It's been 28 years since Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew finalised their divorce and yet their relationship remains as strong as ever.
The former couple share two daughters - Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie - and are also proud grandparents of three. They even live together when Sarah is in the UK, in Andrew's home, Royal Lodge, Windsor. But there may be upheaval on the horizon as King Charles has reportedly turned up the heat on his younger brother to leave his 30-room Windsor mansion in favour of the smaller Frogmore Cottage, once the UK home of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Duke of York, 64, is understood to have a long lease on the Royal Lodge. But the King is ultimately responsible for all of the royal household's finances, and so could choose to restrict funds from him - meaning he could soon struggle to meet the extortionate annual upkeep costs of the Grade II-listed property.
Andrew and Sarah have actually known each other since they were children but it wasn't until 1985 that they started dating after being seated together at Royal Ascot that year.
They got engaged nine months later on February 19, 1986 - his 26th birthday - with Andrew presenting his wife-to-be a beautiful ruby engagement ring. Their wedding took place at Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986 and two years later, they welcomed their first child, Princess Beatrice, followed by Princess Eugenie in 1990.
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Sarah and Andrew pictured on their wedding day in 1986 (Getty Images)But cracks had begun to appear in their relationship. Andrew's naval career saw him away from the family for long periods of time. And in 1991 they split, with their divorce finalised in 1996.
Speaking to US TV host Ernie Manouse in 2010, Sarah said: “My deal was that I was marrying my man, who happened to be a prince and a naval officer.
"But what I got was not the man, I got the palace and didn't get him... and the courtiers told me I had to go to Buckingham Palace and he had to go to sea. For our marriage, I saw him 40 days a year."
Despite the end of their marriage, Fergie and Andrew remained close and she has stood by the disgraced duke after he was embroiled in a sex abuse scandal, which he vehemently denies.
The pair lived at Sunninghill Park in Ascot while they were married, but in 2004, Andrew moved into Royal Lodge. Since 2008, Sarah has also used it as her base whenever she is in the UK so the former couple can better co-parent - and grandparent.
Royal Lodge is located in Windsor Great Park (REX/Shutterstock)In a piece for the Sunday Times, Sarah explained why she continues to stay at Royal Lodge with her ex, saying: "I travel a lot and I've always been able to make wherever I am home. If I am staying in a hotel I have the same family photographs and scented candles around me.
"When I'm in the UK I'm lucky enough to stay at Royal Lodge. I wouldn't call it my home as that would be presumptuous," she added.
The exes have also been known to holiday together; in 2019, Sarah and Andrew enjoyed a getaway to Bahrain with Beatrice and her now-husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
Sarah posted pictures online from the trip saying what a 'wonderful time' she was having with the Duke of York and her daughter.
The Duchess often speaks out in praise of her former husband and given their close ties, there have been whispers they have rekindled their relationship on a number of occasions.
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In 2010, Sarah even stated that if they had their time again, they would stand up to those who pushed them apart. She said: "Both Andrew and I… both of us say now if we could go back we would definitely play it differently and we should have learnt how to play the chess game differently. And maybe we have still been together because we would have said 'no' to being separated just after our wedding."
The family remain united - and incredibly close (@sarahferguson15/Instagram)In 2017, she also set tongues wagging when she told an Australian radio show that they "never really left each other". And she once said: "I think the love I had for him then, is the love I still have for him now. I still married the best and the greatest gentleman that I know. We are the happy ever after, it's just not about marriage. It's more about this extraordinary friendship we have."
In an interview with US TV show Good Morning America in 2021, Sarah called Andrew a "great man" and said their wedding day was "the best day of [her] life".
"I would do it all over again because he was a very good-looking sailor, but I fell in love with him and I think love conquers all," she said.
Sarah has described her ex-husband as a 'great man' (Getty Images)In 2018, she also told the Daily Mail how "united" the family would always be, despite all they'd been through, and claimed she was "divorced to" Andrew, not divorced from him.
"We're the happiest divorced couple in the world. We're divorced to each other, not from each other," she explained. "My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairytale." The Duchess continued to say: "The Yorks are a united family. We've shown it," she said.
She also shared that while she and Andrew have separate rooms on different sides of the Royal Lodge, they still come together for a daily ritual. "We sit round the table and have afternoon tea together. It's a very important part of our lives," she revealed.
However, their future at the Windsor property looks uncertain. According to multiple reports, King Charles has ramped up the pressure for Andrew to vacate Royal Lodge in favour of the smaller Frogmore Cottage, former home to Harry and Meghan.
Following the Queen Mother's death in 2002, Royal Lodge was leased to Prince Andrew. Along with the main house, the lease included the Gardener's Cottage, the Chapel Lodge, six Lodge Cottages, police security accommodation and a whopping 40 hectares of land.
King Charles is believed to have requested Andrew leave Royal Lodge in favour of Frogmore Cottage (Getty Images)He was required to pay for any renovations himself, which reportedly were in the region of £7.5million. In 2004, he then moved into Royal Lodge with his two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and soon after so did his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson after signing a 75-year lease.
However, the King is ultimately responsible for all of the royal household's finances, and so could choose to restrict funds from Andrew - meaning he might soon struggle to meet the extortionate annual upkeep costs of the Grade II-listed 30-room property.
King Charles also currently funds Andrew's security bill, which costs £3million a year.
However, earlier this year, it was suggested that Andrew had been given a stay of execution at the property following his ex-wife's cancer diagnosis. Last summer, Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine mammogram, and underwent a single mastectomy. Just six months later, she was found to have malignant melanoma. And it was said the King was mindful of this.
However, a royal source told The Times: "The King's kindness is not without limit and there is a very good option for Andrew to move into Frogmore Cottage, recently vacated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, which also has the benefit of being within the Windsor Castle security cordon hence reducing the need for alternative round-the-clock security for Royal Lodge."
Prince Andrew is said to be reluctant to leave Royal Lodge (AFP via Getty Images)The source added that Andrew is "taking longer than desirable" to "recognise the reality of the situation".
On Wednesday, Sarah appeared on Good Morning Britain and she was asked about the future of Royal Lodge and the apparent fall-out between Andrew and the King. "I tend not to get involved in brothers' discussions and I think that's the safest place to be," she said.
As the interview got underway, host Martin Lewis directly asked her about the Lodge. "Bit of a damper," Martin first warned his guest, "obviously, you live with Prince Andrew in Royal Lodge", before summarising the ongoing conflict between the Duke and his brother King Charles.
"Do we know what's going on with that?" Martin asked, to which Sarah responded: "It's not a Debbie Downer [...] I'm a guest, for a start. I'm a very lucky guest and a very comfortable guest."
She then added: "I tend not to get involved in brothers' discussions and I think that's the safest place to be." Sarah then insisted: "Let the brothers discuss it between themselves."
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