Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson married Prince Andrew, the Duke of York in 1986. The pair went on to have two children, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, but by March 1992, they were having marital problems. Fergie and Andrew decided to separate that year, and the Duchess’ relationship with the rest of the Royal Family quickly became strained.

Following the separation, Buckingham Palace announced that Fergie would no longer carry out public engagements on behalf of the Queen.

Furthermore, the Queen announced in a statement that she would not take responsibility for Sarah’s debts.

But one event that occurred approximately five months after the Duke and Duchess of York separated made the Queen furious.

In August, 1992 surreptitiously taken photos of Sarah getting her toes sucked by financial adviser John Bryant were published in the Daily Mirror.

Fergie endured widespread public ridicule contributing to her further estrangement from the royals.

Like the rest of the family, the Queen was very upset with the Duchess after the pictures surfaced.

According to reports, members of the Royal Family saw the pictures for the first time when they received the morning paper.

At the time, they were all gathered at the Balmoral Castle in Scotland and Queen Elizabeth II asked Fergie to leave the estate.

According to 2011 documentary Chasing the Royals: The Media and Monarchy, Fergie and Prince Andrew’s marriage was not completely over and she was still very much part of the royal circle.

Royal correspondent James Whitaker said: “It happened in front of the whole family at the Queen’s country residence in Scotland.

“She was late into breakfast and everybody had got a copy of the Daily Mirror.

“As she walked into the room, they all stuffed it under their Times and Telegraphs and that sort of thing.

“She knew the game was up the second she walked into the room.”

Fergie and the Duke of York officially divorce four years later, in 1996.

Despite the turmoil, the two have remained good friends and even described themselves as the “world’s happiest unmarried couple”.

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