Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew married in 1986 at Westminster Abbey. The two had known each other for many years before they reunited at Royal Ascot in 1985. Before they separated in 1992, they had two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
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Though the two have been divorced for over 20 years, they are still tied by more than their daughters. Both of them have attracted scandal - Prince Andrew through his links to Jeffrey Epstein and Sarah Ferguson through her debts and polarising personality.
They have also remained friends and this close relationship peeked when Sarah Ferguson joined the Royal Family at Sandringham this year. Following this rumours brought forth by tabloids like The Daily Beast talk of a possible remarriage. But could this really happen?
What do the rumours say?
On 29 December, The Daily Beast published a piece in which anonymous sources say they believe Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson ‘will remarry’. It is understood that the tabloid spoke to ‘a friend’ of the Prince who reads Ferguson’s presence at Christmas as a sign that they will remarry ‘within a few years’.
This anonymous friend supposedly added:
It seems inevitable now that they will just formalize it within a few years and remarry. They live in the same house, they spend all their time together, they adore the children, they don’t ever argue.
On top of talking to a ‘friend’ of the Prince, The Daily Beastquotes a former Buckingham Palace courtier who explains:
The idea of remarriage has always been a running joke, but I think Fergie going to church has genuinely shifted the dial. If you think about it practically, what would need to happen?
The Daily Beast admits that none of this talk of remarriage would have occurred if the Duchess of York hadn’t made a noticeable appearance on Christmas Day. However, rumours of remarriage aren’t new. In 2021, The Telegraph ended an article about their relationship with this:
Is the door finally open for the royal wedding #2?
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s relationship today
Before really going into whether or not the two could remarry, we need to take a look at what their relationship is like in 2023.
What we can say is that nothing indicates the two are romantically involved though it is true they are close. For instance, they both live at Royal Lodge but it is so big that the two don’t necessarily have to be close to each other all the time.
Moreover, Sarah Ferguson has, over the years, given multiple interviews in which she opens up about her relationship with Prince Andrew. In 2021, she told The Telegraph:
All I can say is that we’re happy with the way we are right now.
We always say we are the most contented divorced couple in the world.
We’re divorced to each other, not from each other. We are co-parents who support each other and believe that family is everything.
Through Prince Andrew’s hardship, the Duchess of York has always stood by him. In 2023, she spoke once again to The Telegraph and said:
I will always be there. Always.
In her autobiography published in 2011, she wrote:
I love Andrew to this day, as I did when I met and married him, and I would never, ever, sell him out or betray him.
So far, the Duchess has stayed true to her word as she is told to be supporting him as the Epstein scandal continues to dramatically unfold.
Finally, even though the two are close they have separate schedules and careers. While Prince Andrew’s royal career is paused until further notice, Sarah Ferguson is very successful. She is a bestselling author and recently co-hosted This Morning on ITV. All of this is only possible because she is no longer married to Prince Andrew. All these private business ventures wouldn’t be allowed for a member of the Royal Family.
Could Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson remarry?
Now, onto the question at hand! To answer simply: technically yes, they could! The former Palace courtier speaking to The Daily Beast states that Prince Andrew would need his brother's permission to remarry. However, that isn’t true.
Though under the Royal Marriages Act of 1772 people in the family had to ask the sovereign for permission to marry, this act was replaced by the Succession to the Crown Act 2013. Under this Act, only the first 6 people in line for the throne require permission from the King to marry. As it stands, Prince Andrew is 8th in line.
Beyond those technicalities, it is difficult to say whether or not they would want to remarry. Indeed, as we’ve previously stated, the Duchess enjoys a lot of liberty which would not necessarily be possible were she married to Prince Andrew.
Moreover, as much as we would like to believe that the reason why Sarah Ferguson was present at the 2023 Christmas walkabout is because of family ties and the King’s care for Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, the reality could be grimmer.
Indeed, more revelations are expected to come out about Prince Andrew’s involvement with Epstein and Sarah Ferguson was a great and clever distraction from the fact that Prince Andrew is allowed to be present at a royal function. While most publications reported on her appearance after 30 years, none addressed the fact that Prince Andrew appears once again to be back in the royal fold.
This theory is supported by historian and author Andrew Lownie who when talking to The Daily Beast said:
I think this was just good news management. It was a very good story.
It’s one big, happy family, and they’re now pushing that line of the one big happy family, which has been the trope since George V.
This is a way of showing a little bit of Christian forgiveness and building bridges within the family. It costs absolutely nothing. No one has really criticized it. So it was a win-win situation for everyone.
What do you think? Do you see the Duke and Duchess getting remarried any time soon?
Read more:
⋙ Mike and Zara Tindall: The two royals in the spotlight could hint at a new role in the Royal Family
⋙ King Charles might need to reward these two 'unsung heroes' of the Royal Family, according to expert
⋙ Welcoming Prince Andrew back could be a huge mistake for the Royal Family, 'he's the most dangerous'
Sources:
The Daily Beast: Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew ‘Will Remarry,’ Sources Believe
Hello!: Why Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew still live together 26 years after divorce
The Telegraph: ‘People don’t know how I feel’: Just how divorced are the Duke and Duchess of York?
The Telegraph: Sarah Ferguson: The real reason I’ll always stand by Prince Andrew
