Paddy McNally dead aged 88: Sarah Ferguson’s ex-boyfriend & motorsport tycoon dies after long illness

Royals SARAH Ferguson’s ex-boyfriend, Paddy McNally, has died following a long illness. The 88-year-old motorsport tycoon was born in Gravesend, Kent, and dated Fergie for three years between 1982 and 1985. McNally and Fergie remained close friends throughout his life Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Fergie reportedly hoped to marry McNally Credit: PA:Press Association McNally is understood to have allowed Fergie to hide out in his chalet as Epstein allegations continued to swirl around her and ex-hubby Andrew. Sarah Ferguson, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ex-wife, had hoped to marry McNally after the pair dated. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! Fergie was stripped of her Duchess of York title in 2025 and had not been seen in public for 213 days after the emerging scandal. She kept silent on calls to give evidence to US lawmakers on her Epstein links. Sarah Ferguson has been pictured hiding out in a £2,000-a-night ski chalet amid the Epstein scandal Credit: The Sun/Doug Seeburg Fergie was snapped at the luxury Alpine resort as she’s seen for first time in seven months Credit: The Sun/Doug Seeburg She had gone to ground following the release of the Epstein Files, when damning emails between the pair were revealed. But The Sun revealed she had been using a ski chalet understood to have been owned by her ex to hide out from the Epstein scandal. Before he met Fergie McNally married Anne Downing in 1967, Anne would later pass away. The pair had two sons together – Sean and Rollo – with Sean tragically dying suddenly just two months before his dad. Most read in Royals McNally’s son Sean passed away on his Scottish estate, where he lived a remote lifestyle. Fergie and McNally met after the death of Anne when Fergie was hired to look after McNally’s sons. The pair reportedly remained close friends right up until his death – with the former Duchess of York hiding out at McNally’s chalet after she left Royal Lodge. McNally, who was educated at the £54,000-a-year Stonyhurst College, owned several properties across Europe including his Chalet. He amassed impressive wealth from his career in motorsports and has owned various chalets in the Swiss ski resort Verbier since 1980. McNally also owned Sevenhampton Palace in Wiltshire – the former home of James Bond author Ian Flemming. Following McNally’s death a friend told the Daily Mail: “He was in a bad way for a while so this comes as good news.”