Sarah Fergusonis allegedly using secret'burner phones'while keeping a low profile in theAustrian Alps, where the former Duchess of York has reportedly been staying for months as US lawmakers push for her testimony in theJeffrey Epstein scandal, according to a royal commentator.
The claim surfaced after Ferguson, 66, was photographed in Europe on 15 April, marking her first public sighting in seven months after a period in which her whereabouts were largely unclear. During that time, her former husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the ex-Duke of York, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over allegations he shared confidential trade information with Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy between 2001 and 2011.
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, remains at the centre of multiple investigations, and US politicians are now said to be looking to Ferguson as a potential witness.
Ferguson is reported to havetaken refuge in the Austrian Alps, a discreet retreat long favoured by wealthy visitors and occasional royals, as she navigates the fallout from her own links to Epstein and Andrew's mounting legal troubles.
Royal commentator Helena Chard toldFox Newsthat friends had effectively arranged Ferguson's stay in Europe, describing her as 'incognito' and 'anxious'.
'Incognito, anxious Fergie is keeping a low profile. She cannot believe how low she has sunk although, contrary to people's thoughts, she is not destitute. Friends have stepped in to whisk her away from her stress,' Chard said.
The suggestion is that those who once benefited from Ferguson's well known generosity are now quietly returning the favour. Chard said Ferguson is 'viewed as generous to a fault' and claimed those same friends are now helping her 'slip away from the press'.
Austria, she added, is well known as a haven for wealthy hosts willing to accommodate royals and former royals. It remains unclear who is paying for Ferguson's stay in the Alps, though Chard said'the assumption is someone else is picking up the tab'.
Those claims have not been independently verified, and Ferguson's representatives have not publicly commented on who is funding her time abroad.
The most striking allegation centres on how Ferguson is communicating while in Austria. Chard claimed Ferguson 'may hope to evaporate like mist whilst juggling her alleged burner phones' as she weighs her next move.
Source: International Business Times UK
