Copyright hellomagazine
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson appear to be on the brink of leaving Royal Lodge in Windsor, due to their links to Jeffrey Epstein. Despite having an "iron-clad lease" for the property, which entitles him to stay there for the price of a peppercorn, public pressure is mounting for him to vacate. It has been reported that he is in talks with Buckingham Palace about where he could stay post Royal Lodge, and it's looking like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's former home, Frogmore Cottage, could be an option. But as King Charles' brother divorced Sarah in 1996, why are they still living together 29 years later? We take a deep dive into their amicable yet unconventional relationship. Andrew and Sarah originally tied the knot in a lavish royal wedding at Westminster Abbey in July 1986, and they went on to announce their amicable split in 1992, with the divorce following four years later. The pair have remained famously close, not least because of their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, but now they have grandchildren too. Their unique set-up of living together post-divorce has garnered plenty of attention – and even fuelled romance rumours over the years. So, why the shared living arrangements? Sarah Ferguson's comments on living at Royal Lodge In a previous interview with The Telegraph, Sarah admitted: "We always say we are the most contented divorced couple in the world. We're divorced to each other, not from each other. We are co-parents who support each other and believe that family is everything. I'm proud of the job we have done together in bringing up our children and sustaining a strong family unit. Our bywords are communication, compromise and compassion." The former Duchess has also spoken in the past about her life at the Royal Lodge. Prince Andrew moved in there with their girls once renovation work was completed in 2004, and it’s thought his ex-wife joined them in 2008. Despite having resided there for many years, Sarah does not class it as 'home'. "When I'm in the UK I'm lucky enough to stay at Royal Lodge," she told the Telegraph. "I wouldn't call it my home as that would be presumptuous." Plenty of space The Grade II-listed residence has a grand exterior and amazing interiors with 30 rooms, so it is most definitely one of the larger royal residences. So, there is certainly enough room for both Andrew and Sarah to have plenty of space and not feel on top of each other. Sarah used to give glimpses inside the Lodge on her Instagram and YouTube channel, Fergie and Friends, where she read children's stories. Speaking about her unusual living arrangements to USA Today, the Duchess said: "Andrew and I, we’re the happiest divorced couple in the world – extraordinary, really, isn't it. We live in the same house, but then, it's a big house, so that’s ok. But I think it's really good that we believe in compromise and communication and compassion. And family." Sarah Ferguson's money We know that Prince Andrew has not paid rent at the property; however, he does have to pay for the upkeep and with such a historical home, that doesn't come cheap. It is unknown what Sarah's set-up at the lodge is, whether she contributes financially to this cost with her own funds. It has been reported that Sarah has recently offloaded a Belgravia property, which gives her a chunk of money that's there ready for her to make her next move. There are a few options that appear to be on the table for the former Duchess. Stay living with Andrew in much smaller quarters at Frogmore Cottage or Adelaide Cottage, if Buckingham Palace allows, or find her own accommodation. In a special episode of A Right Royal Podcast, before reports of their potential relocation to Frogmore Cottage or Adelaide Cottage, author Andrew Lownie speculated about Sarah's future. Andrew told HELLO! in the podcast that going "under the radar" abroad was an option for both Sarah and Andrew. "If he is investigated and he goes to prison, that sorts out the Royal Lodge problem. But I think probably he’s being encouraged to go to his palace in Abu Dhabi or to take up a Swiss nationality," he added. Referring to their former chalet in Verbier, which they put on the market in 2020, he continued: "I think a stronger possibility is that she goes there [to Switzerland] and he goes somewhere else, possibly without extradition treaties to the United Kingdom. They've had this chalet, they have got money - they just sold the houses in Belgravia, so they've certainly got various options."
