Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor divorced in 1996 but a royal expert has revealed the name the former Duchess of York once used for her former husband
They were once described as the “happiest divorced couple in the world”, sharing their former Royal Lodge home years after finalising their divorce.
However, since the lives of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have unravelled since the full extent of the pair’s association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein came to light, the relationship doesn’t appear to be as cosy.
The former Duke of York was forced to give up his Windsor mansion in favour of the much smaller Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate. However, Fergie has not moved with him and was last spotted at an Austrian ski resort after going into hiding when the Epstein files were released.
But despite seemingly going their own ways, one royal expert believes the pair won’t have cut ties – and recalled the name Fergie used for Andrew, years after their marriage was over.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, who spent time with the Duchess, told the Mirror: “I remember on one occasion a long time ago I was with her and [Andrew] rang up and she stood up and said, ‘Hello husband. He wasn’t really her husband at that point as they had separated, but that’s how they’ve always seen each other.”
“I think she is in contact with Andrew and I don’t think she’d want to leave him high and dry. And also, he is the father of her children. And to him, she’s the mother of the children. He’s always seen her like that. He always saw her as the mother of his children and therefore she was the most important woman in his life, so of course she’s in contact with him.”
Ingrid also suggested that Fergie could be acting as a “go-between” between Andrew and their grown-up daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, telling us, “Beatrice has always been close to Andrew, Eugenie less so.”
“Beatrice has the King on her side, he’s very fond of her,” she said. “She’s more studious and considerate maybe, whereas one might say Eugenie is more fun. That’s how it used to be anyway, Eugenie gets on with her life and she likes to be around fun people and doesn’t bear grudges, she’s sort of a more simple person that Beatrice.”
There are still rumbling rumours that Fergie might consider a tell-all book or major TV interview in order to secure some financial security for the future, but Ingrid claims the former Duchess will be all-too-aware of what she could stand to lose if she went down that road.
“If she does a book or a tell-all interview she will be cutting herself off from everyone and potentially ruining her children’s lives, which is one thing she would not do. I’m sure they’re telling her to keep quiet and lie low,” she told us.
“But that might be the only way she can make money, she’s not going to be supported by her children forever. But she has an incredible knack of finding people to look after her. She lands on her feet, but she’s often fought hard to do so, so I think she will be okay in the long-run.
“I don’t think we’ll see her popping up at Royal Ascot or anything, she won’t be that blatant and will stay under the radar for a bit, but she will need to emerge and live her life again at some point. At the moment, everyone wants to know where she is, who she’s with and what she’s doing. She’s a sort of hunted woman, there’s almost a price on her head.”
