Sarah Ferguson could be linked to a multi-million pound fortune following the death of her old friend and former partner, racing businessman Paddy McNally.
The Formula One hospitality pioneer, who has died aged 88 after a long illness, was reported to have amassed a fortune estimated at around £600 million.
McNally and Ferguson shared a close relationship for decades, with reports suggesting that he continued to support her during some of the most difficult periods of her life.
The former Duchess of York is said to have stayed at McNally’s £15million Swiss chalet in Verbier after she and her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, left the Royal Lodge earlier this year.
“Paddy always looked after Sarah and at times over the last four decades she needed a lot of looking after,” a source said. The sun.
“He never abandoned her in life and even in his final days allowed her a safe sanctuary in his home in Verbier.”
Ferguson and McNally met before she married Prince Andrew, when she was working as a nanny for his two children after the death of his wife, Anne Downing.
The couple later began a romantic relationship, which ended after several years when McNally did not propose following an ultimatum from Ferguson at the Italian Grand Prix.
Despite their separation, the couple remained close, with Ferguson previously describing McNally as a trusted advisor and even a “father figure” who offered him guidance throughout his life.
In a biography of Andrew, author Andrew Lownie quoted Ferguson reflecting on McNally’s influence, saying: “He taught me a lot about life.
Whenever I wanted advice, I turned to him because he was very wise in the world. He seemed to have seen and done it all.”
