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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What was the toe sucking scandal?

106 replies

justthingse · 30/12/2023 19:14

I am in my mid 20's so was not alive during the 90's when The Duchess of York was apparently seen as a disgrace by the public and media. Can someone who remembers that period tell me about the toe sucking scandal and whether the royal family banishing her for many years was seen as an appropriate response or if the tabloids over sensationalised her antics at the time?

OP posts:
SOxon · 30/12/2023 19:18

its all online, photos, type in toe sucking scandal draw your own conclusions

2Old2Tango · 30/12/2023 19:21

Sarah got involved with her financial advisor - John Bryan, who was a Texan millionaire. They were caught on a long lens, lazing by the pool, with him sucking her toes. Humiliation for the Royals yada yada, Sarah banished. It's all online.

Tinkerbyebye · 30/12/2023 19:22

Just google Duchess of your toe sucking. It’s all there

BooBooBaloo · 30/12/2023 19:23

Google is your friend, it's not hard to find the information on it

ThreePointOneFourOneFiveNine · 30/12/2023 19:24

It really was a very big deal at the time. Attitudes have changed a lot once then. It was pre internet so people didn't have as much fresh news to distract them so quickly as they do now.

Theasparrot · 30/12/2023 19:27

The Duchess of York (Fergie) was photographed when she was having her toes sucked by her "Financial adviser" John Bryan, apparently the most shocking scandalous aspect was that Sarah was pregnant at the time. The photos were revealed when all the Royal Family were in Balmoral. There was also some scandal involving Steve Wyatt.

SoSad44 · 30/12/2023 19:28

Don’t you use google or google images?

SoSad44 · 30/12/2023 19:28

Theasparrot · 30/12/2023 19:27

The Duchess of York (Fergie) was photographed when she was having her toes sucked by her "Financial adviser" John Bryan, apparently the most shocking scandalous aspect was that Sarah was pregnant at the time. The photos were revealed when all the Royal Family were in Balmoral. There was also some scandal involving Steve Wyatt.

Nonsense both her children are in the photos.

EternalHeadache · 30/12/2023 19:31

I don’t know why people have to be rude to the OP. Sometimes even if you google, it is helpful to talk to people who were around at the time. To get an idea of the vibe and atmosphere at the time. OP it did like feel like a very big deal from what I can remember. The behaviour was seen as very disrespectful. It seemed predictable and almost acceptable that she should be exiled from the royal family.

I would like to think things have changed a bit since then. Who knows.

Willmafrockfit · 30/12/2023 19:34

was she pregnant?

Redglitter · 30/12/2023 19:38

apparently the most shocking scandalous aspect was that Sarah was pregnant at the time

She wasn't pregnant 🙄

Cornettoninja · 30/12/2023 19:39

Willmafrockfit · 30/12/2023 19:34

was she pregnant?

It’s the first I’ve ever heard of it. She was probably pregnant the same way Diana was when she died 🤷‍♀️

(I.e she wasn’t, she’d just clearly had sex with someone so must be pregnant and dooming her children to being associated with a half sibling with no noble blood)

WinnieTheW0rm · 30/12/2023 19:40

No she was not pregnant

She was on holiday with her "financial adviser" a month after her separation had been announced.

The scandal was that B&E were also present

Ktime · 30/12/2023 19:40

2Old2Tango · 30/12/2023 19:21

Sarah got involved with her financial advisor - John Bryan, who was a Texan millionaire. They were caught on a long lens, lazing by the pool, with him sucking her toes. Humiliation for the Royals yada yada, Sarah banished. It's all online.

Thank you, I love it when people actually answer OP’s question rather than point to Google.

I never knew about the toe sucking scandal. Makes sense though, Fergie and Andrew are both worth as much as toe nails.

Theasparrot · 30/12/2023 19:41

This reply has been deleted

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Witchbitch20 · 30/12/2023 19:42

Steve Wyatt was before the toe sucker - and she was pregnant with Eugaine when the “formed an attachment”. He went off and married someone else.

The the scandal hit with the financial advisor.

Funny the things that were considered scandals then, when you consider her excuse husbands non sweaty situation.

BooBooBaloo · 30/12/2023 19:42

Theasparrot · 30/12/2023 19:27

The Duchess of York (Fergie) was photographed when she was having her toes sucked by her "Financial adviser" John Bryan, apparently the most shocking scandalous aspect was that Sarah was pregnant at the time. The photos were revealed when all the Royal Family were in Balmoral. There was also some scandal involving Steve Wyatt.

It's better for OP to use the internet, so they don't get utter made up nonsense such as 'she was pregnant at the time'

areyouhavinglaugh · 30/12/2023 19:44

I worked I a very posh florists at the time and John sent her a dozen red roses saying " can't wait for round 2" 😬
Absolute scandal back then! But now we know what we know , do we blame her?
I had to write the card

Willmafrockfit · 30/12/2023 19:45

she should have sued the long lens chaps

Neriah · 30/12/2023 19:47

Who cares what she did? Or the about the opinions of an entitled bunch of inbreeds?

Maireas · 30/12/2023 19:48

Willmafrockfit · 30/12/2023 19:34

was she pregnant?

No

Devonshiregal · 30/12/2023 19:49

EternalHeadache · 30/12/2023 19:31

I don’t know why people have to be rude to the OP. Sometimes even if you google, it is helpful to talk to people who were around at the time. To get an idea of the vibe and atmosphere at the time. OP it did like feel like a very big deal from what I can remember. The behaviour was seen as very disrespectful. It seemed predictable and almost acceptable that she should be exiled from the royal family.

I would like to think things have changed a bit since then. Who knows.

Yes exactly. Don’t know why people feel the need to make op feel stupid for asking. Like why have a forum when we could all just Google anyway?

i think as some others have said it was a lot to do with the media situation at the time. You didn’t have phones so people weren’t filming everything so antics such as this was a shock. Whereas now you look on your phone/the internet and there’s nothing BUT people’s inappropriate antics. There’s little shock value left. people used to try to maintain privacy and dignity in order to maintain their standing in society…nowadays the more crazy the better. Anything to get attention.

Devonshiregal · 30/12/2023 19:49

Also op what made you wonder about this? Quite random?

HuntingoftheSnark · 30/12/2023 19:50

She wasn't pregnant! I vaguely recall the toe sucking photograph on the front of Private Eye and her financial adviser saying "remember, these things can go down as well as up".

Theasparrot · 30/12/2023 19:50

You are absolutely and totally right, she wasn't pregnant and I got it completely wrong.
@BooBooBaloo
@SoSad44

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