Both Sarah Ferguson and Sophie got caught... with the same guy.
en.wikipedia.org
snipped
In May 2010, Sarah was filmed by the
News of the World offering
Mazher Mahmood, an undercover reporter posing as an Indian businessman, access to Prince Andrew for
£500,000. On the video made as a documentary source for the story, which is publicly available, Sarah is heard to say that "£500,000 when you can, to me, open doors". She is seen taking away a briefcase containing US$40,000 in cash. Exposure surrounding the incident increased Sarah's public profile and notoriety.
Sterling Publishers substantially increased the print run of
Ashley Learns About Strangers, the Duchess's latest book for children; however, the notoriety did not translate into additional book sales. In an interview with
Oprah Winfrey, Sarah explained her behaviour by saying that she had been drinking prior to soliciting the cash, and was "in the gutter at that moment". She also claimed that her intention was initially to help a friend who "needed $38,000 (£28,000) urgently" but she ultimately asked for more money due to her own financial problems.
In November 2016, it was reported that Sarah intended to sue
News Group Newspapers (parent company of the
News of the World) and its owner
Rupert Murdoch for £25 million in damages citing her "loss in earnings" as well as the subsequent "distress" that the media sting brought to her as the main reasons. In January 2018, it was reported that the actual amount the Duchess was seeking was £45 million.
It was reported in August 2010 that the Duchess might declare voluntary bankruptcy with debts of £5 million, though other sources had suggested she owed about £2 million.
In March 2011, it was reported that
Jeffrey Epstein had helped the Duchess avoid bankruptcy by paying off some of her debts. The payments were reportedly made after intervention from the Duke of York. In the summer of 2011,
Finding Sarah aired on the OWN network. One episode of the U.S.-filmed reality series depicted Sarah meeting with
Suze Orman, the internationally known financial advisor, receiving from Orman a strict lecture and practical advice on how to resolve her financial issues.
en.wikipedia.org
In April 2001, Sophie appeared in the media after she was misled in a meeting at
the Dorchester by a
News of the World reporter posing as an Arab sheikh,
Mazher Mahmood, who was later exposed for
perjury in
Southwark Crown Court.It was claimed by the newspapers that during their "secretly taped" conversation, the Countess had insulted the Royal Family and politicians, calling the Queen "old dear", and referring to
Cherie Blair as "absolutely horrid, horrid, horrid", as well as criticising the leadership of Prime Minister
Tony Blair and
Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, and mocking
Leader of the Opposition William Hague's appearance. It was reported by
the Mail on Sunday and
Sunday Mirror that the Countess subsequently had sent apology letters to Blair, Hague and Prince Charles.
Buckingham Palace denied the accuracy of the reports, saying: "The Countess of Wessex, who is trying to pursue her own career, is obviously vulnerable to set-ups such as this." The Palace released a statement saying the reported comments were "selective, distorted and in several cases, flatly untrue". The Palace officials stated that the Countess had not insulted the Queen, the Queen Mother, or the politicians, and the rumours about her difficulties in marriage and her alleged comments about her husband's sexuality were untrue, while according to the
Mail on Sunday multiple reliable sources had confirmed these reports. Subsequently, in 2002, both the Earl and Countess announced that they would quit their business interests in order to focus on activities and official engagements on behalf of the royal family and aid the Queen in
her Golden Jubilee year.
The Countess of Wessex has been criticised for accepting two sets of jewels from the
royal family of
Bahrain during an official day-long visit to the country in December 2011, as she and her husband returned to the UK from a trip to
Afghanistan. She was given one set by
Bahrain's king and a second set by the country’s prime minister, Sheikh
Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Her husband, the Earl, received a pen and a watch as well as a silk rug from the Crown Prince of Bahrain, Prince
Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, who also gave the countess a silver and pearl cup. The value of the jewellery has not been estimated and its precise contents were not disclosed.
Critics said the Countess should sell the gems and give the proceeds to
political protesters in Bahrain.
Denis MacShane, then a
Labour MP and previously a Foreign Office minister, said: “Given the appalling suffering and repression of the Bahraini people, it would be a fitting gesture for the Countess of Wessex to auction these trinkets and distribute the proceeds to the victims of the regime.”
Royal Family guidelines and procedures relating to gifts published by the government in 2003, state that "before accepting any gift, careful consideration should always be given, wherever practicable, to the donor, the reason for and occasion of the gift and the nature of the gift itself ... Equally, before declining the offer of a gift, careful consideration should be given to any offence that might be caused by such action."