Six years after tying the knot in a lavish ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York separated. The announcement got here the identical yr Fergie’s notorious toe-sucking scandal made front-page information.
In 1996, the couple divorced. Nonetheless, the duke and his ex-wife have a great relationship at present and reside beneath the identical roof. Sarah has even been welcomed again into the royal fold by the Duke of York‘s mom, Queen Elizabeth II, but Andrew’s father, Prince Philip, has refused to forgive and overlook.
Learn on to seek out out why the queen has forgiven Sarah however Philip nonetheless received’t bury the hatchet.
Sarah’s toe-sucking scandal angered the royal household
In the summertime of 1992, a number of months after the Duke and Duchess of York introduced their separation, Fergie was staying at Balmoral Citadel in Scotland with Andrew, their two daughters, and several other different royals.
Whereas the household was consuming breakfast they have been handed the morning papers which featured footage of Sarah sunbathing topless and being kissed on her toes by her “financial adviser” John Bryan. These salacious photos have been extra of a humiliation than those that had surfaced earlier that yr of Fergie together with her arm round one other American businessman, Steve Wyatt.
According to the Telegraph the queen, Prince Philip, Princess Margaret, and others gathered on the fort for his or her summer season retreat have been livid after seeing the photographs of the duchess’ toes in Bryan’s mouth and she or he was instructed to go away Balmoral.
Why the queen rebuilt her relationship with Fergie
4 years later, Sarah and Andrew ended their marriage and when it got here time to negotiate a settlement, the duchess requested for Queen Elizabeth’s friendship and forgiveness.
“Once I met with Her Majesty she requested, ‘What do you require, Sarah?’ and I stated, ‘Your friendship,’” Fergie recalled from her dialog with the queen. “I wished to have the ability to say, ‘Her Majesty is my buddy.’”
Following that dialog, the queen did forgive her former daughter-in-law which made issues simpler on the monarch’s favorite son who had maintained a great relationship together with his ex whereas co-parenting their daughters.
“The queen all the time tries to see the most effective in folks and she or he has stayed in shut contact, even having tea with [Sarah] often at Windsor,” a supply instructed The Sydney Morning Herald.
Prince Philip could be very indignant with the duchess now
Almost three many years after her scandal, time hasn’t healed all wounds because the queen’s husband nonetheless hasn’t forgiven Fergie. It’s believed that Philip can’t stand to be in the identical room together with her and his detest for the duchess was the explanation she was left off the guestlist for some royal occasions together with Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge’s marriage ceremony.
After reportedly weighing whether to skip Princess Eugenie’s wedding in 2018 as a result of he didn’t need to be close to her mom, the Duke of Edinburgh did attend his granddaughter’s large day. Nonetheless, he didn’t converse to Sarah in any respect. And in 2019, Fergie stayed at Balmoral with Andrew and the queen however was seen leaving upon Philip’s arrival.
The royal household patriarch was stated to be fuming at Sarah once more following reviews that she convinced Prince Andrew to do his disastrous interview about his friendship with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Though Fergie’s spokesperson denied that she was concerned with that “automotive crash interview,” Philip is reportedly furious that there’s any probability she gave Andrew false confidence about doing it.
Learn extra: Why is Sarah Ferguson Still a Duchess After Her Divorce From Prince Andrew?