Sarah Ferguson’s extravagant royal lifestyle has come under fresh scrutiny after claims emerged that staff at Royal Lodge were ordered to prepare a large cream cake every day regardless of whether it was eaten – a practice former employees reportedly viewed as emblematic of the excess surrounding the York household during its most privileged years.
As RadarOnline.com has reported, shamed ex-Duchess of York Fergie, 66, spent years living at the sprawling $40million Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park alongside her former husband, the ex-Prince Andrew, also 66 – despite the pair divorcing decades ago.
New allegations about life behind the gates of the multimillion-dollar estate now appear in Andrew Lownie’s book Entitled, which chronicles the fortunes and controversies surrounding the former Duke and Duchess of York.
According to accounts cited in the book, household staff were instructed to prepare a fresh cream cake daily for Ferguson, while other employees and personal services were allegedly retained despite being rarely used.
Lownie wrote: “Another member of staff told filmmaker Dominic Morgan, ‘Every day, the chef was ordered to make a sizeable cream cake.’
“If it wasn’t eaten, it was thrown away, and a fresh one baked the next day, regardless.”
One former royal household source said: “To many members of staff, the cake became a symbol of a culture where appearances and routine mattered more than practicality. Whether it was eaten or not was almost irrelevant – the expectation was that it would be there every single day.”
The source added, “Looking back, some employees regarded it as completely wasteful and pointless.
“At a time when households across the country were becoming increasingly conscious of waste, the idea that perfectly good food could simply be discarded struck many people as difficult to justify.”
Lownie also claimed personal trainers remained on standby for Ferguson despite rarely being called upon, while one employee was reportedly dedicated solely to organizing the then-duchess’ medication.
The author further alleged Ferguson frequently purchased copies of her own books to distribute as gifts.
Another former palace insider said, “There was a feeling among some staff that resources were being devoted to things that had very little practical purpose. It created an impression of a household operating according to habits that had developed over many years and were seldom questioned.”
The allegations offer a glimpse into a very different era for Ferguson and Andrew, whose lives have changed dramatically in recent years following a succession of personal and public controversies.
Although Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has dominated headlines for years, Ferguson also faced renewed scrutiny after previously released emails revealed she remained in contact with Epstein following his release from jail and referred to him as a treasured pal.
The couple’s public standing has declined significantly, and their future living arrangements have been the subject of intense speculation.
While Andrew has been moved to a humbler royal abode after he and Ferguson were booted out of Royal Lodge by King Charles, reports about Ferguson’s whereabouts have varied over the past year.
Recent photographs showed Ferguson at a ski resort in Austria, where she was seen stepping from a Mercedes wearing a blue coat and a white baseball cap.
She has also reportedly spent time in Switzerland and Ireland, with sources telling us she had resorted to a “global sofa surfing” lifestyle in which she mooches off her steadily shrinking group of posh pals around the world.
Andrew has been released “under investigation” after being arrested on his 66th birthday earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office after allegedly sharing sensitive information with his pedophile pal Epstein during his role as a trade envoy for Britain.