Ronald Ferguson
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Major Ronald Ivor Ferguson (October 10, 1931 - March 16, 2003) was Polo manager to the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales, and the father of Sarah Ferguson, who married Prince Andrew.
He was the son of Andrew Henry Ferguson (1899-1966) and his wife Marian Montagu-Douglas-Scott (1908-1996), and was born in London. He attended Eton College and Sandhurst, and entered the Life Guards, serving with them in Egypt, Aden, and Cyprus. He had one older brother John, who died at the age of 10 from peritonitis.
He married his first wife Susan Wright, on January 17, 1956. They had two daughters: Jane Louisa, born on August 26, 1957, and Sarah Margaret, later the Duchess of York, born on October 15, 1959. They divorced in 1974. During their marriage the Fergusons were recognised society figures. The Major eventually retired from his army career and took on the duties of managing a large farm in Hampshire when his father died in 1966. It also left him more time to devote to another passion, polo.
His interest in polo frequently brought him into contact with the Royal Family, and through this connection his daughter Sarah met Prince Andrew. For many years Major Ferguson served as Prince Charles's polo manager.
In 1975 he decided to remarry a woman also named Susan (née Deptford). They had three children, Andrew (b. 1978), Alice (b. 1980), and Elizabeth (Eliza) (b. 1985).
In the late 1980's while his daughter Sarah was married to the the Duke of York, the Major was embroiled in controversy of a personal nature. It did not affect his marriage however it led him to leave his post as Prince Charles's polo manager and his position at the Guard's Polo Club. After that the only time he ever appeared in the media was mostly to defend his daughter Sarah who herself was the subject of much public humiliation. In 1994 he published his autobiography The Galloping Major.
Major Ferguson battled with cancer for some years of his life. Initially it was reported to be skin cancer but later developed prostate cancer. In March 2003 he died of a heart attack at The Hampshire Clinic, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England.
