Sarah Ferguson may have kept her royal seat at the table not out of loyalty but leverage.
According to author Andrew Lownie’s new book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, the Duchess of York has remained firmly embedded in royal circles for nearly 30 years despite her 1996 divorce from Prince Andrew for one reason: she knows too much.
The explosive biography, serialised by the Daily Mail, alleges that royal aides saw value in keeping Fergie close to avoid potential fallout.
“Fergie possessed many secrets which would not benefit the House of Windsor by their retelling,” Lownie writes.
The author claims it was this “power” that got her re-invited to Balmoral in 2002 — her first time since the divorce — and even led to her continued residence at Royal Lodge with Andrew.
“It is better to keep Sarah close than let her loose to do even more damage,” one insider reportedly said.
Despite their split, Andrew and Sarah have maintained a close friendship and continued to present a united front as they co-parented their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
But not everyone is happy with the arrangement. A royal source told Lownie that Prince William “has long worked behind the scenes” to have Andrew and Fergie evicted from Royal Lodge, accusing the disgraced Duke of “abusing the property and his privilege.”
Entitled hits bookshelves August 14.
