Inside Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew's Divorce
Come Princess Eugenie's wedding day, all eyes will be on her stunning pink sapphire, highly speculated wedding look, and well, her parents. Despite their divorce in 1996, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson and Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, have remained close - and their strong relationship with their daughters is proof. The former couple (a.k.a. Duke and Duchess of York) is expected to reunite at their daughter's wedding on October 12, 2018.
Here's everything you need to know about the Duke and Duchess of York's rocky relationship.
Her parents were introduced by Princess Diana.
Fergie and Princess Diana have a long history. Although their mothers attended school together, it wasn't until their teenage years that they became close after reuniting at a polo match. Fergie's father, Sir Ronald Ferguson, was Prince Charles' polo manager. The two became fast friends and Fergie even had her own nickname for Lady Di: "Dutch."
"I remember [Princess Diana and Prince Charles'] wedding very well. I went on my own and walked up that aisle. Little did I know that I'd be walking up that same aisle so many years later," Sarah told Oprah." In 1985, Diana played matchmaker by inviting Fergie to stay at Windsor Castle for the Queen's Ascot Week. During the lunch, Fergie, 25, sat next to Prince Andrew, 25 - and well, Diana's plan worked marvelously.
After a whirlwind romance, they married on July 23, 1986.
Less than a year after they met - March 16, 1986 - the couple announced their engagement. Fergie's engagement ring made headlines: The ring, which apparently cost Prince Andrew nearly $33,000, featured a stunning Burmese ruby and 10 diamonds.
The couple wed at Westminster Abbey in the summer of that year and officially became the Duke and Duchess of York. Following the wedding, the couple shared "one hell of a kiss" on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. "Everyone told us not to kiss on the balcony, so we did it deliberately," Sarah told Oprah.
The newlyweds jumped straight into royal duties by attending the annual Canada trip right after they said "I do." After the two week tour, they spent their honeymoon canoeing around Canada.
At this time, Fergie was loved and embraced by the royal family and tabloids alike. Her down-to-earth nature, career in publishing, and outgoing personality were considered refreshing. And it didn't hurt that Lady Di was her biggest fan.
Their "happy marriage" was deceiving.
The couple didn't wait to long to have children: Princess Beatrice of York was born on August 8, 1988 and Princess Eugenie of York was born on March 23, 1990.
While Fergie was adjusting to motherhood, Prince Andrew was traveling the world as a naval officer. "I saw him 40 days a year for the first 5 years of our marriage. I had to learn how to be a princess on my own," Sarah told Oprah.
Prince Andrew's demanding naval schedule ultimately led to the demise of their relationship. The couple separated in 1992 and finalized their divorce in May 1996.
"I didn't want a divorce but had to because of circumstance," Sarah told Harper's Bazaar in 2011. The Duchess of York also didn't want to be paid out by the royal family as a part of the divorce settlement. "When I met with Her Majesty about it, she asked, 'What do you require, Sarah?' and I said, 'Your friendship,' which I think amazed her because everyone said I would demand a big settlement."
After the divorce, the Duchess claimed that she had received £15,000 a year (about $20,000) as a divorce settlement. Her main sources of income are from her book, Finding Sarah: A Duchess's Journey to Find Herself; television show, Finding Sarah, and her role as a spokesperson for Weight Watchers.
Fergie has been a target for the British tabloids, causing a riff in the royal family.
Initially, Fergie was loved by the British press. However, when photographers caught the Duchess sunbathing topless with financial adviser John Bryan in 1992, things took a turn. Some suspect that these controversial images led to the couple's separation.
In May 2010, The News of the World released a hidden-camera video showing the Duchess as she attempted to sell access to Prince Andrew to who she believed was a wealthy Indian businessman for £500,000 (about $725,000). She later admitted that she was drunk at the time the video was recorded.
The family still attends events together.
Until 2004 - eight years after the divorce - Fergie still lived in the family's home, Sunninghill Park in Berkshire. Today, the former couple own a chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, where they frequently vacation with their daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.
They still consider one another to be the best of friends. "In our every day, we really respect each other and we honor each other and it’s just lovely to have that sense of integrity, to what we believe is right; to what is good and compassion and love and kindness," she said at the Bath Children’s Literature Festival in 2013. When asked if they'll ever remarry, she simply said, "he’s still my handsome prince, he’ll always be my handsome prince."
Over the years, they've attended a number of their daughters' events together. Fergie, however, was famously not invited to Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton. She was invited to the wedding ceremony of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's, but not allowed to attend the reception at Frogmore House.
They're overjoyed for Princess Eugenie's engagement.
Princess Eugenie is set to wed Jack Brooksbank on October 12, 2018. When asked about his daughter's engagement, Prince Andrew said that he and Fergie are "completely overjoyed" - which is the exact same way he described his own engagement more than 30 years ago.
It looks like we may have another family reunion in the works!
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