Royal biographer Robert Hardman reveals Palace ‘bean counters’ sent Fergie a BILL for half a Sandringham Christmas tree after Andrew divorce

Sarah Ferguson faced ‘the full force of the Palace establishment’ after her divorce from Prince Andrew, with the Palace billing her for half a Christmas tree when her daughters visited her at Sandringham, Robert Hardman has revealed.

The late Queen’s official biographer spoke on Deep Dive: The Fall of the House of York, a new Daily Mail podcast examining Andrew and Fergie’s descent from royal respectability to financial crisis and scandal.

Hardman said a turning point came after their divorce, when the former Duchess of York was frozen out of the Royal fold and began a ‘quest for money’ to fund her lavish lifestyle.

In 1996, Fergie was left with a divorce settlement that was a far cry from the £17 million Princess Diana received after her divorce from Prince Charles.

Sarah Ferguson faced ‘the full force of the Palace establishment’ after her divorce from Prince Andrew, Robert Hardman has revealed

The late Queen’s official biographer spoke on Deep Dive: The Fall of the House of York , a new podcast examining Andrew and Fergie’s descent from royal respectability to crisis and scandal

Hardman said a turning point came after their divorce, when the former Duchess of York was frozen out of the Royal fold

Hardman, a royal correspondent at the time, recalled how far Palace ‘bean counters’ would go to show Fergie she was cut off from the Royal coffers.

‘A quest for money has bedevilled that couple ever since [their divorce]’, Hardman told Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine.

‘Fergie came up against the full force of the Palace establishment, that took a pretty dim view.

‘To his credit, Andrew would do his bit and go in to bat for her.

‘As an example of how pernickety the Palace could be – that Christmas, the Duchess obviously wanted to be with her children.

‘The girls were with Andrew at Sandringham, in the big house. The Duchess was allowed to spend Christmas at Wood Farm, on the Sandringham estate.

‘Fergie wanted to make the house warm and cozy, so she asked if she could have a Christmas tree put in.

‘A few weeks later, a bill was sent to her for half a tree. The Palace said: the Duke will cover half the cost of the tree, you must cover the other half.

‘The bean counters were pretty rigorous.’

The podcast comes as the couple face mounting pressure over their tenancy of Royal Lodge following Andrew’s decision to renounce his Duke of York title.

Robert Hardman: ‘A quest for money has bedevilled that couple ever since [their divorce].’ Listen here

Hardman described Andrew’s departure from the Navy in 2001 as his ‘sliding doors moment’

Andrew has reportedly issued an ultimatum to the King, demanding separate homes for both himself and Fergie before agreeing to leave Royal Lodge.

Andrew is said to have requested Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan’s former home, while Fergie wants Adelaide Cottage, the Wales family’s current residence.

The disgraced prince gave up his Duke of York title on October 17 amid ongoing controversy over his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his cell in 2019.

Hardman described Andrew’s departure from the Navy in 2001 as his ‘sliding doors moment’.

He said Andrew’s subsequent role as Trade Envoy exposed his poor judgment, with diplomatic blunders and expensive travel bills raising eyebrows.

The royal biographer said: ‘You don’t have to dig too deep into the world of Foreign Office veterans to talk to people who were on the receiving end of Andrew’s visits.

‘You hear some pretty toe-curling stories about his blunders.

‘I think he found having to come down to breakfast and make polite talk with an ambassador’s spouse rather hard work.

‘He would much rather be in the presidential suite of the nearest Four Seasons, playing a bit of golf.’

Hear the full story of Andrew and Fergie’s rise and fall on Deep Dive: The Fall of the House of York – available now, wherever you get your podcasts.