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July 23, 1986. The day Sarah Ferguson walked down the aisle at Westminster Abbey towards her prince, and towards a new future as the Duchess of York.
Though the marriage didn’t last – she and Prince Andrew split 22 years ago – that day is still the happiest of Ferguson’s life, and her ex-husband remains the “best man” she knows.
From the outside at least, the pair seem like the model of a successful, amicable divorce. They attend events together. They have regular family dinners and afternoon teas. They even reportedly still live under the same roof at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
“I’m in and out all the time, and he’s in and out all the time,” the 58-year-old told The Kyle and Jackie O Show in 2016. “I think we absolutely are the most extraordinary example of a unified family.”
Any interview with the former Duchess rarely passes without her gushing about Andrew, with whom she shares two children – Princesses Beatrice, 30, and Eugenie, 28. And a recent in-depth piece – her first in years – published by the Daily Mail is no exception.
“My duty is to [Prince Andrew]. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairy tale,” she said.
“Although we are not a couple, we really believe in each other.”
So complimentary is Ferguson of the Duke, that the publication asks her the obvious question: Would she re-marry him?
“So many people have asked me that, but we’re so happy with the way we are right now,” she said. “We enjoy each other’s company; we allow each other to blossom. I know it sounds like a fairy tale but that’s the way we are.”
Things haven’t always been picture-perfect, of course.
There was the famous toe-sucking incident, in which Ferguson was photographed having her foot, erm, ravished by American financial advisor John Bryan while on holiday in 1992.
The in 2010, she was forced to make a public apology after she was caught selling access to Prince Andrew in a News of the World sting.
She demanded £500,000 from a journalist posing as a foreign businessman: "That opens up everything you would ever wish for," she reportedly said. "I can open any door you want, and I will for you. Look after me and he'll look after you."
Still, the years since have been relatively scandal-free for the couple, and many hailed the October 12 wedding of their daughter Princess Eugenie as somewhat of a comeback for Ferguson - a triumphant reentering into the Royal fold.
"The Yorks are a united family. We’ve shown it. You saw it at the wedding," she told The Daily Mail.
"We stand up for each other, fight for each other. We’re totally respectful of each other’s position and thoughts and we listen to each other. Our children listen to us, too.
"And we sit round the table and have afternoon tea together. It’s a very important part of our lives."
Top Comments
Why would she remarry him when she’s got the best of both worlds now? They live together and get along great - and she doesn’t have all the restrictions that go along with being part of the royal family. She can wear pants or off the shoulder dresses, eat garlic and onions non-stop, have political opinions, the whole lot.