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Sarah and Andrew on their wedding day, 1986© Getty

Sarah Ferguson's run-in with police during 'wild' hen party – and how the Queen reacted

Prince Andrew's wife had Princess Diana as an accomplice

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
Updated: September 1, 2023
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Few royal hen parties were as memorable as Sarah Ferguson's! While many members of the royal family chose low-key hen and stag dos at private family homes, the Duchess of York chose a much more public celebration at a nightclub in London with her soon-to-be sister-in-law Princess Diana.

One week before her July 1986 wedding to Prince Andrew, Sarah and Diana dressed up as policewomen which got them into trouble with law enforcement in London.

Sarah Ferguson in a white blouse with curled hair© NBC
Sarah opened up about her hen party on The Kelly Clarkson Show

"[Diana] was very good with her costume," Sarah remarked on The Kelly Clarkson Show as she promoted her novel, A Most Intriguing Lady. A black and white photo revealed they wore matching uniforms including button-up jackets, checked ties and hats with badges on the front.

Sarah even elaborated that they were wearing grey wigs, regulation stockings and lace-up shoes in her 1996 autobiography, My Story.

Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana at Epsom Derby© Getty Images
Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana dressed up as police officers

In fact, their costumes were so convincing that they got arrested for "impersonating police officers."

"After assembling just outside the Palace, we pretended to arrest one of our friends (chosen for her fabulous legs), who was playing the promiscuous lady. The duty police at the gates thought this very strange.

diana and Sarah at the Guard's Polo Club© Getty Images
The royals were arrested for impersonating police officers

"They called out the parks police, who proceeded to arrest the lot of us – even our protection officer, who played along – for causing a scene outside Buckingham Palace.

"They ushered us into their police van, [and] Diana and I had no intention of resisting. We thought it hysterically funny," she wrote in her autobiography.

Sarah Ferguson with her ex-husband Prince Andrew and the Queen© Tim Graham
The Duchess of York explained the Queen found her hen party confession amusing

Despite continuing to hide their real identities by twisting their recognisable engagement rings the other way around, the policemen eventually realised they had two members of the royal family inside their car and dropped them at Annabel's to continue their celebrations. 

But that didn't last long as they were kicked out of the private members club for their outfits. "We sat down, and the waiter came up to us and said, 'Excuse me, this is a members club and it's for fun. We don't serve police officers here,'" Sarah told Kelly Clarkson, and Kelly clarified: "They thought you were real police officers? And they kicked you out?" 

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson on their wedding day© Anwar Hussein
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson on their wedding day in 1986

After their "wild" evening out, they ended the night by locking the palace gates to prevent Prince Andrew from returning from his stag do, which took place at Aubrey House.

While Sarah kept these activities quiet from the public for several years, she did later spill details of the night to her former mother-in-law, the Queen. 

Wedding Of Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson© Getty
Sarah wore a gown designed by Lindka Cierach with the York tiara

"She thought it was reasonably amusing. We had got clean away with it. I’d been as naughty as I could be, and still was adored by all," she wrote.

DISCOVER: 27 hen party ideas in London - from bottomless brunch to a spa day

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