Biography & Career Of Sarah Ferguson

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Biography & Career Of Sarah Ferguson

Sarah, Duchess of York is a member of the extended British royal family. She is a writer, film producer and television personality. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Early Life

She was born Sarah Margaret Ferguson on October 15, 1959 at London Welbeck Hospital. Her parents, Major Ronald Ferguson and Susan Wright, divorced in 1974. Her mother married polo player Hector Barrantes in 1975 and relocated to Argentina while Sarah remained with her father at their home in Dummer, Hampshire. Her father married Susan Deptford in 1976 and had three more children. Fergie is a descendant of King Charles II of England via three of his illegitimate children. Sarah and her former husband Prince Andrew are distantly related as they are both descended from the Duke of Devonshire and King James VI and I. Sarah attended Hurst Lodge School where she didn't thrive academically but showed immense talent in swimming and tennis. After finishing a course at Queen's Secretarial College at the age of 18, Ferguson went to work for an art gallery. She later worked in two public relationships firms in London and for a publishing company. During her youth, she dated Paddy McNally, a motor racing manager 22 years her senior.

Duchess Of York

Prince Andrew, at the time fourth in line to the throne, and Sarah Ferguson announced their engagement on March 19, 1986. They had known each other since childhood and had met at polo matches. They had become reacquainted in 1985 at the Royal Ascot race. Prior to their engagement, Ferguson had accompanied Princess Diana on her official tour of Andrew's ship, the HMS Brazen. With her friendly and down-to-earth approach, "Fergie" was seen by the public as a good addition to the royal family. Prince Andrew designed the engagement ring himself, consisting of ten diamonds surrounding a Burmese ruby. They were married in Westminster Abbey on July 23, 1986, after securing the Queen's permission. Sarah assumed her husband's royal status and officially took on the title "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York." As Duchess of York, she joined her husband in carrying out royal engagements and official overseas visits. In 1987, the Duke and Duchess embarked on a 25-day tour of Canada. In February of that year, Ferguson earned her private pilot's license after passing a 40-hour training that was gifted to her by Lord Hanson as a wedding gift.

Divorce Settlement

The embarrassment that resulted from those paparazzi photos enraged Queen Elizabeth who reportedly turned a cold shoulder to her once-favored daughter-in-law. Unlike Princess Diana who was given a roughly $24 million divorce settlement around the same time, Fergie was given a relative pittance. In the end, Sarah reportedly received around $900,000 to go towards buying a new house, $600,000 in cash and a small portion of Andrew's military pension.

Net Worth

Sarah Ferguson, also known as Sarah, Duchess of York, is a British Royal figure who has a net worth of $2 million. In addition to her net worth, she's also achieved a kind of public respect stemming from her charity and humanitarian work. Sarah Ferguson's nickname is Fergie. She was married to Prince Andrew, son of the Queen Elizabeth of England, from 1986 to 1996. They have two daughters together, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.