of England via two of his illegitimate sons, Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond, and James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth. She is a second great-granddaughter of William Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch and a great-granddaughter of Mervyn Wingfield, 8th Viscount Powerscourt. Her paternal grandmother was Marian Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, a first cousin of Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott, who became, after her wedding to Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester and an aunt-by-marriage of Queen Elizabeth.

Marriage

This article is missing information about "the couple". This concern has been noted on the talk page where it may be discussed whether or not to include such information.

Early in 1986, the couple were engaged, and they married in Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986. The Queen bestowed the title of Duke of York upon Prince Andrew. Sarah automatically assumed her husband's royal and ducal status and became Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York. With her marriage, she also became a princess of the United Kingdom, a status she later lost on her divorce.

The Duke and Duchess of York had two children during their marriage: Princess Beatrice of York (born 1988) and Princess Eugenie of York (born 1990)

End of the marriage

"Fergie" at the Royal Welsh Show, 1991

By 1992, the marriage was in trouble, and the couple had drifted apart. While her husband was away on naval or royal duties, the Duchess was frequently seen in the company of other men, notably Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson finally agreed to separate in January 1992. In August 1992, surreptitiously taken photographs of John Bryan, an American financial manager — apparently in the act of sucking the toes of a topless Sarah — were published in the British tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror. The Duchess endured widespread public ridicule contributing to her further estrangement from the British Royal Family. After four years of official separation, the Duke and Duchess made the mutual decision to divorce in 1996. They have, however, remained close and have shared in the upbringing and support of their two daughters.

After the divorce

During her marriage, the former Sarah Ferguson was dubbed 'the Duchess of Pork' by the tabloid press after her weight climbed to 220 pounds. After her divorce, the British tabloids became critical of, among other things, the Duchess' alleged extravagant lifestyle,, the British press remains critical: According to the Scotsman, "The Royal Family was so embarrassed by her behaviour and by the extravagant lifestyle that resulted in her running up a £4m debt, they still treat her like an untouchable more than a decade after her divorce from Prince Andrew. In the wider world, every project she undertakes – from writing books about Budgie the Helicopter to talking about her life on Shrink Rap with Dr Pamela Connolly, is greeted with a sneer; every pronouncement she makes about her life experiences, ridiculed." Having forgone a large divorce settlement in the hope of maintaining a civil relationship with the royal family, the Duchess set out to establish a commercial and media career in the United States. She felt strongly that she should not work commercially in Britain and opted to commute regularly between her home outside London and her commitments in the US.[citation needed] In 1996, at the time of her divorce from Prince Andrew, the British newspapers reported rumours that Sarah Ferguson ran an overdraft exceeding £1 million at Coutts, the Royal Bank, and possibly a debt as high as nearly £5 million. Through lucrative American contracts, she had cleared these debts by 1998.

Having lost weight, the Duchess became U.S. spokesperson for Weight Watchers International. She also brought attention to child obesity and called for efforts to address this problem.

The Duchess's other commercial interests have included endorsement and product development for consumer brands such as Wedgwood china and Avon. She is also a public speaker represented by agencies such as the Washington Speakers Bureau. Her speeches cover subjects ranging from empowerment and personal growth to health advocacy and international charity. Over the course of several years, these activities, as well as the success of her twenty-six books, have allowed the Duchess to more than overcome the multi-million pound debts she amassed in the 80s and 90s.

In 2003, the Duchess commented, "I love the fact that Americans embrace me. I said I was sorry for whatever I had done in the UK, and they embraced me and said, 'OK, we'll give you a second chance.' And they have given me my life back, the American people." By then, she received fewer intrusive and unflattering media reports in the UK.

Until 2004, The Duke of York and his former wife shared the family’s home, Sunninghill Park, located outside London. That same year, the Duke moved to the refurbished Royal Lodge, previously the home of his grandmother, who resided there until her death in 2002. In 2007, the Duchess rented Dolphin House, so that the Duke and Duchess are now next-door neighbours. However, in 2008 fire broke out in the Duchess' home and she vacated the residence, moving into Royal Lodge with the Duke of York, placing the two once again in the same home.

