Fergie's Lavish Spending and Excess Luggage Fine
Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, was well-known for her extravagant expenses, including paying an astonishing £515 for a teddy bear she couldn't technically bring home by air.
Marriage and Spending Habits
After marrying Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, Sarah Ferguson's spending habits escalated dramatically. Shortly after her marriage to Prince Andrew, she was fined nearly £1,000 for carrying over fifty pieces of excess luggage on a first-class flight from New York.
Details of Excess Luggage
- The luggage contained items worth an estimated £33,000 purchased during her trip.
- Included in this was the expensive £515 teddy bear.
- A Heathrow baggage handler remarked, “Not even Joan Collins has this much.”
Financial Oversight
The palace did not reveal who covered Sarah’s expenses on that occasion. Her financial advisor, John Bryan, found that she spent over £860,000 annually, including £150,000 on gifts, £50,000 on flowers, and £50,000 on parties.
Early Work Experience
Before marrying, Sarah held typical upper-class jobs, such as cleaning ski chalets and working in publishing. She shared on the Swedish TV show Skavlan:
“I cleaned lavatories when I was 18 and graduates' bedrooms; they all left it very messy. And then the waitress in a strudel house.”
This candid glimpse into her past contrasts with the lavish lifestyle she adopted after her marriage.
Author's Summary
Sarah Ferguson's journey from menial jobs to extravagant spending highlights how her lifestyle transformed dramatically after marrying into royalty, culminating in notable excesses like the luxury teddy bear fine.