Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, has faced fierce backlash on Instagram after praising her stay at a top-notch Marriott hotel in Athens amid devastating fires in Greece, leaving almost a hundred people dead.
READ MORE: Greece Wildfires: It Was Tragic, Terrain Looked Like It Was Bombed – Firefighter
Having posted the picture with a view of the Greek capital, Athens, the royal complimented the luxurious hotel as a “very comfortable” place with “superb atmosphere,” and “excellent” staff.
Many have accused the Duchess, who is often referred to by the nickname “Fergie,” of poor timing for advertising the hotel, writing comments such as “Just a tad inappropriate and disappointing” or “Wild fires killing scores only a few miles from here and all she can talk about is the luxury hotel…”
“She could have mentioned the terrible events in the first sentence and then reviewed the hotel… It’s poorly though about/phrased,” another Instagrammer penned.
Others, however, rushed to defend the royal, with one user writing, “I honestly don’t understand how many people could think this post shows a lack of tact towards Greek people: Sarah clearly expressed her closeness to Greece some days ago, in a very respectful pose, she was the first to do it!”
Last week, the Duchess posted a picture alongside Greek Minister of Tourism Elena Kountoura, with the caption “In deepest sympathy to all families in the tragedy of the fires in Greece. Thank you to #elenakountoura, the Greek people and services who are working tirelessly in such difficult circumstances.”
Wildfires in the Attica capital region in southern Greece broke out on July 23, with the number of deaths dramatically increasing to a total of 91 as of July 30. Twenty-five people remain on the list of those missing, while twenty-eight victims haven’t been identified yet, local emergency services reported.
READ MORE: Deadly Fires Sweeping Across Greece Triggered Deliberately, Authorities Suggest
The authorities are still looking into the cause of the fire, with Nikos Toskas, the Greek cabinet minister responsible for public order and civil protection, mentioning “serious indications and significant signs” of arson.