Three decades after their divorce, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson continue to share a home and navigate the lingering fallout from their past ties to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Despite relinquishing their Duke and Duchess of York titles, their connection remains steadfast.
Following a fresh wave of allegations linked to Prince Andrew’s association with Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, the royal announced on October 17, 2025, that he would no longer use his Duke of York title. In a statement, Andrew said, “In discussion with The King and my family, we concluded the continued accusations distract from His Majesty’s work. I stand by my decision five years ago to step back from public life and will now go further by not using my title or honours.” He has consistently denied the allegations against him.
Sarah Ferguson, 66, also dropped “Duchess of York” from her social media, though formally stripping their titles would require an act of parliament. A vocal supporter of her ex-husband, Sarah wrote on Instagram in November 2019, before Andrew’s controversial BBC Newsnight interview about Epstein, “I am deeply supportive and proud of this principled man who stands firm with his sense of honour and truth.” The interview, widely criticized, led Andrew to step back from royal duties days later. In 2021, Sarah told People, “Whatever challenges he faces, I will stand firm as a co-parent. I believe he’s a kind, good man and a fabulous father to our girls.”
The couple, who share daughters Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, are now grandparents to four: Beatrice’s daughters Sienna and Athena with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, and Eugenie’s sons August and Ernest with husband Jack Brooksbank. Since Sarah’s reacceptance into the royal fold, marked by her attendance at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s 2018 wedding, she and Andrew, 65, have appeared together at events, including the Duchess of Kent’s funeral in September 2025. However, renewed scrutiny over Andrew’s Epstein ties may limit their royal engagements.
Sarah has faced her own Epstein-related controversies. In September 2025, seven charities dropped her as a patron after a 2011 email surfaced in which she called Epstein a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend,” written three years after his conviction for soliciting minors. Sarah’s spokesperson clarified to NBC News that the email followed a lawsuit threat from Epstein, stating, “She was taken in by his lies, but as soon as she learned the extent of his allegations, she cut contact and publicly condemned him.” In 2008, Sarah accepted a $17,000 loan from Epstein, which she later called “a gigantic error of judgment,” vowing to repay it and sever ties.
The allegations against Andrew stem primarily from Virginia Giuffre, who claimed Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew starting at age 17. Giuffre, who died by suicide in April 2025 at 41, detailed her allegations in a posthumous memoir. Andrew has denied wrongdoing, claiming in the 2019 Newsnight interview that he never met Giuffre and suggesting a photo of them together was doctored. In 2022, he settled a sexual assault and battery lawsuit filed by Giuffre, after which he relinquished his HRH honorific and returned his military titles and patronages to Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite their 1996 divorce, Andrew and Sarah have lived together at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park since 2008. Their close bond sparked rumors of a romantic reconciliation, but Sarah’s press office clarified to Vanity Fair in 2019, “They remain good friends, as they have been for years, and nothing has changed.” Sarah told the Daily Mail in 2018, “We’re the happiest divorced couple in the world. We’re divorced to each other, not from each other.”
Their story began in 1985 when Princess Diana, Sarah’s fourth cousin and Andrew’s then-sister-in-law, seated them together at a Royal Ascot luncheon. Andrew proposed with a ruby and diamond ring, and they married on July 23, 1986, at Westminster Abbey before 2,000 guests and 500 million TV viewers. Sarah later wrote in her 1996 autobiography, My Story, “At 26, I was incredibly gullible and naive.” Their marriage faced challenges, including Andrew’s frequent absences due to his Royal Navy duties, leading to their separation announcement in 1992, the same year as Diana’s marital troubles, during Queen Elizabeth II’s “annus horribilis.”
The British tabloids were harsh on Sarah, particularly after 1992 photos surfaced of her with American financial manager John Bryan, who was seen nuzzling her foot in a scandal dubbed the “toe-sucking” incident. Sarah reflected on CNN in 2001, “It’s an extraordinary tale, one I work at every day to understand why I did those things.” At a 2016 event, she credited her daughters for helping her through dark times, saying, “It was because of my two girls I decided to get on.”
Post-divorce, Sarah received £600,000 from the queen to buy a home and £15,000 annually in support, while Andrew covered their daughters’ schooling. She built a career as a Weight Watchers spokeswoman, authored the Budgie children’s book series, and wrote a novel, Her Heart for a Compass, in 2021. Despite past tensions, Sarah was welcomed back to Balmoral in 2005, her first visit since 1992.
As they face ongoing scrutiny, Andrew and Sarah’s enduring partnership—rooted in co-parenting, shared history, and mutual support—remains a cornerstone of their lives at Royal Lodge.
