Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson (the former H.R.H. The Duchess of York) is caught up in a major bribery scandal. In one of their famous “undercover investigations,” the News of the World sent a reporter posing as a businessman into a meeting with Fergie. Not-so-long story short, they have Fergie on video negotiating in explicit terms just what the “businessman” will get if he gives wires $750,000 into her account, plus $60,000 cash: access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. Andrew is Britain’s international business and trade representative, and travels the world meeting with businessmen and making deals. Not these kinds of deals, though. Here’s the video:
In case you can‘t watch the video, Fergie is saying sh-t like, “He [Prince Andrew] knows that he’s had to underwrite me up to now because I’ve got no money. So if you want to meet him in your business, look after me and he’ll look after you. . . you’ll get it back tenfold.” And once the deal is hammered out, Fergie brags, “That opens up everything you would ever wish for. And I can open any door you want. And I will for you.” There’s more transcribed dialogue on the News of the World’s site. According to their piece, they began investigating Fergie after one of her associates told them that she was “already cashing in on unknowing Andrew by setting up deals with foreign businessmen. She even claimed she had set up a new company last month to handle the dodgy transactions.”
So, of course, Fergie had to come out and apologize. She fell on her sword admirably, I guess: “I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused. It is true that my financial situation is under stress however, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgement and I am very sorry that this has happened. I can confirm that The Duke of York was not aware or involved in any of the discussions that occurred. I am sincerely sorry for my actions. The Duke has made a significant contribution to his business role over the last 10 years and has always acted with complete integrity.” Prince Andrew also denied having any idea that Fergie was using his name to collect money.
Personally, I find it shocking that Fergie would abuse her ex-husband’s name in this way. I’ve felt for a long time that they were still very close, and still loved each other very much, and it’s kind of depressing that she would treat him so poorly. Plus, I’m sure what she was doing was illegal…?
I always liked Fergie the Princess. I think she was and has been treated as badly as Diana was. I think Prince Andrew is more involved then he’s saying but is publicly letting her take the fall alone. Seriously, what would he have done if this wasn’t a reporter and he was legit?
All I can say about this is maybe it will cause Fergie the singer to change her name to something more original instead of stealing a name from someone else.
Ferguson is also the last name of “Fergie the singer”, you nitwit. I guess she stole that too?
Strip away the fancy clothes and plummy accent and Fergie’s nothing but a classless grifter. That popping sound she makes tells you all you need to know about her.
I wonder how complicit Andrew is.
Sad and disgraceful. But, you cannot tell me Prince Andrew knows nothing. Nope, he is involved. Fergie is just taking the fall, as expected.
Ralph, don’t call me a nitwit. I know her name is Ferguson but anyone that says she didn’t come into the business using Fergie as a way to be recognized is calling BS. Her people knew how to advertise her when she came famous because everyone recognized the comparisons.
And people DO change names in celebrity. Many older singers out there aren’t using their real names, but stage names. She could have done the same to prevent the connection to Princess Fergie, but she didn’t. Why not? Because it benefited her not to.
Bonnie, Ralph is rude.
It seems like an ex of royalty would get alimony for life so they wouldn’t end up this desperate and embarrassing. I’m sure they can afford it. And her daughters have money. Weird situation.
She only gets 20 thousand a year, so yeah, she is broke.
On the report from the Today show they stated what she did was disgraceful (or something along those lines) but not illegal.
she is basically a lobbyist!
sad & desperate.
I don’t see the difference between what she did and what goes on in Washington and probably corporations all over the world.
It’s just unfortunate that she is who she is and it’s even more inappropriate that she lobbies so brazenly like this. If Andrew and she are so close they should have gone back to their lawyers and given her a better divorce settlement.
Fergie could be at the North Pole and it would be warmer than the wrath of the Queen right now.
I saw the video of this on NY1 this morning. It was hilariously embaressing.
Shes using Prince Andrews name to get money BUT how is that different from Prince Andrew and the rest of the Royals getting money because of their name. They cost the British Taypayer millions each year on the Civil List, are unelected and they don’t pay their own staff or security. Thats from the Civil List. And thats from the pockets of each and every british taxpayer including those on minimum wage.
She is a horrible human being. She was in my friend’s restaurant a couple of weeks ago where she was nasty to the waitstaff, and called his lovely ravioli “inedible” (she ate all of it, and it’s a 4-star restaurant). They were thrilled to have her as a guest and she s**t all over them. I’m thrilled to see her nastiness aired for the world to see.
Ralph, don’t call names here.
Fergie is a common nickname for anybody named Ferguson, just like “Hutch” (for Hutchinson), “Smitty” (for Smith), etc.
Sarah said in a recent interview (might have been from Huffpo or the NY Times yesterday, I forget) that the reason the royals still like her is that she didn’t get a boatload of money in her divorce like Diana, who they did not like.
I think Sarah has thought she could fund herself, and that’s not exactly working out. The article also said that her deal with Weight Watchers was very lucrative but her daughters asked her to please stop doing that endorsement.
When I heard about this, it sounds like extortion to me. She was basically pimping out Andrew, behind his back and profitting off of it. Surely, that must be illegal.
How dreadful for Andrew, to find out, she’s done this. I wonder if she’s done this sort of thing before.
She’s always lived far beyond her means, always off jet setting. I’ve never liked her, she’s always came across as trashy, now I can add, utterly greedy to that list.
She need to be stripped of the “Duchess of York” title once and for all. She is an embarrassment to the Royal family.
I am rather shocked that Sarah did not get more in the divorce.
I’ve been hearing on the news all evening that as alimony after divorcing a ROYAL, she was awarded what equals to a paltry $25,000 a YEAR. That is less than most women get whose husbands make much less than any royal!
Not that that’s an excuse.
Poor dear, she has not aged well at all.
Didn’t Andrew’s sister-in-law (Edward’s wife) do something very similar not long ago? I seem to recall there was major pimping out of the royal family by her too.
Sarah does a lot of the “poor me’s” but she has really done some stupid stuff over the years. Toe-sucking, anyone??
I heard this morning that Sarah only gets $20K in alimony because when she and Andrew divorced, he was simply a member of the military, drawing a military salary, nothing more. He didn’t have personal access to the royal money (public?) or personal family fortune that would be considered his personal property.
Sarah regularly does stupid things. She’s always in trouble financially. If what I heard this morning is accurate, Andrew’s actually been letting her rent a place on one of his estates because she’s got no other place to go, but she either has been or will be evicted.
It sounds like she’ll definitely be losing the Duchess of York title. I feel sorry for the girls. Well, young women, they must be by now.
If I had all of my expenses paid, access to a fund for my kids, and millionaire boyfriends to pay for my holidays, I would be thrilled with 20k.