EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Ferguson Warned 'Don't Bother' With Royal Revenge Plot' — 'It's Just Not Worth It In the Long Run'

But critics at the time questioned the tone and portrayal of events, with some suggesting it leaned heavily toward self-justification.

One insider said, "Her first memoir came out during a period when royal tell-alls were incredibly in demand, and it successfully capitalized on that public appetite for behind-the-scenes revelations. But even at the time, there was pushback over how she chose to present her story and the way her experiences were framed."

They added: "The concern now is that attempting to revisit those same themes in today's climate would generate far greater controversy. The environment has shifted, and what might once have been seen as candid could now be viewed much more critically, and as Sarah trying to justify the indefensible."

According to the source, Ferguson's second memoir struck a more reflective tone but failed to replicate the same commercial success. They said: "Finding Sarah took a much more reflective, inward-looking approach and was closely linked to a major media moment at the time, which helped bring attention to it. However, it didn't connect with audiences in the same way her earlier memoir did, either commercially or critically."

The insider added, "That contrast is quite telling when you look at how a potential new book might perform. It suggests that simply returning to personal storytelling, even with a strong media platform behind it, does not guarantee the same level of interest or success."

The source suggested any attempt to address the Epstein scandal in detail would be particularly fraught.

"There are a number of highly complex and sensitive issues connected to Sarah's past associations, and attempting to fully address them within a commercial book format would be incredibly challenging," they explained. To do it properly would demand a level of openness and detail that may not ultimately be in her best interests.

"That is exactly why the advice she is being given is that there is 'nothing to gain and everything to lose' by going down this path. Even if the book were carefully handled, it could end up raising more questions than it answers, rather than providing the clarity she might hope for."

The source also pointed to ongoing criticism surrounding Ferguson's public statements over the years.

They added: "There have been occasions where her public statements have not entirely aligned with information that surfaced later, and that has not gone unnoticed. Those discrepancies have contributed to ongoing questions about her credibility. Because of that, any new memoir would be scrutinized extremely closely. Readers and critics alike would be approaching it with that history in mind, analyzing every detail through that same lens of skepticism."

While Ferguson has recently found success as a novelist, the insider suggested a return to autobiography would carry reputational risks.

They added: "Her move into fiction has allowed her to reshape how she is seen, allowing her to step away from personal controversy and establish herself in a more creative, less scrutinized space.

"It has, in many ways, helped her build a different kind of reputation. Returning to a deeply personal narrative, especially one tied to ongoing controversy, risks undoing much of that progress. It could pull her back into the very cycle she has been trying to move beyond."

There is also a wider concern about how such a project would be received publicly. Revisiting these issues in a commercial book could easily be viewed as distasteful, particularly if it gives the impression of profiting from a serious and sensitive situation.