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Duchess of York caught peddling influence, video

By April MacIntyre May 23, 2010, 16:52 GMT

A file photo dated 12 February 2010 shows Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York walk down the runway during the Fashion For Relief Haiti NYC 2010 collection show at Mercedes-Benz fashion week in New York, USA. A British tabloid newspaper claimed 23 May 2010 that Ferguson promised to obtain access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew in return for GBP 500,000. EPA/JASON SZENES

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York has admitted she was caught on tape selling her influence for 500,000 pounds to an undercover News of the World reporter.

CNN reports this morning that Ferguson is "deeply apologetic" and "devastated" about the taped incident, played on the network.

Ferguson's marriage to Prince Andrew ended in 1996

The News of the World said Sarah Ferguson was and accepted $40,000 in cash as a good faith deposit.

CNN says that the prince knew nothing about the deal.

According to the video soundtrack, the 50-year-old duchess tells the undercover reporter "£500,000 when you can, to me... open doors".

She also says the cash would "open up all the channels whatever you need, whatever you want, and then that's what and then you meet Andrew and that's fine.

"And that's, that's when you really open up whatever you want."

The undercover reporter was posing as an international business tycoon.

The duchess said: "Look after me and he'll look after you... you'll get it back tenfold. I can open any door you want."

CNN reported that the duchess also said: "What I want you to do next is to meet Andrew... as soon as you come to London, come to the Royal Lodge.

"I'll introduce you and sit down and you'll talk to him about whatever."

But she also says her ex-husband, who has been the UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment since 2001, "never does accept a penny for anything" and describes him as "completely whiter than white".