Setting a royal precedent! Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s marriage may not have worked out, but the pair still consider their life with daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie to be their happily ever after.
Andrew and Ferguson, known as Fergie by the public, split in 1996 after 10 years of marriage, but they have remained as close as can be. In fact, the exes’ tight-knit friendship has sparked reconciliation rumors throughout the years.
In August 2013, reunion rumors swirled after the Duke and Duchess of York’s mutual friend told the Telegraph that the former couple “will remarry” in “a matter of time,” as “they are a wonderful couple and, better still, pretty amazing parents.” However, Fergie’s rep shot down the report, telling Us Weekly at the time that she and Andrew “are the best of friends.”
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s son fueled romance rumors with Fergie again in March 2019 after the pair traveled to Bahrain together with Beatrice and her now-husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Even so, after the weekend getaway, Fergie’s rep told Us that she and the prince “remain good friends, as they have been for many years, and nothing has changed.”
The duo have stayed a united front for their daughters and for the benefit of the British royal family. They have attended many regal functions together, including Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in May 2018, and they sat beside each other as Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank in October of that year.
Ferguson continued to stand by Andrew’s side after he made headlines for his alleged association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in November 2019. Following sexual assault accusations by Virginia Roberts Giuffre — which the prince denied — he stepped back from his senior royal duties. (Andrew settled his lawsuit out of court in February 2022.)
“It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstance relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has became a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support,” the duke said in a November 2019 statement. “Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission.”
At the time, a source exclusively told Us that Andrew’s daughters were “really upset” about the public scandal. “They believe their dad made a huge mistake in judgment ever being associated to Jeffrey Epstein,” the insider explained. “The girls are leaning on each other and are being really supportive of their dad.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson took to social media to show her support for her ex-husband. After wishing Andrew a happy birthday in February 2020, she later shared a family photo in honor of International Family Day. “I am so proud of our united loving family,” the duchess wrote via Instagram in May 2020.
Scroll down to revisit everything the royal exes have said about their divorce, coparenting and remaining close friends: