August M
She was once known as the “Duchess of Excess”, a nickname that followed Sarah Ferguson long after her royal marriage ended.
New claims suggest her private life at a Berkshire estate was marked by strict expectations of staff and lavish personal habits.
Life at Sunninghill
According to The Express, Sarah Ferguson was living at the 50,000-acre Sunninghill Estate during a period when her finances were under severe strain. By 1994, she had reportedly accumulated debts of up to £3.7 million.
Despite those money worries, authors Chris Hutchins and Peter Thompson write that her lifestyle remained demanding. In their book Sarah’s Story: The Duchess who Defied the Royal House of Windsor, they describe a long list of requirements imposed on household staff.
Laundry rules
Among the more eye-catching claims is an insistence that all of her knickers, bras and tights be carefully ironed by staff. The authors say that if her laundry failed to smell of her preferred detergent, she would “order everything to be cleaned again”.
The book also alleges that standards were enforced rigidly, regardless of the extra work involved. Staff were expected to meet precise preferences rather than simply complete basic tasks.
Bedtime routines
Hutchins and Thompson claim that Sarah required “two hot water bottles be placed on the side of her king-sized bed each night”. Staff were also instructed to measure the temperature of the water so it was “exactly to her liking”.
Morning routines were reportedly just as specific. Freshly squeezed orange juice had to be served “just as she sat down”, with no tolerance for preparation in advance.
“She could tell the difference if the juice had been prepared earlier and refused to touch it,” the authors write.
Pampered pet
The former duchess’s attention to detail extended to her dog, Bendicks. A friend previously said the Jack Russell was served “proper dinners, liver or sausages with gravy”.
While concerned about rising household bills, royal author Andrew Lownie has claimed Sarah would still “defiantly” turn lights and heating back on, despite the cost.
Financial shadows
The Express notes that Sarah later relied on financial support from Jeffrey Epstein, accepting a £15,000 loan in 2011. The Mail on Sunday has reported that Epstein secretly bankrolled her for around 15 years.
The claims add to a long-running portrait of excess and controversy that has continued to follow the Duchess of York well beyond her years as a working royal.
Sources: The Express, Mail on Sunday, Sarah’s Story: The Duchess who Defied the Royal House of Windsor
