Fergie Addresses Rumors That She’s Back with Prince Andrew
Sarah Ferguson reportedly joined Prince Andrew on royal business for the first time in 25 years. She and Princess Beatrice accompanied him on a trip to Bahrain, and she Instagrammed photos from their outing at the Grand Prix.
Ferguson's spokesperson denies that she and Prince Andrew are back together, saying "nothing has changed in their relationship."
Sarah, Duchess of York and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, married in 1986 and divorced in 1996, but have remained close friends since their split. She reportedly lives with him at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew - who married in 1986 and divorced in 1996 - were believed to be back together after she joined him for an official visit abroad this weekend, ITV reports. This is reportedly the Duchess of York's first time joining the Duke of York on a royal engagement in 25 years, although she has been seen with him and their daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, on occasions like the Royal Ascot and similar non-working royal events.
However a spokesperson for Ferguson denies that the former couple is back on. "The Duke and Duchess of York continue to be good friends and nothing has changed in their relationship," her rep told The Sun.
ITV reporter Chris Ship, on the other hand, insists that "unofficially," the couple is indeed "back on."
Prince Andrew was invited to Bahrain by the country's Crown Prince, and he and Ferguson stayed as the royal's guests at the Ritz Carlton hotel, according to ITV. The Palace likely picked up the tab on the Duke of York's travels because he's on royal duty in Bahrain, where he visited the United Kingdom Naval Support Facility and hosted Pitch@Palace Bahrain 2.0, which gave entrepreneurs a platform to pitch their business ideas to an "influential audience." However, Ferguson is believed to have paid for her own trip, per ITV.
A source also added to royal correspondent Rebecca English of the Daily Mail that no family joined Prince Andrew "for the working element of the trip." However, royals aren't usually supposed to mix working visits with personal trips, English added.
Over the weekend, the duo attended the Bahrain Grand Prix, a Formula 1 championship race. Their older daughter, Princess Beatrice, was also in tow with her new boyfriend, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, but Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, were missing in action.
Ferguson shared a photo from the event on Instagram, featuring Princess Beatrice and jockey Frankie Dettori. Prince Andrew wasn't in the picture, but she did mention him in the caption and hashtagged #familytimes. She wrote, "Such a joy to be invited to attend the Bahrain Grand Prix with @hrhthedukeofyork and Beatrice. Excited to meet @frankiedettori_ #familytimes @f1#luckyme."
The Duke and Duchess of York are believed to have remained close friends after their divorce. In the years after their split, they've reunited for royal events, formal occasions, and vacations.
For example, Ferguson has attended the Royal Ascot with her former husband on a number of occasions; the latest was in 2018 with their daughter, Princess Beatrice.
In 2010, they both supported Princess Beatrice when she ran the Virgin London Marathon.
They also attended the Serpentine Gallery 30th anniversary gala dinner in 2000.
And they attended a dinner at Wentworth Golf Club in 1997, the year after their divorce was finalized.
She also often posts photos of Prince Andrew on Instagram, congratulating him on achievements or greeting him on his birthday.
E! News reported that in 2008, Ferguson moved in with Andrew and their daughters at Royal Lodge in Windsor, his official country home.
"Andrew and I, we're the happiest divorced couple in the world, extraordinary, really, isn’t it," she said in 2015. "We live in the same house, but then, it’s a big house, so that’s ok. But I think it’s really good that we believe in compromise and communication and compassion. And family."
The Duke of York has had similar good words to say about his ex-wife. "It’s just part of life’s rich tapestry if you’ve been married to somebody,” he told CNBC in 2014. “I just see it as illogical not to be a friend at the end of the day, regardless of what your set of circumstances are. But it’s meant a whole heap to the family."
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