The truth behind why Fergie fired Jane Andrews after ITV’s The Lady
Did it have anything to do with the Count?
The Lady follows Jane Andrews, Sarah Ferguson’s ex-dresser, who went on to become a convicted murderer. There’s an official reason why she was fired, but the drama suggests there may be more to the story.
The first episode of the ITV drama follows Andrews (played by Mia McKenna-Bruce) as she’s catapulted from her quiet seaside town to the lavish, baroque halls of Buckingham Palace.
In The Lady, she quickly develops a friendly bond with Fergie (Natalie Dormer). They chat about boys, and soon, Andrews becomes one of her closest confidants.
This isn’t dissimilar to real life. So, if they were so close, why exactly was she fired?
This is why Sarah Ferguson fired Jane Andrews
According to Buckingham Palace, Jane Andrews was dismissed from her role as Sarah Ferguson’s dresser as part of a “cost-cutting exercise”.
Andrews was sacked in 1997, a year after Ferguson finalised her divorce from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
After their separation in 1992, Queen Elizabeth II confirmed that the royal family would not assume responsibility for Ferguson’s debts.
To be clear, she wasn’t poor. It’s been reported that her divorce settlement included £350,000 in cash, as well as half a million pounds from the Queen to buy a house.
However, given her distance from the royals, it would make sense to pare back her staff.
According to Andrews, there was another reason. Ferguson had been rumoured to be having an affair with Count Gaddo della Gherardesca, a Tuscan aristocrat. Andrews claimed he was also interested in her, and this is what led to her firing, but this has never been confirmed.
How The Lady handles Jane Andrews’ firing
It’s worth remembering that The Lady may be based on a true story, but that doesn’t mean it’s 100% accurate. It even opens with a disclaimer that some events and scenes were “created and merged for dramatic purposes”.
However, it paints an intriguing picture of Andrews’ employment under Ferguson, and her slow downfall.
In episode 1, there’s a brief moment of over-familiarity: Fergie catches Andrews trying on one of her jackets. Nothing is made of it, but it’s the first hint that it could spell trouble down the line.
Episode 2 is where it all falls apart. She arrives at work later after sleeping in with Luis Castillo, believing that “Sarah” would be relieved to know she was taking a break after her hard work.
However, Ferguson is clearly bothered (she checks her watch). Andrews tells her she needs a couple of days off (crucially, she doesn’t ask) to go to Greece with Luis, even though they have a pre-arranged engagement.
“You better make sure that Claudia is across everything, assuming she doesn’t mind picking up slack,” Ferguson says, and it gets worse. Andrews calls her Sarah in her company – a huge no-no.
When she returns to work after a disastrous holiday, Claudia has pretty much taken the reins. Count Fabrizio (inspired by Gherardesca) consoles Andrews over her break-up, and Ferguson catches sight of him with a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Days later, Claudia tells her she’s been let go due to “cost-cutting” – Ferguson doesn’t even tell her herself.
This would suggest Ferguson had grown tired of Andrews, whether it was her brazenness or a tad of jealousy over the Count’s (harmless) affection towards her.
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