Britain's Sarah Ferguson accepted an award for her work with a children's charity late on Monday, amid a swirl of scandal after she was secretly filmed accepting cash for access to her former husband Prince Andrew.

US television footage of the gala event showed Ms Ferguson looking poised and polished as she accepted the award from the Variety International group, despite the media storm around her back home in Britain.

Ms Ferguson in brief remarks at the soiree confessed late on Monday to having had "quite a heavy day," one day after the News of the World went public with its story of having set up the duchess.

"I hate grownups, and I love children. Thank you very much," she said as she accepted her award at the Hollywood event, without directly alluding to the payola scandal which has become huge news on both side of the Atlantic.

Ms Ferguson, who divorced from Queen Elizabeth II's second son in 1996, apologised Sunday for a "serious lapse in judgment" after the release of the film footage.

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