Sarah Ferguson has found herself at the centre of more scrutiny following claims published in an updated royal biography. According to Andrew Lownie's revised version of his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, the mum-of-two allegedly relied heavily on her eldest daughter Princess Beatrice's credit card during periods of financial difficulty.
The book claimed that both Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 36, were left feeling "embarrassed" by some of their mother's behaviour behind palace doors.
One passage also alleged that staff members were at times forced to cover expenses themselves.
Inside the book, it was claimed: "The assistant and other staff members had problems getting paid and often had to buy things using their own credit cards. Sarah herself drew on Beatrice's credit card constantly and paid one psychic in cigarettes."
© GettyStaff were reportedly made to sign strict Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs). The book went on to allege that Sarah, also known as Fergie, "rarely paid for anything".
The former Duchess of York, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, has long been said to have financial troubles and previously admitted to taking £15,000 from Epstein in 2011, publicly calling it a "gigantic error of judgment".
She once enjoyed a successful career across the pond, working as a correspondent for NBC's Today Show. She was also the author of several children's books, such as the Little Red series and Tea for Ruby.
In the UK, she made semi-regular appearances on ITV's Loose Women and was a frequent guest at high-profile charity events. Sarah also appeared to be making a return to the royal fold, joining the family at Sandringham in 2023 - her first royal Christmas since the 1990s.
© GettyHowever, the former Duchess of York was dropped by a series of charities last year after revelations about her ties to Epstein. These included Julia's House, a children's hospice in Corfe Mullen, and food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
