I worked for the Royal Family - Sarah Ferguson gave the Royal Household men harsh nickname

Under-fire Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and Diana, Princess of Wales, were relative outsiders within the Royal Family and formed a close bond in the early 1980s, according to Paul Burrell, Diana's former butler.

They both harboured resentment towards the anonymous Palace officials who dictated their actions, even giving the functionaries a sarcastic nickname.

In his latest book, Royal Insider, Burrell reveals: "They would discuss the dour men in grey suits within the Royal Household, nicknamed 'the enemy within'."

He added: "Diana, having been in the Royal Family for five years, was able to offer Sarah some sage advice on the dos and don'ts, whom she could trust, and a rather lengthy list of those with whom she should be cautious. It was tragic that the relationship between them disintegrated after the publication of Sarah's autobiography, My Story, in 1996."

The perpetually cash-strapped Ferguson had signed a deal with publishers Simon & Schuster for a substantial advance, reported to be between £800,000 and £1.5 million.

Michael Korda, the company boss at the time, proudly announced: "We are delighted to have this unique opportunity to publish a book in which the Duchess of York describes herself and her experiences as they were, rather than as they have been portrayed."

It was later revealed that Ferguson had promised the publishers: "See me right, and I'll get you Di as well."

Author Andrew Lownie alleges in his 2025 book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York that the publisher offered her an extra £1 million if she could persuade Diana to pen her own memoir.

A Simon & Schuster executive recalled: "The Di idea just grew out of the discussion. We explained we would expect Fergie to deliver an account of her close friendship with Diana. She then said maybe she could get Diana to write her own story for us."

Ferguson was becoming increasingly desperate to discover new income streams, as her dependence on affluent friends to rescue her financially grew more challenging with each benefactor who deserted her.

Even her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who had reportedly cleared Sarah's debts on several occasions, refused to continue funding Ferguson's reckless spending sprees.

A statement issued from Buckingham Palace at the time declared: "The Duchess's financial affairs are no longer Her Majesty's concern. These are matters which the Duchess of York must discuss and resolve with her bankers and other financial advisers... The Duchess's business ventures are conducted quite separately from any Royal duties."

Lily Mahtani, the wife of John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, was forced to take legal action in February 1996 after Ferguson repaid only £5,000 of a £100,000 loan, claiming that she had believed the remaining amount was a gift.

Her assistant, Christine Gallagher, was once dispatched on a transatlantic Concorde flight costing £5,000 to deliver some documents, according to Lownie.

The Duchess of York, after reportedly posting a memo in her £6,000-a-month rented mansion outlining a new budgeting plan, limited her monthly spending to just £24,000, the New York Times reported.

From July 1994 to July 1995, Ferguson was the most-travelled member of the Royal Family, covering nearly 205,000 miles, equivalent to eight round-the-world journeys.

Not all of Ferguson's extravagant spending was on herself; she also bestowed lavish gifts upon friends, employees, and associates. She commissioned custom-made key rings adorned with her personal crest from a top London jeweller to distribute to those involved in her Children in Crisis charity.

However, following renewed allegations of her association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, charities that were once proud to have the 65-year-old duchess as a patron are now distancing themselves from her.

Children's hospice Julia's House has severed all ties with her. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, British Heart Foundation, The Children's Literacy Charity, Prevent Breast Cancer, and National Foundation for Retired Service Animals have also removed the Duchess from their lists of patrons.

The Teenage Cancer Trust, which she initially supported when it opened its first unit in 1990, confirmed that she had been removed from their list of patrons.