Duchess of York 'wanted cash for Prince Andrew access'

<span style="font-size:10.5pt;">The Duchess of York has been filmed offering to sell access to ex-husband Prince Andrew for £500,000 ($723,000), a newspaper has claimed.

The News of the World said Sarah Ferguson was filmed by an undercover reporter posing as a businessman.

She appears to accept a $40,000 cash payment, and is quoted as saying: "Look after me and he'll look after you."

The paper says the prince - a UK trade envoy - knew nothing about the deal. The duchess has not commented.

The duchess's spokeswoman, Kate Wadington, said she had not been told about the meeting and was "incandescent" it had taken place.

She said the word "naive" sprung to mind.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8699139.stm</span>

Edited May 23, 201015 yr by Sylph

I've heard a rumour, but no credible news source is reporting it. Either that or I can't find it. It really can't be right, can it? Charles wants her to be his queen, she must be present there, no?

Why wouldn't Camilla be invited? She's not only Charles' wife and William's stepmother...but she's well liked by the whole family, including William and Harry. It's nonsense, she'll be there!

And Cat, you've got it right. The Queen needs to set Fergie up with a trust fund and banish her to Monaco where she can hang with her jet set friends, enjoy the Mediterranean lifestyle and generally stay out of HM's hair.

Now the Prince is in big trouble, likely to loose his job or get it downgraded.

And his daughters went out to a disreputable night club...

This woman is unbelievable – she aɡain put a foot in her mouth.

As Cat and I have agreed, it's time to set Fergie up with a bulletproof trust fund and banish her ass to the South of France just like the Windsors!

I for one, am devastated. She always seemed so "put upon", yet so sweet and genuine and down to earth. Has she just degenerated? Or was she a complete fraud to begin with?

I don't think she is an inherently evil person... just not very smart. And fundamentally work-shy.

See, this is somebody who grew up in the royal circle (her father bred horses for the Queen or something). And royals and their hangers-on are notoriously lazy. Well, the Queen plows through her duties without any real emotion or relish and Prince Chuck is totally devoted to the causes he loves. Before she married, Diana shared and paid rent on a tiny flat while working as a kindergarten assistant AND daytime nanny to the children of Rosa Monckton. OK, it's not construction work but it is a full-time job and quite an active one.

But many others are annoyed when they have to leave their paid-for manor houses to go to the opening of a children's ward. It's, like, such a trial, darling.

At the time when Fergie was growing up (1970s), people in the royal circle had a pretty cushy life. Britain's class system was very entrenched and "who you knew" could get you places. People were more in awe of those associated with royalty. The assumption for women of Fergie's class and generation was that they would leave school at 16 with the flimsiest of qualifications, be a chalet girl in Switzerland for a season or two, do some skiing and horse-riding and look for a wealthy hubby who might be involved with polo or something. Fergie was a chalet girl for a couple of years, then fell in with Prince Andrew.

Only she effed up. And got caught doing so (financial advisors will forever be known in Britain as "toe suckers" thanks to the Duchess). Which kind of sucks for her. Except that she is so used to spending gobs of money which really isn't hers and so UNUSED to actually working to acquire money that the only thing she feels she can do is scam/beg/borrow money. It's really sad that, for all the £££ she spent on psychotherapy and healing crystals and the like, this "easy way out" attitude of hers was never addressed. Instead, we got a lot of stuff about her mom leaving her and her siblings when they were kids... or her battle with her weight... and while one can sympathize with these traumas, they have been used first and foremost to cast the Duchess in the role of victim. And when that happens, it is very easy to conclude that "it's not my fault. It's NEVER my fault."

And Britain has changed in the sense that it will never be unquestioningly, unfailing in awe of royalty anymore. When times are tough and people who have the willingness and werewithall to work cannot do so, they become even less sympathetic to Fergie's plight. She may be humiliated publicly. But this woman is not starving in some rat-infested hole somewhere. She lives a fairly comfortable life. She just wants it to be even more comfortable.

And Prince Andrew... LOL, where to start with this arrogant freeloader? The man who has charmed and smarmed his way into a bogus job where he "promotes trade" with the UK in places like Mauritius, St. Barts and Phuket, LOL. Because St. Barts is WAY crucial to the UK's trade accounts.

Before I end the rant, I just want to say I am not some knee-jerk anti-royalist. I know it must seem so, but I'm not. I do judge individual by individual, though, and both Fergie and Andrew come up lacking, IMO.

The Duke of York receives a £249,000 annuity from the Queen.

Last year the prince spent £620,000 as a trade envoy, including £154,000 on hotels, food and hospitality and £465,000 on travel.

