Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, celebrated her 66th birthday on Wednesday, October 15, amidst a turbulent period that saw her removed as a patron from several charities. This decision followed the public disclosure of an email she sent in 2011 to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, in which she reportedly wrote, "I did not use the P word about you," just weeks after vowing to cease communication with him.

Adding to the Duchess's recent scrutiny, former royal butler Paul Burrell has revealed further insights into her past conduct in his new memoir, "The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana." Burrell, who spent years within Buckingham Palace and later served Princess Diana, recounts how Sarah Ferguson, shortly after marrying Prince Andrew in 1986, caused significant unrest among kitchen staff.

According to Burrell, Prince Andrew was initially "besotted" with his new bride, believing she "could do no wrong." However, tensions quickly arose. The royal newlyweds reportedly refused to leave their marital bed for days, preventing maids from entering the bedroom to make it. Upon finally surfacing, the couple would host lavish dinner, lunch, and tea parties for their friends, leading to significant strain on the palace staff.

Burrell claimed that the kitchen staff were constantly "run off their feet," expressing fury at having to prepare food as if it were an à la carte restaurant, a stark contrast to their usual routine of serving the Queen and Royal Family at set times. The excessive entertaining, even more extravagant than the Queen's own, caused the staff to rebel. Protests were lodged with the Master of the Household, who then informed the Queen of her staff's unhappiness.

The Queen was compelled to intervene, putting a stop to what Burrell described as "lavish gluttony," primarily due to her inherent dislike of waste and her practice of pre-deciding her daily meals. Burrell also alleged that Prince Andrew was "never easy" to work with, particularly for the household staff.

Beyond his revelations about the Duke and Duchess of York, Burrell, who initially served as a footman to Queen Elizabeth before becoming King Charles's butler and Princess Diana's trusted right-hand man, also shared an amusing nickname for Buckingham Palace. Hinting at a pervasive boozing culture, he penned that "Forget Buckingham Palace, it was nicknamed 'Gin Palace' after the spirit that flowed freely through the everyday workings of the building. Gin, always, Gordon's, was the drink of choice," suggesting that a degree of inebriation often helped to lower inhibitions among staff.