Sarah Ferguson Objected To These Royal Rules But Was Forced To Accept Them

Sarah Ferguson tried to make a mark on the royal family after she wed Prince Andrew by objecting to royal protocol. However, the Duchess of York was immediately forced to follow the rules.

In the book “Sarah: HRH The Duchess of York,” royal biographer Ingrid Seward said that even though Ferguson was seen as a breath of fresh air, it cannot be denied that she struggled with adjusting to her royal life. Since she not used to being referred to as “ma’am,” she encouraged those who called her as such to just refer to her by her first name. She also didn’t like the fact that other people had to curtsy to her.

“Just as everyone calls Andrew ‘Sir’ (Sarah included when she first lunched with him at Windsor), her friends must now curtsy to her and call her ma’am. The new Duchess objected to this imposition of protocol… It made her feel unnatural,” Seward said.

During her interview with Ferguson, the mom of two admitted to Seward that it took her some time before she got used to certain royal protocols. She also said that having to accept the rules that she wasn’t used to was quite difficult.

“I’m a spontaneous person… I have to be controlled but I like to be free… I love being straightforward and frank then everyone knows where they stand,” she said.

According to the royal biographer, Ferguson’s honesty is what actually got her into trouble most of the time. And it seems that she can only confide about her real feelings about the royal family with Princess Diana.

The Princess of Wales was the one that introduced Ferguson to Prince Andrew during the summer of 1985 at the Royal Ascot. Just months later, the royal couple decided to tie the knot. Unfortunately, Ferguson and Prince Andrew’s marriage didn’t last very long.

In 1996, the couple announced that they have legally divorced.