Sarah Ferguson Defends "Kind" Prince Andrew After He Stepped Back From Royal Duty

To Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew is a "kind, good man."

The Duchess of York, who was married to Queen Elizabeth II's son for nearly six years before their 1992 separation, addressed their relationship now as co-parents to Princess Beatrice, 32, and Princess Eugenie, 31.

In an interview with People, Sarah responded to a question about what has helped her and Andrew stay close after their 1996 divorce and with him stepping back from royal public duty in 2019.

"I really respect the monarchy of Britain, and I really love the tradition and culture," she told the magazine. "He has his own way, and I have my very Celtic, very spiritual way. So we are a good balance…Andrew has always stood very firmly with me, and he has never shut the door."

The duchess made clear that she has his back. "Whatever challenges he has," she said, "I will stand firm to the co-parenters that we are together. So sometimes when Andrew's down, I'm up, or when I'm down, he's up, and we will always be supportive of each other. I believe that he's a kind, good man, and he's been a fabulous father to the girls."

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Her comments come nearly two years after Andrew revealed he would be stepping back from his public duties for "the foreseeable future."

He made the announcement mere days after his BBC interview regarding Virginia Roberts Giuffre's allegations, including in her lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, that she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged accomplice Ghislaine to Andrew when she was 17 years old. During the sit-down, the royal said he had no recollection of meeting Virginia and denied having sexual contact with her.

In addition to Andrew, Sarah also reflected on her close ties to another notable royal: the late Princess Diana. While the mother of two tragically died before she could see either of her kids tie the knot, Sarah offered her thoughts on how Diana might have been now at 60. "She would be very proud of her sons and their wives," Sarah said, referencing Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. "And she would be just like me, obsessed with her grandchildren. Because that's what she loved."

While there's been speculation over what Diana would have thought of her daughters-in-law, Sarah thinks the Duchess of Cambridge and Duchess of Sussex would have gotten the Princess of Wales' stamp of approval.

"If she were sitting with me right now, I know she would say, 'I am so proud of both of my boys and the wonderful wives they have chosen,'" she told People. "Because each has got her own voice."