When the Duchess's mother, Susan Barrantes née Wright, died in 1998, it was revealed that the Duchess had split her divorce settlement with her mother and had also contributed financially to the upkeep of the Barrantes ranch in Argentina, since Susan Barrantes had been struggling for years to keep her late husband's polo farm. The Duchess and her sister Jane have cleared the debts.

The Duchess's known boyfriends have included John Bryan and Count Gaddo della Gheradesca.

In August 2008, the Duchess was invited by Queen Elizabeth to spend a weekend with her at the Royal Family's summer retreat, Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The invitation was a breakthrough in the long-chilly relationship between the Duchess and the Royal Family. The holiday weekend was intended to celebrate Princess Beatrice's birthday.

High Court claim for unpaid fees

In April 2010, a claim against the Duchess was made by Davenport Lyons, a leading London firm of solicitors, for a reported £200,000 in unpaid fees.

News of the World sting

In May 2010 the Duchess was filmed offering access to Prince Andrew for £500,000 by Mazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter from the News of the World newspaper who was posing as an Indian businessman. On the video that the reporter made, which is publicly available, she said, "£500,000 when you can, to me, open doors". She is seen taking away a briefcase containing $40,000 in cash. Her US promotions company, Hartmoor, had collapsed with debts of £650,000 in October 2009. Her spokesman said she was both "devastated" and "regretful" after the reporting of the incident.

Charity work

1993, the Duchess founded Children in Crisis based in London with the support of two current trustees: Grahame Harding and Paul Szkiler. Over the years, Children in Crisis has grown to help over 250,000 children annually in 10 countries around the world.

March 2003, she joined the American Cancer Society at a congressional briefing. Sarah, Duchess of York, was a founding supporter of The American Cancer Society’s Great American Weigh In,an annual campaign (modelled after the Society’s Great American Smoke Out) aimed at raising awareness of the link between excess weight and cancer.

2004, Sarah, Duchess of York, was named the official spokesperson of SOS Children's Villages - USA.

2005, Sarah, Duchess of York, was named a global ambassador for Ronald McDonald House.

2006, Sarah, Duchess of York, established The Sarah Ferguson Foundation based in Toronto, which derives funds from Sarah's commercial work and private donations with the aim of supporting charities internationally that serve children and families in dire need. She visited China, Japan, Poland, Mexico, and cities across the United States.

In 2009 she stayed for ten days in Northern Moor, a suburb area in Wythenshawe, Manchester, England, and filmed there. Her report on the area caused criticism.

In Britain, Sarah, Duchess of York, is a long-standing patron to a number of British charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust, Tommy's, and the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

She also serves as an advocate for Mental Disability Rights International.

Books

Sarah and her daughters in 2004

Budgie the Little Helicopter books and animated children’s television programme:

1989, Budgie the Little Helicopter

1989, Budgie at Bendick's Point

1991, Budgie and the Blizzard

1992, The Adventures of Budgie

1993, Budgie Goes to Sea

1996, Budgie's Book of Colors

1996, Budgie and Pippa Count to Ten!

1995, Travels with Queen Victoria

1996, My Story (autobiography)

For young girls:

1997, The Royal Switch

1997, Bright Lights

Lifestyle books with Weight Watchers:

1998, Dining with The Duchess

1999, Dieting with The Duchess

2000, Win the Weight Game

2001, Reinventing Yourself

2002, Energy Breakthrough

2003, What I Know Now: Simple Lessons Learned the Hard Way

2003, Reflections. The Duchess published a collection of her photographs in an art book, sold only in Britain, with all proceeds benefiting her UK-based charity, Children in Crisis.