£249,000? That's US$404,127 a year. Wish I was making that amount of money!

*Snort* @ Randy Andy spending £154,000 on hotels, food and "hospitality." Yeah, that's a euphemism for exactly what you think it is.

Edited March 8, 201114 yr by Cat

You are indignant and incredulous? Well, so are many others. I keep reading and seeing people calling for the UK to become a republic. And going full-force against the royals. Apparently, the Duke apologized, but many aren't buying it, because he and that Epstein guy were partying in the Sunshine State etc. Reportedly. And there were a lot of young women involved. If I got that correctly.

Correction. Young underage women. The man he was with has been accused of the most egregious crimes against young girls. The Palace swears that even though Prince Andrew was "there," he wasn't involved in any of the "special parties." Unfortunately, PA's sketchy reputation proceeds him and I do not believe the Palace's claim for one instant.

And I'm still envious about Fergies £249,000. It is so hard to put material concerns behind you when living costs are so exorbitant here, LOL. If I got that as an annual salary, I'd be able to buy a place. Maybe even something with two bedrooms! Luxury.

Yes, I read about Epstein. Horrible. But do you really think the Duke did the same? It isn't getting any better:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1364248/Prince-Andrew-worried-Jeffrey-Epstein-sex-abuse-case-lose-envoy-role.html

Gosh, Sylph, I don't know. I think PA's faults are that he is arrogant, rude and hangs out with dodgy oligarchs and other squillionaires (the article you posted quotes Goga Ashkenazi who, if I recall correctly, is Saif Gaddifi's gf). He also does like the ladies. What Epstein did, though, is in another realm entirely and frankly sickening to read.

LOL at Whitehall officials privately expressing that they would "shed no tears" if Prince Andrew were to leave his post as British envoy.

I don't think she is an inherently evil person... just not very smart. And fundamentally work-shy.

See, this is somebody who grew up in the royal circle (her father bred horses for the Queen or something). And royals and their hangers-on are notoriously lazy. Well, the Queen plows through her duties without any real emotion or relish and Prince Chuck is totally devoted to the causes he loves. Before she married, Diana shared and paid rent on a tiny flat while working as a kindergarten assistant AND daytime nanny to the children of Rosa Monckton. OK, it's not construction work but it is a full-time job and quite an active one.

But many others are annoyed when they have to leave their paid-for manor houses to go to the opening of a children's ward. It's, like, such a trial, darling.

At the time when Fergie was growing up (1970s), people in the royal circle had a pretty cushy life. Britain's class system was very entrenched and "who you knew" could get you places. People were more in awe of those associated with royalty. The assumption for women of Fergie's class and generation was that they would leave school at 16 with the flimsiest of qualifications, be a chalet girl in Switzerland for a season or two, do some skiing and horse-riding and look for a wealthy hubby who might be involved with polo or something. Fergie was a chalet girl for a couple of years, then fell in with Prince Andrew.

Only she effed up. And got caught doing so (financial advisors will forever be known in Britain as "toe suckers" thanks to the Duchess). Which kind of sucks for her. Except that she is so used to spending gobs of money which really isn't hers and so UNUSED to actually working to acquire money that the only thing she feels she can do is scam/beg/borrow money. It's really sad that, for all the £££ she spent on psychotherapy and healing crystals and the like, this "easy way out" attitude of hers was never addressed. Instead, we got a lot of stuff about her mom leaving her and her siblings when they were kids... or her battle with her weight... and while one can sympathize with these traumas, they have been used first and foremost to cast the Duchess in the role of victim. And when that happens, it is very easy to conclude that "it's not my fault. It's NEVER my fault."

And Britain has changed in the sense that it will never be unquestioningly, unfailing in awe of royalty anymore. When times are tough and people who have the willingness and werewithall to work cannot do so, they become even less sympathetic to Fergie's plight. She may be humiliated publicly. But this woman is not starving in some rat-infested hole somewhere. She lives a fairly comfortable life. She just wants it to be even more comfortable.

And Prince Andrew... LOL, where to start with this arrogant freeloader? The man who has charmed and smarmed his way into a bogus job where he "promotes trade" with the UK in places like Mauritius, St. Barts and Phuket, LOL. Because St. Barts is WAY crucial to the UK's trade accounts.

Before I end the rant, I just want to say I am not some knee-jerk anti-royalist. I know it must seem so, but I'm not. I do judge individual by individual, though, and both Fergie and Andrew come up lacking, IMO.

I just have to say that I love this post so, so, much. It is totally on target and sums up Fergie and her ilk to a T.

Sky News is reporting that the Queen met Prince Andrew to discuss his relationship with the child sex offender businessman.