Ronald Ivor Ferguson Born: 1931 Sex: M Died: 17 MAR 2003 Basingstoke, Hampshire Clinic Cause: prostate cancer, heart attacks Buried: 24 MAR 2003 Occupation: Major
Relationship: 17. cousin 4+6 times removed, etc
Ancestors:
Marriage(s) and Relationships: Married to: Susan Deptford Child:Andrew Ferguson Child:Alice Ferguson Child:Elizabeth Ferguson Married to: Susan Mary Wright JAN 1956, St. Margarets, Westminster, ENGLAND
Child:Jane Louisa Ferguson Child:Sarah Margaret FergusonNotes: Source: Leo van de Pas. Obituary by BBC:
After more than a quarter of a century on the fringes of the Royal
Family, Major Ronald Ferguson became a public figure himself in 1986, on
his daughter Sarah's marriage to Prince Andrew.
Major Ronald was forced to witness his daughter's rise and fall from
grace at the hands of the media. And in addition, he had to weather his
own private scandals and public humiliations.
Major Ronald Ferguson was born with a military silver spoon in his mouth,
and a polo stick in his hand. His father commanded the Life Guards, and
was a talented polo player before World War II.
Susan Ferguson and Hector Barrantes
Ferguson's wife Susan left him for Hector Barrantes
Major Ronald spent 28 years in his father's regiment, the Household
Cavalry.
A member of the Guards' Polo Club in Windsor Great Park since 1955, he
was used to mixing in royal circles, on occasion entertaining the Queen
and Prince Philip to dinner, while his young daughter Sarah slept
upstairs.
When his wife Susan left him after 18 years for an Argentinian polo
player, he brought up his two daughters alone, until he married for a
second time and had three further children.
Royal wedding:
Settled at Dummer, the Hampshire home of his childhood, Ferguson
continued to mix with members of the Royal Family on the polo field. For
21 years, he held the honorary position of Prince Charles' polo manager.
The Duke and Duchess of York on their wedding day:
Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew in June 1986
This involved making sure the Prince of Wales was "in the right place at
the right time, wearing the right shirt".
Major Ron's life changed in June 1986 when Sarah married Prince Andrew
and became the Duchess of York. At the time, as Britain's most famous
father-of-the-bride, he appeared to take the attention in his stride.
After the huge ceremony had taken place in Westminster Abbey, the Major
eschewed the big parties in London to celebrate instead at home in
Hampshire.
Polo club upsets:
The Major found that his new-found celebrity furnished him with dubious
opportunities, but also made him first-class media fodder.
After two decades in the job, Ferguson ceased to be Prince Charles's polo
manager, following a series of scandals.
Prince Charles playing polo Major Ronald supervised Prince Charles's polo
stable
When he was caught frequenting a less-than-salubrious Marylebone massage
parlour, the Major wrote humorously to a newspaper requesting a copy of
their cartoon.
Unfortunately, he used Guards Polo Club writing paper. The club committee
raised a collective eyebrow and the Major moved on to the Royal Berkshire
Club.
Not long after his arrival, a young polo events organiser went to the
papers, telling of her affair with Ferguson. The lady was Lesley Player,
and Major Ronald could say only, "men get carried away sometimes". Royal
Berkshire members were not amused, and Ferguson found himself, once
again, out of a job.
Tireless mission:
No longer welcome on the polo lawns of England, Major Ronald moved for a
while to the States, but returned home and eventually opened a cricket
school on the grounds of his Hampshire home, where he was intent on
maintaining "proper cricket standards".
In 1996, Major Ronald discovered he had prostate cancer, and became
patron of the Support Association.
Conducting radio phone-ins and addressing public meetings, the Major
launched a campaign of public awareness as disciplined and energetic as
his military days. He continued to run his cricket school, despite his
friends telling him it was doomed to failure.
Showing the same qualities of resilience displayed by his famous
daughter, Major Ronald explained, "The more people who told me I was mad,
the more determined I was to do it."
Back to names beginning with 'F'
