Fergie's Lavish Spending and Huge Fine for Excess Luggage
The former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, was known for her extravagant spending habits, which once included a £515 teddy bear she bought but technically could not fly home. After marrying Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, her purchases reached extraordinary levels.
The Excess Luggage Incident
Shortly after marrying Prince Andrew, Ferguson was fined nearly £1,000 for carrying over fifty pieces of excess luggage on a first-class flight from New York. The luggage contained approximately £33,000 worth of items bought during her trip, including the costly teddy bear.
“Not even Joan Collins has this much,”
said a Heathrow baggage handler commenting on her baggage.
The palace never disclosed who covered the expenses incurred on this occasion.
Financial Habits and Background
- Sarah's financial advisor, John Bryan, revealed she spent more than £860,000 annually.
- This total included £150,000 on gifts, £50,000 on flowers, and another £50,000 on parties.
- Before her marriage, she held various upper-class jobs, such as cleaning ski chalets and working at a publishing company.
“I cleaned lavatories when I was 18 and graduates' bedrooms; they all left it very messy. And then the waitress in a strudel house.”
Sarah shared this during an interview on the Swedish TV show, Skavlan.
Author's Summary
Sarah Ferguson's spending habits exemplified extreme extravagance, highlighted by a costly teddy bear and a hefty fine for excessive luggage during a single flight.