Julie Burchill

Lessons for Meghan from Fergie

Can the Duchess of Sussex avoid repeating the Duchess of York's mistakes?

  • From Spectator Life
Sarah Ferguson arrives at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle [Getty Images]

Before the Sussexes – before the Grabdication was a twinkle in Meghan’s crocodile eye – there was Sarah, Duchess of York; greedy, grasping, grubby Fergie. Some see Diana as when the stiff upper lip of heritage royalty became the trembling lower lip of the new breed. But the Princess of Wales was a teenage virgin with a headful of dreams lured into a marriage in which she was a breeding machine with a man who was still in love with his ex; this would have made any woman with spirit react. No, Diana was a hard worker with an attractive dash of spite – that revenge dress, that three-in-this-marriage quip – which stopped her from presenting herself as an all-round victim. Neurosis was just a small part of her emotional repertoire; she realised that one of the best guarantees of good mental health is helping others rather than contemplating one’s navel.

Or, in the case of Fergie, one’s novel. Because the original ginger royal whinger is back, at 63 older but no wiser judging from a long interview she has given to the Telegraph to plug A Most Intriguing Lady, which she has ‘co-written’ with historical romance author Marguerite Kaye. Where to begin with this sumptuous word salad smorgasbord of PR puffery? ‘When in doubt, hitch your wagon to QE2’ would be the first lesson – cue Fergie seeking credibility by association with the most morally upright monarch the world has ever seen: ’It’s unbelievably important to uphold Her Majesty’s legacy. And although I’m not a member of the royal family any more, my values are what I believe is right – and that’s what they uphold… her poor son [Prince Andrew] has been going through such a tumultuous time, and I think HM was very relieved I could help her with him.’ 

She makes him sound like a corgi, two of whom – Muick and Sandy – the Queen left to her: ‘Every day I look at Muick and Sandy and want to say, “It’s all right”… HM used to give them little bits of digestive biscuits, so after lunch now I’ll crack up a biscuit for them and deliberately make that same noise.’

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