How Sarah Ferguson could ‘salvage her reputation’ in next public comeback

As comebacks go, Sarah Ferguson has had her fair share, and she’s even been likened to the royal with nine lives.

In her years in the public eye, the former Duchess of York has mastered the art of reinventing herself after facing nearly more scandals than her embattled ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

But since being stripped of their titles and honours by King Charles because of their past links with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, both Andrew and Ferguson have retreated from the public.

While Andrew has been living like a recluse as he awaits news on whether charges will be laid following his arrest in February, one royal commentator believes Ferguson is soon likely to stage a comeback.

And it could be her “most incredible” one yet.

“She will definitely want, at some stage, to try and tell her side of the story,” royal author Phil Dampier told the Daily Mail.

Read more

The history-making ‘firsts’ you might have missed during Will and Kate’s family day out

However, he does not believe Fergie will sell out the royals by writing another tell-all book.

Rather she could attempt to “salvage her reputation and portray herself as a victim of Epstein’s lies and circumstances”.

Crucially for the former duchess, “she will want to try and get back in with the King for the sake of her daughters”.

“You can never write her off,” he added.

One recent event could help Ferguson launch a public comeback.

In July, her former boyfriend Paddy McNally died, aged 88, leaving behind a fortune worth an estimated £600m (approx. $1.1 billion).

Some UK media outlets, including The Telegraph andThe Times, have reported the late racing tycoon may have provided Ferguson a financial lifeline by leaving a portion of the money for her in his will.

McNally had given her refuge at his property in Verbier following her eviction from Royal Lodge in Windsor.

The duchess had earlier been seen at a wellness clinic in Austria before taking sanctuary at his chalet in Switzerland.

Ferguson and McNally were romantically linked for three years before she married the then-Prince Andrew in 1986.

They had kept in touch over the years. and royal author Andrew Lownie recently said he “would not be surprised” if McNally had taken care of Ferguson in his will.

“He was very, very good to her,” Lownie said.

However, days after making those comments Lownie said he had “changed” his view “having talked to some sources”.

“I don’t think she’ll get anything from Paddy McNally,” Lownie told TalkTV’s Jeremy Kyle.

“I think he was a wily old bird. He was very keen for his money to go to good causes, so it wouldn’t be tarnished by his link to her. So I don’t think she’s going to get anything from McNally, having understood last week that she might.”

Ferguson had previously stayed at McNally’s Verbier chalet in 1996 with her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie when it was announced she and Andrew were divorcing.

It’s unclear exactly what Ferguson will do next after being forced to shut down her business ventures earlier this year when emails between her and Epstein exposed further details about their friendship.

The Epstein files, released by the US Justice Department, revealed Ferguson’s praise for Epstein, calling the paedophile “the brother I have always wished for” while in another she called him a “supreme friend”.

The emails also suggest she took her daughters along for lunch with him in Miami, days after his release from prison.

Ferguson has since been removed from a number of charities and in July her own charity, Sarah’s Trust, formally closed.

Ferguson’s daughters were also mentioned hundreds of times in the Epstein files.

The sisters have maintained a low profile this year and have been absent from many royal-related events including Easter at Windsor Castle, Royal Ascot and Wimbledon.

A recent YouGov poll, conducted in July, found Beatrice and Eugenie are now more unpopular than their US-based cousin Prince Harry. The Duchess of Sussex, however, is less popular than the York sisters.

Not surprisingly, the former prince Andrew was the lowest ranked royal, based on popularity.