The happiest divorced couple in the world: the son of Elizabeth II, Prince Andrew and the commoner Sarah Ferguson

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The youngest son of the Queen of Great Britain, Prince Andrew and his wife Sarah Ferguson officially divorced almost a quarter of a century ago, in 1996. Their divorce was called no less scandalous than the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. But, unlike the latter, the Dukes of York did not seem unhappy at the moment of parting. They themselves call themselves the happiest divorced couple in the world, and at the same time they are least of all similar to their former spouses.

Dizzying romance

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson met through Lady Dee, whom Sarah had been friends with since adolescence. In 1985, the Princess of Wales invited a friend to a royal horse racing party in Ascot, and at the table Sarah and Prince Andrew were next to each other.

Prince Andrew simply could not help but pay attention to the red-haired and very spontaneous Sarah. She was charming and very sincere. Her plans never included marriage with the prince himself, and therefore the girl behaved completely naturally. However, Sarah, almost from the first minutes of their acquaintance, felt sympathy for the handsome prince. She could not even count on a wedding with a member of the British royal family, but why not enjoy a romantic relationship with a real prince?

But Prince Andrew was far more determined than Sarah thought. He told his mother about his intention to marry a "commoner", and in response to the protest of Queen Elizabeth II, he simply threatened, if he refused, to marry the very first girl of easy virtue who gets into his bed. Andrew reminded his mother about the marriage of his sister Anna, who married not for duty, but for love, and also cited as an example his brother, Prince Charles, who did not dare to marry the woman he loved.

The Queen of Great Britain surrendered, and on March 16, 1986, the engagement of the Queen's youngest son and his chosen one, Sarah Ferguson, was announced. The royal wedding took place four months later.

The charm of immediacy

Sarah Ferguson, who received the title of Duchess of York after marriage, was able to charm the entire royal family. She had an unusually light character, never was capricious, did not make scenes and even in the most difficult times did not spoil anyone's mood. She retained her spontaneity in marriage. Everyone loved her, and Prince Charles even set Sarah as an example for his own wife, lamenting the lack of such lightness in Lady Dee's character.

Soon, Princess Beatrice was born, and two years later, in 1990, Princess Eugenie. On the whole, the Dukes of York seemed very happy. As it turned out, they learned to hide all the problems from prying eyes.

The Duchess of York mastered the wisdom of motherhood, while her husband at this time continued to serve as a naval officer. She saw her husband during the first five years of her marriage for hardly more than forty days a year. Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew had little opportunity for solitary pastime, and as a result, this led to a breakup. In 1992, the couple actually broke up, and four years later they officially dissolved their marriage.

Unconditional happiness

But the relationship between the Dukes of York after the divorce seems to have become much better than before. Having filed a divorce, they did not leave, but continued to live together in Kensington Palace. Then we moved together to Royal Lodge. And the curious, at first discussing the scandalous divorce, began to bet: when will Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew go down the aisle again?

But the former spouses are in no hurry to officially register their relationship even now. They learned to appreciate each other's society and take good care of their family, raised children and went on vacation together, did not cancel annual trips to a ski resort in winter and hot beaches in summer.

At first, the Dukes of York convinced everyone around: they just know how to be friends, but at the same time they looked so happy that doubts about their sincerity involuntarily crept in. Perhaps they were actually friends, but now Sarah Ferguson is more candid in her interviews.

She calls Prince Andrew the most handsome and lovable prince among many other royal families in the world. The Duchess of York considers herself a free and wild nature, but the place in her heart is forever occupied by Prince Andrew, and no one dares to claim him. Sarah Ferguson is sure that she shouldn't marry her ex-husband again. They are happy together, but outside the barge.

Prince Andrew echoes Sarah: they do everything together, like an ordinary family. And a change in status can ruin everything, because without registering a marriage, they can remain the closest people.

The Duke and Duchess of York dubbed themselves "the happiest divorced couple in the world." They invariably appear in front of the public together, look at each other with loving eyes and intend to maintain this state until the end of their days. They also enjoy afternoon tea every day, considering this ritual an important part of their lives.

The divorce of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson was far from the biggest scandal in the royal family. And no matter how much Elizabeth II tried to restrain her family members, they still sometimes get into unpleasant situations and upset the queen again.