Sarah Ferguson is charged by prosecutors in Turkey for filming conditions in one of their orphanages with a hidden camera, as reported by AFP. The Duchess of York is accused of creating a 2008 documentary that violated the privacy of five of the children in an orphanage outside Ankara. Ankara has requested that the woman commonly referred to as "Fergie" be extradited. But Britain has rejected that request. Turkish prosecutors would like a prison term of seven to 22 years for The Duchess, but there is no date set for a trial.
A look at significant events in Ferguson's timeline show this is not the first time she has faced trouble.
The Duchess of Pork
Married in 1986 to Prince Andrew and divorced in 1996, the Duchess of York gained weight during that time. She reached 220 pounds and as a result, she earned the nickname the "Duchess of Pork," as reported at Daily Kos.
John Bryan kissed her feet
In 1992, unbeknownst to The Duchess, she was photographed topless with American financial manager John Bryan. What made the photographs even more scandalous is that Bryan was seen kissing her feet, as reported at The Telegraph.
The Mazher Mahmood sting
In 2010, Ferguson was caught on camera by undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood, who posed as an Indian businessman. She is seen offering access to Prince Andrew, a U.K. trade envoy and her former husband, for $720,000, as reported at Time. On the tape she is heard saying, "I can open any door you want."
Later, on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Ferguson confessed, "I haven't faced the devil in the face because I was in the gutter at that moment. So I'm aware of the fact that I've been drinking, you know, that I was not in my right place," as reported at The National Ledger. Ferguson also acknowledged Prince Andrew was unaware of what she was doing.
Missed the Royal Wedding
On April 29, Prince William and Catherine Middleton were married. However, Ferguson was not invited. "I went through the phase of feeling so totally worthless and that [it] was quite right they didn't invite me. Why would they, why would they invite me? I felt that I ostracized myself by my behavior, by my past, by living with all of the regrets of my mistakes that I sort of wore a hair shirt and beat myself up most of the day, thinking and regretting why did I make such a mistake...why have I made so many mistakes," said Sarah Ferguson on "The Oprah Winfrey Show", as reported at The Huffington Post.
Jolie du Pre is a full-time freelance writer, published author and editor who travels extensively. Her interest in international news is enhanced with each new country she visits.
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