Sarah, Duchess of York January 1988, during the trip to New York to attend a fundraising event, the Duchess was attacked by a young man at the entrance of her hotel. The man, who was screaming "murderers 3/8" and had the Irish Republican Army flag in his hands when he rushed at Sarah, was "charged with attempted assault on the Duchess and assault on a federal agent". Later a State Department press officer stated that "she was unharmed in the incident". In March 1988, the Duke and Duchess of York visited California. The trip was described by two British newspapers as a "brash, vulgar,
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough to return the key to the queen immediately. In January 1711, Sarah was stripped of the offices of Mistress of the Robes and Groom of the Stole and replaced by Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset. Abigail was made Keeper of the Privy Purse. This broke a promise Anne had made to distribute these court offices to Sarah's children. The Marlboroughs also lost state funding for Blenheim Palace, and the building came to a halt for the first time since it was begun in 1705. Now in disgrace, they left England and travelled in Europe. As a result of his success