The Harshest Things Prince Philip Said About Sarah Ferguson

Both known for being outspoken and headstrong, Prince Philip and his former daughter-in-law Sarah, Duchess of York, should have found kindred spirits in each other. And perhaps they did, as some people close to the royals claim that Sarah had been Philip's favorite daughter-in-law.

But after the Duchess of York and her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, separated in 1992, Philip supposedly developed a deep grudge against her. And so one of the royal family’s most bitter feuds began.

Over the years, the duchess has occasionally talked about how Philip’s words have affected her. Here are some of the cruelest things the Duke of Edinburgh has reportedly said about Sarah.

“Odd And Pointless”

According to the New York Post, the Duchess of York once claimed that her former father-in-law had “attacked” her with so many “cruel” comments over the years, which had led to her becoming depressed. She revealed that she was “devastated” after the Duke of Edinburgh called her “odd and pointless.”

Sarah said that the comments had become so bad that she began to believe that she was a worthless human being. “But I don’t want to develop a thicker skin,” she said. “I want to know, not why he says I’m odd and pointless, but why it affects me. What is it in me I need to fix and heal?”

“Idiotic”

In a televised interview with Dr. Phil in 2011, Sarah talked about the infamous scandal where she offered journalists access to her ex-husband in exchange for cash. It was, as it later turned out, a sting operation. During the interview, the Duchess of York revealed that Prince Philip said she was “idiotic” after he learned about the incident.

When Dr. Phil asked her why she made the offer to the journalists, Sarah said that she did think she had been foolish. “I can’t get over the stupidity of me,” she said. “My father-in-law, he said, ‘for such a smart woman why does she behave in such an idiotic way?’”

“Loony”

In her book about Prince Edward, royal biographer Ingrid Seward said that Philip became “exceptionally brusque” toward Sarah after she announced that she and Andrew were planning on getting a divorce. “He reminded her of her marital duty and insulted her by suggesting that if she really was going to leave she should book herself into a ‘nunnery or loony bin,’” she wrote.