Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s early marital habit of staying in bed for days frustrated royal household staff, according to former butler Paul Burrell.
Sarah Ferguson, 66, faces scrutiny amid released U.S. Department of Justice emails linking her to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents show her proposing marriage to Epstein, offering to tour Buckingham Palace for his clients, and introducing daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to him. She now resides overseas after vacating Royal Lodge at King Charles’s request.
Bedroom Habit Sparks Staff Rebellion
Burrell, in his memoir The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess, describes how Andrew became besotted with his new wife, viewing her as infallible. However, staff tensions arose immediately.
“The staff were up in arms early in the marriage. From the beginning, the royal newlyweds refused to leave their marital bed,” Burrell writes. “The maids weren’t allowed to go into the bedroom to make the bed for days.”
Once emerging, the couple hosted extravagant dinner, lunch, and tea parties for friends, overwhelming the kitchen team.
Kitchen Chaos and Queen’s Intervention
“The kitchen staff were run off their feet,” Burrell notes. “Even the Queen didn’t entertain so extravagantly. The royal chefs were furious to be making food like it was an à la carte restaurant.”
Staff, accustomed to fixed meal times for the Queen and family, rebelled. Complaints reached the Master of the Household, who alerted the Queen. She intervened to curb the excess, emphasizing her aversion to waste and pre-planned menus.
“So why should Andrew and Fergie be different?” Burrell questions.
Andrew’s Challenging Reputation
Burrell portrays Andrew as difficult for household employees. Starting as a footman for Queen Elizabeth II, he later served as King Charles’s personal valet and gained fame as Princess Diana’s confidant from 1987 to 1997, chronicling experiences in A Royal Duty.
Buckingham Palace’s Playful Nickname
Burrell also shares a lighthearted staff moniker for Buckingham Palace, dubbing it the “Gin Palace” due to prevalent gin consumption, particularly Gordon’s, which loosened inhibitions alongside other palace activities.
