Using royal connections: Fergie's bad look

Duchess Sarah Ferguson before and after using the hair straighteners, available in "royal purple". Picture / QVC

She has never been averse to using her royal connections to sell products she hopes might keep her solvent. And Sarah Ferguson's latest effort on a TV shopping channel is unlikely to help her build bridges with the senior royals.

Her appearance on the American channel QVC starts with her sporting her "natural" look - a frizzy hairstyle which just happens to be best sorted out with a pair of styling tongs marketed on her own website.

Prince Andrew's former wife told viewers that the product, priced at US$79.92 ($118.45), helps her cope with her "busy life" in the spotlight.

She regaled those thinking about buying the Calista Perfecter Ultra 2-in-1 Hair Styler with tales of her global travels, saying the device once helped her get ready in only 12 minutes after she had spent 30 hours travelling to Delhi. The 56-year-old posed for a "before" picture where she is seen with unkempt and frizzy hair, which she called her "natural" appearance.

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She told viewers that she struggles with her hair when travelling to hot countries and joked that even boarding the plane to a humid country makes it frizzy. Another picture then showed how the tongs had styled her sleek and glossy locks.

In one sequence, the duchess said the product was available in "royal purple" - once again risking accusations she is trying to cash in on her past marriage.

After divorcing Andrew the duchess found success in America and once earned up to £2 million ($4.5 million) a year.

Following a number of commercial disasters in recent years, she has once again started using her name to earn a healthy income.

She is thought to have received a six-figure sum from mail order company Tristar Products to promote the Calista Perfecter on television and market it on her Duchess Discoveries website.

She has also made numerous appearances on US television to promote a £65 ($145.60) food blender, the Fusion Xcelerator, which she credited with helping her ditch her "fat frumpy Fergie" image.

During the TV appearances she candidly discussed her past weight battles while doing a demonstration on how to use the product.

- Daily Mail