Royal author Andrew Lownie has made several claims about Sarah Ferguson, including that she has a 'dark side'. Lownie, author of 'Entitled, The Rise and Fall of the House of York', appeared on TalkTV days after the closure of the former Duchess of York's charity, Sarah's Trust.
Lownie suggested Ferguson may have been given a lifeline following the death of her former boyfriend, Paddy McNally, as the racing tycoon may have left her part of his estimated £600m fortune.
Claims of Manipulation
Presenter Mark Dolan questioned how Ferguson had managed to keep McNally 'under her spell', prompting Lownie to make several claims. 'She's a lucky general. She does inspire a lot of loyalty from her friends. She's a good friend herself. She's very charismatic. She's very manipulative,' he said.
'She works on people. She's a bit of a social chameleon. And she grooms them. She worked on Andrew and the royal family, that's why she was able to stay in the Royal Lodge for so long,' Lownie claimed.
Dark Side Revealed
Lownie added: 'Neither Andrew nor Paddy McNally really treated her very well, and she's played on that emotional blackmail to basically get them to bankroll her for the last 40 years. She's a very shrewd cookie.'
Pressed on whether there is a darker side to Ferguson, Lownie said: 'Yes, there is. I tried to show it in Entitled. It's certainly the impression you get when you talk to her staff members and people who know her well.' He claimed Ferguson attempts to pass herself off as the 'ditzy' redhead but is actually 'a manipulative and ruthless character. She will turn on people very quickly if they don't serve her ends.'
Lownie referenced the Epstein files, saying: 'We've seen a little bit in the Epstein files, in the way that she cosied up to Epstein, the way that she was taking money off him and publicly saying one thing, disowning him and in private still staying in his properties years after she'd supposedly broken off contact.'
A representative for Sarah Ferguson has been contacted by Express.co.uk for comment.
