Near Miss at WTC for Duchess of York

September 14, 2001 -- Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is among those thanking their lucky stars they weren't in the World Trade Center as planned on Tuesday

The ex-wife of Prince Andrew had an 8:45 a.m. meeting scheduled that day for her Chances for Children charity, which is based at the WTC, but was running late, reports columnist Cindy Adams.Her staffers were gathered downstairs in the lobby to greet the duchess and escort her upstairs. Just seconds after the first plane hit, Sarah's car arrived at the door. After whisking her employees into her limo, she sped off to safety, Adams reports.The charity's offices were on the 101st floor, according to wire service reports, although it's not clear which tower they were located in.

"The Duchess of York is desperately upset for everyone involved in this terrible tragedy," said her spokesman. "It is unbelievable, she was just a few minutes away when the explosion took place."

Meanwhile, Prince Andrew was flying to America when he heard the news of the terrorist acts in New York. The Prince had boarded a British Airways flight to Atlanta and was halfway across the Atlantic when it was ordered to turn around and return to Britain.