05 April 2024 , 22:00
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Prince Andrew previously said he would not “rule out” remarrying ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, after their divorce in 1996.
The pair were married for 10 years between 1986 and 1996 after the prince proposed to Fergie at Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders. They got hitched weeks later in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey on July 23. They legally separated in 1992 and months later scandalous photos emerged of the Duchess having her toes sucked by US businessman John Bryan. The spectacle was shared on front pages across the world and caused Fergie to be chucked out of the royal fold.
Since then, the Duchess has inched back in and appeared beside the royals during their annual Day walk at Sandringham. The pair share a close relationship leading to rumours of them getting back together for good. And the idea was floated back in 2000 when the Prince discussed it with members of the media. He told Tatler at the time: “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.”
The pair have a close relationship (Getty Images)Earlier this year Royal author Victoria Arbiter dismissed long-standing rumours the Duke and Duchess of York may one day tie the knot again. She said: “There’s long been speculation regarding whether or not Andrew and Fergie will remarry. But their current situation seems to suit them both well so why complicate things?”
In a rare interview with The Telegraph, Sarah herself spoke about their relationship and didn't make any effort to quash rumours that the pair may remarry one day. She told the paper: "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.
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"I'm proud of the job we have done together in bringing up our children and sustaining a strong family unit. Our bywords are communication, compromise and compassion." Despite divorcing her son decades ago, Fergie had a close relationship with the Queen who bought her a £1.5million home in Surrey for Sarah to live in with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, once her divorce from Prince Andrew was finalised in 1996. While the kind gesture was a clear show of support from her former mother-in-law, Sarah was never able to use the property and was actually forced to sell it.
The lavish seven-bedroom Surrey mansion, known as Birch Hall, was intended for Beatrice and Eugenie for them to live in with their mother and for them to use when they were older. Despite the supportive gesture, however, Sarah reportedly refused to move into the home because she would be unable to keep up with the huge maintenance costs. It meant the home stood empty for two years before it was eventually sold for £1.5 million in 1999.