Even though Sarah Ferguson, who still retains her title as the Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew have been divorced for three decades, they maintain a close relationship and are still roommates at Royal Lodge, the Windsor house Andrew received as a gift from Queen Elizabeth II. In a video call to promote her new romance novel, A Most Intriguing Lady, Sarah told the Independent about the happiness she felt when she married Andrew in July 1986, saying it “was one of the greatest moments of my life.”
She also spoke about her continued admiration for Andrew. “Nothing can beat love for me… when you are in love, you can do anything for love,” she said. “And I married a wonderful, very kind, and a very good man. I fell in love with him. And therefore, nothing was unsurmountable.”
Sarah also discussed her love for the queen. “It wasn’t an easy thing to have to go and tell [the late Queen] that we wanted a divorce—and I was leaving the royal family,” she said. “I loved [the Queen] from the beginning—she was more my mother than my mother – and I adored her every minute… and goodness, how brave I was that day. But it was because I believed in my life and I needed to go on this journey.” Ever since the queen’s death last September, Sarah and Andrew have been caring for her two surviving corgis, Muick and Fergus, though Sarah said she doesn’t have the same skills as “a dog whisperer.”
She said that her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have helped her support Andrew through a turbulent few years, which saw Andrew retire from his role as a senior royal due to controversy over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. “The three of us have helped their father through a very tricky time. And don’t forget also that his mum was amazing,” she said. “The Queen and I, when she was alive, we both bookended him to help him through this. So, we’re a very strong family unit. No one can break the York family.”
In response to a question about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and their struggles in the public eye, she said that the social media era likely makes the pressures of being royal more difficult. “I married into the royal family in 1986 and that was an immense honor but it also came with pressures of being in the public eye. I struggled with that at times, and I think social media probably makes it even more difficult today,” she said. “I don’t believe in judging anyone, and I would just ask for a little more kindness.”
Sarah also expressed some sympathy for King Charles III and his new role, but for an unexpected reason. “I don’t know how he’s managing. I really don’t,” she said. “And I honestly have no idea how he’s managing with the amount of paperwork and all the overwhelming things he must have to deal with.”
Listen to Vanity Fair’s DYNASTY podcast now.