2003, Little Red[56]

2004, Little Red’s Christmas Story

2006, Little Red’s Summer Adventure

2008, Tea for Ruby

Film

May 2004, Sarah, Duchess of York, hosted an eleven-minute production featurette on Universal’s DVD ‘The Legacy of Pan.’ October 2004, Walt Disney Feature Animation released a special DVD 'The Cat That Looked At A King', with Sarah's voice in the role of the Queen. The story is derived from the Mary Poppins books by P.L Travers. Sarah had a producing role (credited as "Sarah Ferguson") in the 2009 Jean-Marc Vallée film about the early years of Queen Victoria’s rule, The Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt. The movie, scripted by Julian Fellowes, who wrote Gosford Park, focuses on the often turbulent period after she became queen at the age of 18, and her romance and marriage to Prince Albert.

TV and radio

Health advisor in 'The Duchess In Hull,' ITV1.

In the United Kingdom:

Guest editor on BBC Radio 4 Today program.

Regular contributor to BBC Radio 2’s primetime lifestyle show Steve Wright.

Previously co-produced and served as presenter in a documentary for BBC television called In Search of the Spirit.

1998, hosted an 8-part panel talk show on Britain’s SkyOne television.

Appeared in an episode of the Vicar of Dibley.

Traveled to Romania and Turkey for a 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.

5 March 2009 - The Graham Norton Show, BBC Two

18 August 2009 - The Duchess on the Estate, ITV1

1 September 2009 - Loose Women, ITV1

In the United States:

Special correspondent to the NBC Today Show, with regular "From the Heart" segments that profile inspiring Americans who make extraordinary contributions to others despite formidable personal obstacles.

Substitute host for CNN’s Larry King Live.

Substitute host for ABC's The View.

Appeared as herself in the popular American sitcom Friends, "The One with Ross's Wedding."

Appeared as herself in The Celebrity Apprentice.

The Tyra Banks Show, talking about her work with Weight Watchers and her personal style.

Her blood relative Rebecca Ferguson is a famous Swedish actress and model.

Cultural references

1989, the Duchess' marriage is mentioned in the Sue Townsend book Adrian Mole: The true confessions of. It mentions Mr. Mole calling Buckingham palace and asking for the Duchess, and also him sending her a note to meet him outside the gates of Buckingham Palace to run away with him as she is his soul mate.

1992, in the Bottom episode "Digger," the Duchess is rejected with great disgust as a potential match for Eddie when visiting a dating service, giving an outcry of "Do you mind?! I'm a respectable man!"

1995 onwards, the character of The Girlfriend in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake is thought to be based on, or has similarities to (in terms of her acceptance by the rest of the Royal Family) the Duchess

May 1998, appeared as herself in an episode of the television show Friends when Ross Geller was married in London during the show's fourth season finalé. She was credited as "Sarah, The Duchess of York".

May 2000, in the American sitcom Will & Grace episode "My Best Friend's Tush," the characters Grace Adler (Debra Messing) and Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) visit a taco restaurant to find Helena Barnes (Joan Collins) while there, Karen, under her alias Anastasia Beaverhousen, claims to see "The Duchess of York". In shock, Grace asks "Do you think that Weight Watchers knows about this?"

2006, the title of R&B/Hip Hop singer Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson's debut album, The Dutchess[61] was a reference to the fact that the two share the same surname. According to various media outlets, Sarah Ferguson called 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'." Fergie agreed and committed to two charity concerts, in London and New York City.

November 2006, Sarah, Duchess of York, was honoured for her AIDS campaigning at the New York AIDS Film Festival.

February 2007, Sarah, Duchess of York, was named Mother of the Year by the American Cancer Society.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

15 October 1959 – 23 July 1986: Miss Sarah Ferguson

23 July 1986 – 30 May 1996: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York

30 May 1996 – 21 August 1996: Her Royal Highness Sarah, Duchess of York

21 August 1996 – present: Sarah, Duchess of York

Sarah Ferguson's full style during her marriage was Her Royal Highness The Princess Andrew Albert Christian Edward, Duchess of York, Countess of Inverness, Baroness Killyleagh.

Immediately after her divorce she retained the style Her Royal Highness; however on 21 August 1996 letters patent were issued which removed the style from divorced ex-wives of princes, paving the way for her to retain "Duchess of York"

(source:wikipedia)