Sarah Ferguson’s Ex-Boyfriend Paddy McNally, Whom She Dated Before Marrying Ex-Prince Andrew, Dies at 88
Sarah Ferguson’s Ex-Boyfriend Paddy McNally, Whom She Dated Before Marrying Ex-Prince Andrew, Dies at 88
Hannah MalachThu, July 23, 2026 at 8:15 PM UTC
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Sarah Ferguson and Paddy McNally in 1997.Credit: Getty ImagesThe Gist -
Paddy McNally, a former Formula One driver, died at the age of 88 on July 21.
He dated Sarah Ferguson in the 1980s and was her last boyfriend before she married ex-Prince Andrew.
McNally also covered F1 as a journalist and eventually became a manager.
Formula One manager Paddy McNally has died at the age of 88. The former race car driver, who once dated Sarah Ferguson, passed away following a long-term illness on July 21.
News of McNally’s passing comes just months after the death of his son, Sean, whose body was discovered at his estate in Balmoral, Scotland. The circumstances of his death haven’t been disclosed, according to Hello!
Sarah Ferguson and Paddy McNally in 1997.Credit: Getty Images
Before becoming involved with F1 management, McNally was both a professional driver and a journalist who covered the sport. With an estimated net worth of $800 million, he made The Sunday Times Rich List in 2017.
Ferguson, 66, dated McNally from 1982 to 1985. She met Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew, that same year, and they became engaged in 1986.
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Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on their wedding day in 1986.Credit: Getty Images
Despite her split from McNally, they remained close friends, and the businessman reportedly lent Ferguson a ski chalet in Switzerland after she and Mountbatten-Windsor left their longtime home at Royal Lodge earlier this year.
After facing scrutiny regarding their ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Ferguson has largely remained out of the public eye. Although she hasn’t been charged with any crime connected to the late financier, the onetime Duchess of York repeatedly corresponded with Epstein via email, according to documents released by the Department of Justice. Both Ferguson and Mountbatten-Windsor were stripped of their royal titles and privileges as a result of the fallout.
Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2025.Credit: Getty Images
A friend of Ferguson’s recently told Peoplethat she’s “keeping a low profile” while “staying in contact with her daughters,” Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as she awaits “the news of Eugenie’s baby.”
Ferguson hasn’t been seen in public since April, when she was spotted at a luxury ski resort in Austria. In photos obtained by The Sun, she nearly flew under the radar in a white hat, a navy jacket, matching leggings, and black sneakers.
on InStyle
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
