Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, is believed to be staying at a luxury villa in Verbier, Switzerland, owned by her late former boyfriend Paddy McNally, according to the Daily Mail's Richard Kay. The Formula One mogul passed away on July 22 at the age of 88.
Where has Sarah Ferguson been hiding?
Ferguson has not been seen in public since December, when she was spotted ducking down in a car on the way to the christening of Princess Beatrice's second daughter, Athena. Speculation about her whereabouts has been rife, particularly after the US Department of Justice released a large portion of the Epstein Files in January, suggesting she had remained in contact with the late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after his imprisonment.
Kay believes Ferguson has been spending the summer at McNally's "luxuriously appointed" villa in Verbier, the ski resort where the pair originally met when she worked as a nanny for his two sons after his wife died. They dated for three years from 1982, despite a 22-year age gap, before the relationship ended. They remained friends, and McNally reportedly allowed Ferguson and her daughters to use properties across his European portfolio over the years.
A quiet summer retreat
"I understand that Sarah has been spending time at Paddy's place in Verbier over the summer," Kay said. "That makes sense because these places have a completely different vibe during the summer. They're not packed with Brits out there for skiing. You get a few middle-aged people who like walking in the hills, but it's much more laid-back and low-key. A perfect place to hide up."
McNally left an estimated fortune of around £600 million, built on the sale of his Formula One hospitality business Allsport Management in 2006 for £262 million. While some reports have suggested Ferguson was a beneficiary of McNally's will, Kay believes this is unlikely, given that McNally would have had trusts set up and a robust plan in place.
