The recent tabloid sting involving the Duchess of York has elicited plenty of schadenfreude in the British press.

The Duchess, it appears, is by her own admission virtually penniless after her divorce from the Duke of York left her with only £15,000 a year. That's a modest income for anyone, but especially so for someone who confesses to an "overspending disease" and penchant for private jets and luxury goods.