Sarah Ferguson was given jewellery worth £384k by the Queen – what did she do with it?

Sarah Ferguson as given a stunning set to jewellery when she married into the Royal Family, age just 26.

The pretty redhead, whose father was the polo coach of Prince Philip and later Prince Charles, met Andrew as a child at one of the aristocratic sports matches.

Their paths crossed again later in life, when Sarah’s friend Lady Diana Spencer, later to be Diana, Princess of Wales, invited Sarah to a party at Kensington Palace.

It was here she met Andrew as an adult, and romance soon blossomed between the pair.

They married in 1986 at Westminster Abbey, and Fergie wore a dress with bumble bee and nautical themed embroidery, to honour both her family and Andrew.

She was given a piece of lavish jewellery by Her Majesty the Queen worth more well over a quarter of a million pounds.

Sarah was given a diamond demi-parure, which is a collection of jewellery including earrings, a necklace and a bracelet.

The jewels were from Garrard, the same jewellery house that created her and Princess Diana’s engagement rings.

Sarah often wore demi-parure with York tiara, which was also given to her on her wedding day, and was commissioned by the Queen.

During the early years of her marriage Sarah wore the jewels often, and creatively used the bracelet as a hair accessory.

Shockingly, just after her divorce, Sarah was the victim of theft while travelling through the airport on her way to the US.

She left the diamond in her baggage to be checked and a handler found them, stealing stones from the necklace and hiding the rest of the piece in his shed. He locked the bracelet in his locker at the airport, somewhat foolishly.

An FBI investigation was sparked in search of the jewels, which were eventually recovered. The search prompted the assistant director of the New York office of the FBI to say: “I don’t think it shows a lot of wisdom myself. I certainly wouldn’t do it. But I personally wouldn’t have a half a million dollars of jewellery.”

Now, 13 years after her divorce from Prince Andrew, Sarah rarely wears this jewellery now. It is not known if she still has it.

Grant Mobley, a gemologist and Director at Pluczenik, one of the world’s leading diamantaires told Express.co.uk of the set: “The York Diamond Demi-Parure has a famously interesting story behind it. On a trip in 1996, this set was mistakenly put into a piece of checked luggage and was stolen by a baggage handler, which was later recovered by the FBI.

“The pieces are set in platinum with dazzling white diamonds.

“The necklace has stations of large diamonds surrounded by smaller diamonds in a floral pattern and hugs the neck. “Along with the perfectly matched bracelet and earrings, this is a stand out set in the Royal collection.

“The value is estimated at $500,000 USD (£383,565), but because it belongs to the Royal collection the resale value is exponentially greater.”

Sarah Ferguson’s jewellery collection is estimated to be worth around £660,000. 

Sarah Ferguson: Five facts about the Duchess of York

Childhood

Sarah is the second daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson and Susan Mary Wright.

Her parents divorced in 1974, with her mother going on to marry polo player Héctor Barrantes in 1975 and moving to Argentina. Sarah stayed in the UK with her father, who remarried in 1976 and went on to have three more children.

Wedding

Sarah married Prince Andrew on 23 July 1986 at Westminster Abbey in London.

She wore an ivory-silk wedding gown designed by Lindka Cierarch which had a 17 foot train and 20 foot veil. As is tradition, Sarah wore a diamond tiara, and her wedding band was crafted from Welsh gold.

The couple spent their honeymoon abroad the real yacht Britannia off the coast of the Azores Islands.

Divorce

Sarah and Andrew divorced in 1996 after separating in 1992.

However the couple remain on good terms, even living together in the Royal Lodge from 2008 until Sarah moved to a ski chalet in Switzerland they bought together in 2015.

Career

Sarah has written children’s books for many years, her first being a series about Budgie The Helicopter in the early 90s.

She has also been the US spokeswoman for WeightWatchers after famously battling her weight over the years.

On top of commercial endeavours, the Duchess devotes plenty of time to charity, including Children in Crisis, which she founded in 1993.

Social media

Fergie, as she is known to friends, uses both Twitter and Instagram.

She has over 200,000 followers across the platforms, and shares many insights in to her life.

Most of the Royal Family are not on social media, but are represented by Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, or Clarence House.

Sarah’s daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, are the exception, with both joining their mother on social media.