Sarah Ferguson has been criticised for her “hypocritical” outburst at a Cannes Film Festival gala after shushing the audience during an auction.
The Duchess of York furiously silenced the crowd as she helped auction off a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth by Chris Levine, which sold for €475,000 in aid of charity.
Ferguson told the crowd to “be quiet” and accused them of “looking for the next party” instead of “making our planet better for the youth of tomorrow”.
Sarah told the gala attendees: “Did you see I removed the microphone, because all of you are saying ‘I want to go, where is the next party? What are we meant to be doing next?'”
Sarah Ferguson has been criticised for making a ‘hypocritical’ speech at the AmFAR Gala in Cannes
Getty / GB News
Reacting to the outburst, GB News host Anne Diamond likened the move to a “headmistress” and criticised her “hectoring tone” towards the crowd.
Anne said of the Duchess: “It’s very odd, she had a slightly hectoring tone. A bit headmistress, really, wasn’t it?”
Cohost Stephen Dixon agreed and said the ordeal was “all a bit strange”.
In discussion with showbiz commentator Stephanie Takyi, she revealed that the royal has been “on the warpath” since arriving at the Cannes Film Festival.
Sarah Ferguson attended the AmFAR Gala at Cannes Film Festival
Getty
Takyi revealed: “She’s taking her role of being a global citizen Gen Z ambassador really seriously, which she was appointed earlier this year.”
Takyi added: “She’s been using all of her appearances to talk about the generational guilt she feels about how her generation have destroyed the planet.
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“AmFAR is one of the biggest events that takes place in Cannes – she was trying to deliver a speech, but as you can imagine, it’s a room full of almost 400 A-listers. You’re not going to get everyone being quiet at the same time.”
Takyi then claimed that Fergie “didn’t read the room” as most people in attendance at AmFAR “were just there to see Cher”.
She added: “I felt like it was the wrong time for Fergie to deliver such a speech.”
Noting that the AmFAR Gala raised “around £16million” and was a great success, Stephen also highlighted the “hypocrisy” of celebrities and royals such as Sarah Ferguson flying into Cannes and “preaching about climate change”.
Stephanie Takyi said the Sarah Ferguson ‘didn’t read the room’
GB News
Stephen told GB News: “The one thing that gets me about this, I know she’s not the only one doing it of course, but she’s flown into Cannes and she’s preaching about climate change. It’s a bit hypocritical.”
Stephanie agreed, responding: “I think most of these celebrities and royals know that anything they do will be open and up for criticism.
“The problem is when you deliver these kind of speeches on climate, Gen Z people find that you’re kind of preachy, especially in front of a celebrity audience and Cannes.
“As she rightly said, all people were concerned is about partying once they’ve done the red carpet and they’ve taken their pictures, and it kind of falls on deaf ears afterwards.”