Greedy Duchess 'devastated' by cash-for-access sting

The News of the World has posted a 4 minute video of Sarah Ferguson, which shows her discussing the price of her ex-husband’s confidentiality and accepting a down payment of £40,000 ($57,000) in cash, from an undercover reporter presenting himself as a businessman.

Tabloid exposes duchess’ greed
"£500,000 when you can, to me... open doors,” Ferguson, 50, told the disguised reporter

"Look after me and he'll look after you... you'll get it back tenfold,” she said. “I can open any door you want.”

Ferguson, better known as Fergie, allegedly ensured her potential client that the money would "open up all the channels, whatever you need, whatever you want, and then that's what and then you meet Andrew and that's fine.

"And that's, that's when you really open up whatever you want."

How they struck the deal?
The Duchess reportedly met the News of the World reporter twice. They first met at a New York hotel earlier this month and then last week at the exclusive Mosimann's dining club in London. Following which, the deal between the two was sealed; they shook hands and Fergie was later seen leaving with the cash that she kept in a computer case.

Claiming that her divorce settlement entitles her to just £15,000 a year, Ferguson says that she is “bereft” after leaving the Royal family.

The footage also shows the duchess demanding one percent of the profits on any deals that resulted from the agent’s meeting with her ex-husband.

She’s to be awarded at a ceremony organized by children's charity Variety for her work with underprivileged children and was seeking this one percent in donations for her charity.

The Prince is clean
However, Prince Andrew, who has been the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment since 2001, was completely oblivious of the deal. The duchess says that he “never does accept a penny for anything,” and that her ex-husband is “completely whiter than white.”

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson divorced in 1996, but have remained close friends.

The Duchess also explained the financial turmoil that she’s facing. Claiming that her divorce settlement entitles her to just £15,000 a year, Ferguson says that she is “bereft” after leaving the Royal family.

All in public interest
The News of the World's royal editor, Robert Jobson, told the BBC that they carried out this sting operation as it was in the public interest.

“What is very serious here is that she's so desperate that she's prepared to jeopardize the reputation of her ex-husband and of the country, and of an important international ambassadorial role, which is, after all, funded in terms of the expenses by the taxpayer,” the BBC quoted him as saying.

The Duchess had no idea about the disclosure of her deal until she started getting press calls after the Sunday publication. Reportedly, she now regrets her doing.