Could the Next Royal Wedding Be Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Part 2?
The Duke and Duchess of York married in 1986 and divorced 10 years later—but have remained famously close, even living together up to the present day.
When it comes to divorced couples, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are certainly unique. First of all, they’re incredibly amicable, which isn’t altogether common amongst divorced couples. They also live together—granted, it’s at the massive Royal Lodge, but still, how many divorced couples do you know that cohabitate? Exactly. Also, the former couple also share “custody” of Queen Elizabeth’s corgis, which they inherited after her death in September 2022.
Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson on July 23, 1986, and the couple went on to have two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, exactly like Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Fergie was at the royal family’s traditional Easter service at St. George’s Chapel on Sunday, and she was at the royal family’s traditional Christmas Day service at St. Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham—the first time she’d attended the staple in the royal calendar since the 1990s. After marrying in 1986, like Prince Charles and Princess Diana, the Duke and Duchess of York separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996, but neither have ruled remarriage out, Tatler reports—and these appearances at major royal events could signal that a royal wedding part deux could be happening in the near future.
Like King Charles and the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of York is also battling cancer—this time skin cancer, after beating breast cancer last year. As anyone knows, health scares can cause a refocus and a reshifting of priorities, and that certainly could be happening here. Andrew and Fergie share two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, each married with two kids of their own; the Yorks are famously close, even amid Andrew’s extremely public controversies, played out in this week’s Scoop on Netflix, which is available to stream tomorrow.
Very much unlike Charles and Diana, though, Andrew and Fergie have remained close, even living together including up to the present day.
Fergie’s Easter appearance earlier this week “was particularly poignant, as there was just a handful of royals at the event,” Tatler reports. “Royal fans may have been a little surprised to see that Sarah Ferguson had made the exclusive guest list, alongside Queen Camilla, the much-respected Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh [Prince Edward and Sophie], and the Princess Royal [Princess Anne].” Fergie “appeared delighted to be in attendance at the event, beaming with joy as she stepped out alongside Princess Anne’s husband Tim Laurence. She could be seen chatting with staff at the church and grinning as she spoke with her former husband, Prince Andrew. Some even speculated that she, Camilla, and Princess Anne had all opted for coordinating green outfits for the occasion.”
On Boxing Day—the day after Christmas, for those that may not know—Fergie wrote that she was “feeling grateful” the day after attending Christmas Day church with the royal family. “We are enjoying each other’s company and feeling grateful today,” she wrote on Instagram. “I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Happy Christmas to anyone who celebrates and season’s greetings to all!” Fergie hadn’t attended either royal event since her divorce from Andrew nearly 30 years ago.
The two, seen here announcing their engagement in March 1986.
In 2000—just four years after their divorce—Andrew and Fergie were living together, then at Sunninghill (their residence at the time prior to living at Royal Lodge), and he spoke to Tatler about their unusual living situation: “We are not just doing it for the children,” he said of Beatrice and Eugenie, who were then 10 and 12 years old. “We are doing it for our own benefit, too. I don’t rule remarriage out, and I certainly don’t rule it in. If ever the opportunity arose, I do not know what I would do, as it is not in the plan.”
Fergie has also discussed remarrying Andrew over the years, and in that same feature 24 years ago, she said “There has been no discussion on remarriage or reconciliation or any other such word…I simply say if it should happen, great. It is not in, nor is it ruled out. The love is still very much there, just in a different form…Our situation at Sunninghill is quite extraordinary and very original.” In the years that followed, she has proudly declared “We always say we are the most contended divorced couple in the world.” In 2013, she said of her ex-husband “He’s still my handsome prince. He’ll always be my handsome prince.”
The Yorks, seen here in 1999, have always kept family first.
Beatrice and Eugenie with their father at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.
The foursome have always been incredibly close.
The York family has grown as both Beatrice and Eugenie have married and welcomed children of their own.
As recently as 2021, Fergie said “All I can say is that we’re happy with the way we are right now.” Last year, she said the two of them were “steadfast,” and added “In the past, we’ve been co-parenting, and now we’re co-grandparenting. It’s a joy to be able to spend time as a family.”
The Yorks on a ski vacation when the girls were young.
Earlier this year, there appeared to be developments: The Daily Mail reports that Charles had given Andrew and Fergie the go-ahead to get married. A report from Ephraim Hardcastle in February said “Should the Duke and Duchess of York finally cease dithering and confirm their decision to remarry, the King has made it easier for them. A source whispers that Charles has indicated to Andrew and Fergie that he would give his blessing.”
