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Princess Beatrice has attended the funeral for her mother's ex-boyfriend Paddy McNally - after the late Formula One mogul reportedly left Sarah Ferguson 'an allowance' in his passing.

The King's niece, 38, appeared solemn and wore black as she arrived for the service at St James' Church in Wiltshire this afternoon.

McNally, who died aged 88 last month, left a fortune estimated at around £600million, built on the 2006 sale of his hospitality business Allsport Management for £262million.

For years, despite them parting ways, the colourful tycoon had supported the ex-Duchess of York, who was last spotted in April, at a luxury ski resort in the Austrian alps.

However, Fergie was not pictured in attendance today, and it is not known if she was present, amid her recent step-away from the spotlight following criticisms over her friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Mr McNally died peacefully after a long illness – just two months the sudden death of his son Sean, one of his two boys by his late wife Anne.

Princess Beatrice has attended the funeral for her mother's ex-boyfriend Paddy McNally - after the late Formula One mogul reportedly left Sarah Ferguson'an allowance' in his passing

'He was in a bad way for a while so this comes as good news,' reflected one old friend to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden after his passing.

His truly was a life lived in the fast lane, taking him from Gravesend, his Kent birthplace, to the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, where he owned no fewer than three chalets, one of which became mischievously known as 'Cocaine Castle', and also to Sevenhampton Place in Wiltshire, a property in St Tropez and a grouse moor in Scotland.

Fergie met Mr McNally, 22 years her senior, after she was recruited to look after Sean and his brother Rollo, following Anne's death in 1980.

McNally, a charmer who'd been educated at £54,000-a-year Stonyhurst College, was well on his way to amassing a fortune, thanks to his work alongside Bernie Ecclestone, revolutionising F1 corporate entertainment with the Formula One Paddock Club.

It would be a business that ended up making him the 238th richest man in Britain, with a £600million fortune by the time of his death on July 22, 2026.

His wealth allowed him to indulge chums in all manner of adult entertainment – much to Fergie's delight.

But their three-year affair ended in 1985. A year later, she became engaged to the then Prince Andrew.

Princess Beatrice has attended the funeral for her mother's ex-boyfriend Paddy McNally - after the late Formula One mogul reportedly left Sarah Ferguson'an allowance' in his passing

For years, despite them parting ways, McNally - who did aged 88 last month - had supported the ex-Duchess of York, who was last spotted in April, at a luxury ski resort in the Austrian alps

Mr McNally died peacefully after a long illness – just two months the sudden death of his son Sean, one of his two boys by his late wife Anne

Beatrice wore all black as she attended the funeral this afternoon, in Wiltshire

The Princess appeared solemn as she was seen in attendance

When the sad news broke, it led many to speculate that McNally, a widower before he met Fergie and who never remarried, could solve the disgraced ex-duchess's financial woes for good.

After all, they had stayed friends for over four decades, through Fergie's marriage and divorce from Andrew and her years of profligate spending and debt.

McNally stood by her to the end, even in recent months when the shame of her 20-year friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was made public.

After she and Andrew were kicked out of Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park last February, she fled to an Austrian spa and then to McNally's home in Switzerland.

Fergie reportedly stayed in his £25million chalet – nicknamed 'Cocaine Castle' for the parties he hosted – 'because he always wanted to help her'.

One associate of Sarah's told The Mail On Sunday's Caroline Graham: 'The first question everyone thought was, "Is Paddy going to bail her out for good?" He was fiercely loyal to her throughout her scandals, and there were many.

'Even in recent months he's let her stay in his chalet. If he's left her life-changing money, wouldn't that be something?'

Another man, who moved in the same circles as Fergie, added: 'Paddy was shrewd. No one would be surprised if he's left her a house and cash, but you can bet it's in a private trust with a monthly income. He'd never give her a lump sum because he knows how easily she'd blow through it.'

Sarah Ferguson and her ex, Paddy McNally pictured together at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone

Fergie is said to be 'devastated' by the death of the man she once described as a 'father figure' and 'mentor', telling one interviewer: 'He taught me so much about life. When I wanted advice I turned to him. He seemed to have seen and done everything.'

The last time Ferguson was seen in public was in December 2025, photographed ducking down in a car on her way to the christening of Beatrice's second daughter, Athena.

Meanwhile, Beatrice was last spotted last month in Athens, Greece, as she joined her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi for a holiday - amid rumours that their marriage is on the rocks.

No doubt still revelling in their sixth wedding anniversary celebrations, the pair met up with art curator Aliki Lampropoulos.

Though it's not certain when the image was taken, Aliki, who served as a host committee member alongside the royal at The Charge charity gala in London in 2014, took to Instagram to share a selfie with the couple, who were seen beaming from ear to ear, yesterday.

While the Greek art expert forwent a written caption, she added a bee emoji, perhaps indicating her nickname for Beatrice.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's eldest daughter and her husband have scarcely been spotted out together in recent times, setting rumours of marital struggles alight.

Beatrice tied the knot with property developer Edo, 42, during a ceremony at the Chapel of All Saints on the Windsor estate, after the Covid pandemic forced the couple to cancel a larger wedding.

However, the nuptials were somewhat overshadowed by Beatrice's disgraced father, Andrew, after the Epstein scandal forced him to step down from public life in November 2019.

Six years later, the couple's anniversary on July 17 faced a similar eclipse after new revelations about Andrew's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein allegedly forced a 'distance' between Edo and Beatrice in recent months.