Sarah Ferguson long insisted she and ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor remained devoted friends after their split more than 30 years ago, even calling them the “happiest divorced couple in the world.”
But a royal biographer paints a far less rosy picture of their relationship, alleging infidelity, resentment and practical convenience lay beneath the public image.
Ferguson and the former Prince Andrew, both 66, first met as children before reconnecting in 1985. After a whirlwind romance, they married in 1986 and welcomed daughters Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 36, before separating in 1992. Their divorce was finalized four years later.
Not-so-perfect marriage exposed
Despite their divorce, Ferguson and Mountbatten-Windsor spent decades publicly portraying themselves as unusually close former spouses and, until late 2025, continued living together at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
“To the outside world, Sarah and Andrew looked like the perfect royal newlyweds — smiling on balconies, posing for photographs and playing the part expected of them,” said a source familiar with the couple’s early years. “But privately, the strain set in far sooner than most people realized. Those close to them could see that both were already looking beyond the marriage for emotional support and excitement.”
According to the source, “For Sarah, the relationship offered a kind of safety net — it anchored her in the royal orbit and gave her the profile and stability she had never known before. For Andrew, having her by his side helped soften his image and brought a burst of positive attention at a time when the institution was hungry for feel‑good stories.
“There was genuine fondness between them, but it sat alongside frustration, distance and a level of freedom that did not fit the fairy‑tale picture the public was sold.”
Affair allegations surface
Ferguson has often spoken warmly about her former husband, famously telling the Daily Mail they were the “happiest divorced couple in the world,” explaining, “We’re divorced to each other, not from each other.” For years, she emphasized the strength of their continued friendship.
She also regularly praised the former Duke of York for being so supportive over the years, including during her own professional ups and downs.
But according to royal author Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, that upbeat framing masks a more tangled history.
“It had been a convenient cover and helped generate positive media headlines, but the reality is the couple very quickly after their wedding were having affairs,” Lownie told the Daily Mail.
“The only reason Ferguson continued to cadge accommodation from him was that it saved her money and burnished her royal connections and her money-making activities.”
‘They were jumping into bed with other people,’ author claims
Another insider suggested Fergie’s ongoing presence at Royal Lodge reflected practical considerations as much as personal loyalty.
“For years, Royal Lodge was far more than just an address for Sarah — it was her foothold in the royal world. Having that kind of permanent base, and the prestige that came with it, underpinned a lot of what she was trying to do professionally and publicly,” the insider claimed.
“For Andrew, the setup was equally comfortable. He had a familiar companion under the same roof, someone who knew his history and routines, but without the strain or obligation of a formal marriage. It offered a sense of continuity and domestic normality that he found reassuring.”
According to the insider, “From the outside, people saw Sarah and Andrew’s living arrangements as proof that they had mastered the art of an unusually amicable divorce. In reality, it was also a highly practical solution — emotionally convenient, financially sensible and mutually beneficial. The harmony often talked about was only part of the story — the day‑to‑day convenience was just as important in keeping the arrangement going.
“And sitting behind it all was a bitterness on both sides — their joint history of extramarital affairs. Basically, as soon as they said ‘I do,’ they were jumping into bed with other people,” the insider alleged.
A tenuous bond
Royal Lodge, a 30‑room Crown Estate mansion in Windsor Great Park, allowed the former couple to maintain separate spaces while sharing the same address. The setup became part of their public story, reinforcing the idea they had successfully reinvented themselves as supportive ex‑spouses.
Yet that narrative has come under strain in recent months, as scandals surrounding the disgraced ex-duke and his ties to predator Jeffrey Epstein have intensified, leading King Charles III to strip his brother of not only his royal titles but his lease on Royal Lodge.
“The fact that Sarah and Andrew no longer share Royal Lodge is more than a practical change — it sends a clear signal that the long‑running story of them as the ideal post‑divorce couple has effectively come to an end,” said a source close to the royal household. “That house was the stage on which that narrative was played out, and without it, the glossy image is much harder to sustain.”
