A style in unique, exorbitant excessive style was at all times Sarah Ferguson’s weak spot, now Chris Riches explains how her spending created her ignominious downfall.
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson at Ascot in 2019 (Picture: Getty Photographs)
In ‘The Significance of Being Earnest’ Woman Bracknell muttered “A purse!?” when Jack Worthing revealed he was deserted in a single as a child. Oscar Wilde was lampooning social class. However there are ‘purses’ and there are purses and 131 years after his play scoffed on the pedigree of noblemen, essentially the most unique style objects nonetheless draw celebrities like wasps to a picnic.
So it would come as no shock that one ex-duchess is believed to be the one royal to have owned essentially the most coveted … the handcrafted leather-based Hermès Birkin – named after British actress Jane Birkin – commanding costs from £8,800 to a number of million. On the peak of her profligate spending, Sarah Ferguson in truth owned a complete wardrobe full, every one promoting second-hand on-line for £20,000-plus.
In 2011 she was snapped swinging a black Hermès Birkin that includes gold lettering/{hardware}; then in 2018 she was seen out and about with a blue ‘Bleu de Prusse 35cm Birkin, Palladium {Hardware}’.
In 2018 she was noticed eating out at non-public member’s membership Lou Lou’s in Mayfair with a Etoupe Birkin with Palladium {Hardware} – a taupe-grey restricted version (price extra second-hand than new).
In the meantime she has additionally been seen out – at Lou Lou’s once more – together with her outfit accessorised by a Tosca with Rose Tyrien Lining 30cm Birkin, Palladium {Hardware}.
In order that’s 4, for starters! However so what chances are you’ll ask?
A Hermes Birkin bag (Picture: Getty)
The Birkin isn’t just a purse however a passport into society. If in case you have one ‘you belong’.
This month, a French publication alleged Hermès employees could also be Googling clients’ dwelling addresses and scanning their social media profiles to see if potential clients will do them justice if seen out with one – even sporting the mistaken luxurious watch to a gathering with employees might cease you being provided the prospect to purchase a Birkin, it has been claimed.
Hermès has lengthy insisted that shortage is a by-product of craft as every bag takes between 12 and 18 hours to create, by the hands of grasp craftspeople who need to bear between two and 6 years of coaching earlier than beginning work in Hermès’ leather-based workshop.
Moreover, nearly all of the Birkin is sewn by hand utilizing the model’s signature saddle-stitching method.
Few British royals, if any, have been seen with a Birkin as they’re deemed too ostentatious and draw an excessive amount of consideration – however not for Fergie.
And this sums up her Achilles heel – as a result of Fergie’s woes have at all times been linked to overspending, cash and debt.
Sarah Ferguson together with her ‘Bleu’ Birkin (Picture: FameFlynet.uk.com)
Throughout her marriage to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor she was notorious for exorbitant spending on employees, journey, and way of life, leading to money owed of over £3.7 million by 1994 – reportedly coated by Queen Elizabeth II.
After her 1996 divorce she continued to face debt – then in 2009 her way of life and wellness agency, Hartmoor, collapsed with over £630,000 in debt.
In 2010 within the Money-for-Entry Scandal, she was filmed accepting £15,000 to facilitate entry to Prince Andrew, admitting later she was “considerably” in debt.
She additionally admitted accepting £15,000 from Jeffrey Epstein in March 2011 to repay money owed.
That very same 12 months she gave an interview – after Epstein’s 2008 intercourse trafficking convictions – to emphasize her prior involvement with Epstein had been a “gigantic error of judgment”.
She vowed she would by no means have something to do with Epstein once more, saying: “What he did was mistaken and for which he was rightly jailed.”
However in September 2025 a bombshell e-mail surfaced exhibiting that shortly after giving that 2011 interview, she emailed Epstein to apologise for that public act of distancing – calling him a “supreme good friend”.
Now she is not the Duchess of York, simply plain Fergie, and can quickly be leaving Royal Lodge for a brand new dwelling – wherever which may be. She is in unofficial, social exile.
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Final 12 months it was revealed Andrew and Fergie have been “not welcome” at a few of the most lavish golf equipment in London.
So she should still boast a drawer-full of Birkins and need to strut round Mayfair clutching one – the difficulty is, they now do not wish to be seen out together with her.
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