Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Asked Princess Eugenie for Greater Access to Her Private Portugal Home — But the Request Was ‘Too Far’

Sarah Ferguson has reportedly turned to Princess Eugenie for support as she rebuilds her life following her departure from Royal Lodge — but one alleged request appears to have crossed a boundary.

According to royal biographer Andrew Lownie, Ferguson has been welcomed as a guest at the secluded Portuguese home Eugenie shares with husband Jack Brooksbank and their children.

However, Lownie claims the 66-year-old wanted something more permanent: the freedom to use the property whenever she wished.

Eugenie and Jack reportedly refused.

“That was a request too far for the Brooksbanks,” Lownie said, claiming the couple were concerned that allowing Ferguson unrestricted access could bring unwanted media attention to their private retreat.

Neither Ferguson nor Eugenie has publicly confirmed the reported request, meaning the account remains an allegation rather than an established description of the family’s private discussions.

Ferguson reportedly wanted a ‘free run’ of the Portugal property

Eugenie and Jack have built part of their family life in Portugal, where their home provides considerably more privacy than many royal residences in Britain.

That seclusion appears to have made the property particularly appealing to Ferguson during a turbulent period.

Lownie claimed that “at one stage she was pleading to be given a free run of the secluded Portuguese home.”

Such an arrangement would apparently have allowed Ferguson greater freedom to stay there rather than simply visiting as Eugenie and Jack’s guest.

But according to the biographer, the couple were unwilling to agree.

Their reported concern was not necessarily about Ferguson herself, but about the attention that could follow her.

Lownie said the Brooksbanks had “no wish to see their bolthole under siege from paparazzi.”

Eugenie has reportedly still welcomed her mother as a guest

The alleged refusal does not mean Ferguson has been shut out of her daughter’s life.

Lownie said she has visited Eugenie and Jack at their Portuguese residence, particularly during a major moment for the growing family.

Eugenie recently welcomed her third child and first daughter, Adelaide Elizabeth Annina Brooksbank, in Portugal.

The baby joined older brothers August and Ernest.

Ferguson has long maintained a close relationship with both of her daughters, Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, and the report suggests she has continued spending time with Eugenie despite the boundary allegedly placed around the Portugal property.

The distinction appears to be between visiting the family and having unrestricted use of their private home.

Ferguson has been out of the public eye for months

The reports come after a difficult period in which Ferguson has largely remained away from public view.

She was forced to make new living arrangements after leaving Royal Lodge, the Windsor property she had continued sharing with her former husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor despite their divorce.

King Charles ordered Andrew to leave Royal Lodge, while Ferguson was left to establish a separate home of her own.

She reportedly departed Britain at the beginning of 2026 as renewed scrutiny surrounded the Royal Family’s connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The existence of scrutiny or association does not in itself establish wrongdoing by Ferguson.

Her absence nevertheless created questions about where she would eventually establish herself.

Now, reports suggest she is preparing to resume life in Britain.

Her return reportedly comes with a very expensive temporary home

Ferguson is said to be renting a six-bedroom property somewhere in the Home Counties.

The reported cost is substantial: approximately £10,000 per week.

The property is being described as a temporary refuge rather than necessarily a permanent new home.

After months away, reports claim Ferguson intends to return to Britain and “get back to her life.”

But Lownie believes the timing of that return could have another dimension.

Lownie claims Ferguson knew about Harry and Meghan’s plans

The biographer has suggested Ferguson’s return coincides unusually closely with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spending more time in Britain.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Lownie claimed the timing was “no accident.”

He further asserted that sources he considers highly reliable indicated Ferguson already knew about the Sussexes’ plans to return.

Lownie has speculated that Eugenie may have been the source of at least some of that information.

However, no evidence has been publicly presented establishing that Eugenie disclosed Harry and Meghan’s private plans to her mother.

The suggestion therefore remains Lownie’s interpretation.

Eugenie’s friendship with Harry keeps attracting attention

Eugenie has frequently been portrayed as one of the Royal Family members who maintained a relationship with Harry after his departure from royal duties.

That connection has repeatedly placed her in an unusual position amid tensions between the Sussexes and other members of the family.

Now Lownie’s claims have brought that relationship back into the conversation surrounding Ferguson.

His theory suggests that Ferguson may have had advance knowledge of Harry and Meghan’s British plans because of Eugenie’s continued connection to the Duke of Sussex.

Again, none of the people involved has publicly confirmed that version of events.

The reported refusal suggests Eugenie is protecting her family’s privacy

Perhaps the most revealing element of the account is not that Ferguson reportedly asked for help, but where Eugenie and Jack allegedly drew the line.

Their Portugal residence offers something increasingly difficult for anyone connected to the Royal Family to maintain: distance from intense public scrutiny.

It is where Eugenie and Jack have been raising their young family and where Adelaide was recently born.

Opening the property more widely to another high-profile royal figure could potentially change the level of attention surrounding it.

According to Lownie, that was a risk the Brooksbanks were unwilling to take.

Ferguson could visit.

But unrestricted access was reportedly another matter.

Mother and daughter appear to be entering very different chapters

Eugenie is currently adjusting to life as a mother of three following Adelaide’s arrival.

Ferguson, meanwhile, appears to be navigating a much less settled period.

She has left the home she shared with Andrew, spent months outside Britain and is now reportedly returning to a costly rental property while determining what comes next.

That would naturally make the security of a family home in Portugal appealing.

But if Lownie’s account is accurate, Eugenie and Jack have made clear that supporting Ferguson does not mean surrendering control of their own private sanctuary.

The princess reportedly remains willing to welcome her mother.

She simply was not prepared to give her the keys to an unrestricted escape.