EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Ferguson Accused of 'Bribing Royal Family for a Lavish Pension' — 'It's a Lifetime Payout Deal… Or Else!'
Sarah Ferguson is said to be looking to secure a long-term pension payout.
May 31 2026, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Sarah Ferguson is facing claims she is battling to secure a long-term pension payout from the monarchy in exchange for avoiding a potentially explosive public interview about the Royal Family, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The 66-year-old former wife of the ex-Prince Andrew, 66, has remained closely tied to royal life despite divorcing the former Duke of York in 1996.
Sarah Ferguson Allegedly 'Bribing' Royals To Stay Silent
Ferguson's long-term royal pension is under the spotlight.
Royal author Andrew Lownie's updated paperback edition of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York has now revisited shocking allegations surrounding Andrew and Ferguson, including claims involving extravagant spending, staff mistreatment, and controversial associations linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
And in an interview to promote the revised edition of his book on the scandal-swamped pair, Lownie said: "That may be what Fergie's negotiating at the moment. Can she get a nice pension from them and not have to do an Oprah interview?"
Royal sources tell us Lownie's comments have fueled growing fears held by senior royals that Ferguson is effectively "bribing" the royal family into looking after her for life in return for a guarantee she will not "go rogue" on The Firm by signing up to a big-money deal to be interviewed by the likes of chat show queen Oprah.
Sarah Ferguson Remains 'Connected to the Inner Workings of the Monarchy'
The monarchy has kept Ferguson close to avoid a new public scandal, insiders claimed.
One insider said: "A lot of royals and their aides know Sarah remains far more connected to the inner workings of the monarchy than the public fully realizes, despite no longer being an official working royal.
"She has spent decades moving in and out of palace life, maintaining relationships with senior figures and witnessing some of the institution's most difficult periods from extremely close range. Because of that history, there is a fear she possesses a huge amount of private knowledge about family dynamics, internal tensions, and how certain scandals were handled behind closed doors."
The insider noted, "That is why there is often a very delicate balancing act when it comes to Fergie's position within the wider royal orbit. The preference is to keep Sarah broadly cooperative, included, and reasonably content rather than completely alienated, because nobody wants to test what might happen if she ever felt she had nothing left to lose publicly. But make no mistake – she is effectively bribing the royals into keeping her fixed for life with a pension by agreeing not to spill the institution's secrets."
Another source added: "There are plenty of people inside and around the monarchy who are genuinely astonished by Sarah's ability to remain connected to royal life after the number of scandals, controversies, and public embarrassments she has been associated with over the years. But she is kept close, as the old saying goes, she knows exactly where many of The Firm's bodies are buried.
"Despite her and Andrew's many scandals, Sarah still seems to retain a certain degree of access, goodwill, and informal protection that outsiders often struggle to understand."
Princesses Beatrice And Eugenie Face Fresh Criticism
The York sisters travel around the Middle East using their royal titles.
"There is a recognition that she possesses decades' worth of personal knowledge about private relationships, internal conflicts, and highly sensitive moments in royal history," the insider continued.
"People close to the palace fear that if she ever chose to speak completely openly in a major interview or memoir, it could drag old scandals back into the headlines and reopen wounds the monarchy has spent years desperately trying to move beyond."
Lownie also questioned the continuing public role occupied by Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie despite neither carrying out official royal duties.
He said: "The daughters are clearly footballs in this thing. The fact that they are still swanning around the Middle East, using their titles... it doesn't send out the right signals if you want to work your passage back. It's confusing."
The author suggested divisions remain inside the monarchy over how to handle the York family's future.
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King Charles has felt a deep duty to protect his young nieces from damage, sources noted.
He added: "I think it's a very schizophrenic relationship at the moment with the royals and Beatrice and Eugenie. One minute, they're very publicly being told they're not going to be invited to Ascot, then they are going. You get the sense of distancing, and I think there are possibly two schools of thought here. There's Camilla, William, and Kate, who see the reputational damage and want to keep them at arm's length, and then there's Charles, who is a bit sentimental and feels obligated to be protective."
Lownie further alleged King Charles, 77, may feel bound by previous understandings linked to Andrew's removal from public life.
He claimed: "He might be under pressure from Andrew because I think a deal was done to get him out of Royal Lodge that said, 'We'll take care of your daughters'. So he would be kind of torn and can't go back on that deal."
Lownie's updated book on Andrew and Ferguson also contains fresh allegations surrounding the ex-prince's conduct, including claims he behaved aggressively toward staff, made inappropriate demands during overseas trips and remained closely tied to Epstein for years.
