Sarah Ferguson "Was Always Falling Out With" Jeffrey Epstein

Sarah Ferguson wearing a green dress pressing her palms together — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sarah Ferguson has been public with her financial struggles over the years after her massive debts and reckless spending as a member of the Royal Family repeatedly made headlines. Now that she's planning her next steps amid the fallout from her association with Jeffrey Epstein, a source says that money was a source of contention between the two.

The former Duchess of York borrowed money from Epstein for years, with Entitled author Andrew Lownie writing, "A mutual friend of Andrew and Epstein has claimed, 'I think that Sarah has actually received hundreds of thousands of dollars’ from Epstein." Ferguson has previously admitted to borrowing £15,000 from the late sex offender, admitting it was "a gigantic error of judgement," but the total amount is unknown.

Per the Daily Mail, a royal source noted: "Epstein was always falling out with Sarah over money. She would borrow it from him and then say something stupid which would make the papers and infuriate him."

Sarah Ferguson in a yellow dress and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at Royal Ascot — The former Duke and Duchess of York are pictured at Royal Ascot in 2019.

Sarah Ferguson wearing a black and white gown holding flowers in 1995 — Sarah Ferguson is pictured in 1995.

Entitled: the Rise and Fall of the House of York

The insider added that Epstein "wasn't that fond of" Sarah, viewing her as "more of a useful idiot" who "offered him a way into Andrew's good graces and, by default, the good graces of the royals."

Both Ferguson and ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor feature heavily in the latest batch of Epstein files released by the Department of Justice last month. In one email, Sarah wrote to Epstein: "Just as I always said, no woman has ever left the Royal Family with her head, and the [sic] cannot behead me, therefore they will discredit me. Totally to obliteration. I have no words."

In Entitled, Lownie writes about Ferguson's extraordinary spending habits. Constant vacations abroad, shopping trips and pricey parties were par for the course for the former duchess, who at one point employed "a staff of 17 that included a cook, driver, maid, butler, dresser, nanny, three secretaries, a personal assistant, lady-in-waiting, accountant and accountant's assistant, two gardeners, a flower arranger, and dog walker."

Despite her financial troubles, Sarah kept spending. "I have heard her throw an absolute screaming fit when one of her staff showed her a letter from the bank," a source close to the ex-duchess told Lownie. "She just doesn't want to know."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.