8 Signs Prince Andrew And Sarah Ferguson Will Never Get Back Together

A whopping 500 million people watched the wedding of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, on their TV sets in 1986, while 2,000 guests were there in person. It may not have been quite as important as King Charles III and Princess Diana's wedding, but it was still a spectacle to behold. Andrew had picked a firecracker in redheaded Sarah, who told it like it was and was a breath of fresh air for the notoriously traditional family. As such, many were rooting for them to work out — but alas, it wasn't to be. 

After just six years of marriage, the pair announced their separation in 1992 and officially parted ways four years later when their divorce was granted. It was a testing few years for the House of Windsor, with Queen Elizabeth II watching on as three of her four children divorced within four years. Both Anne, Princess Royal, and Charles would move on and get married again, but Andrew has never found someone else to share his life with. In fact, in a strange turn of events, Andrew and Sarah have continued to live together in their marital home since their split over 30 years ago. 

Their unwavering affection for one another constantly raises the will-they-won't-they get back together question. Though it may certainly seem that there is still a deep connection there, the reality is quite different. There are several signs Sarah and Andrew will never get back together, no matter what we may like to believe!

For those old enough to remember Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York's royal wedding, looking back on it now seems like a strange dream. The lavish nuptials spared no expense, but despite all the pomp and circumstance, their marriage would be over in just over half a decade. 

In an interview with Bella Magazine (via Express), Sarah admitted that her life changed forever when she and Andrew tied the knot, stating: "Of course, being in the public eye constantly brings us challenges, but also great privileges." Though she didn't slam her experience as a wife, Sarah did make one thing clear in the interview. 

When asked if there was any chance of reconciliation between the pair and possibly even a second wedding, Sarah was quick to counter: "I get asked that all the time. We are very happy as we are now, thank you!" The duchess didn't elaborate further on what that means for the pair's relationship, leaving some to wonder if there could be a chance at a rekindled relationship, just not in an officially wed capacity.   

You've likely heard the expression "happy wife, happy life," but what does that really mean when you marry into the royal family? When Sarah, Duchess of York, married Prince Andrew, she was 26 years old. By that point, she had worked a handful of jobs, including public relations in London. Though, at the time of her marriage to Andrew, Sarah was quite content with the rules of being a royal wife, like not being permitted to work, her perspective soon changed as the years ticked by. 

In her book "Finding Sarah," the duchess explained (via Vanity Fair), "I wanted to work; it's not right for a princess of the royal house to be commercial, so Andrew and I decided to make the divorce official, so I could go off and get a job." While this is likely not the whole reason for their split, Sarah has always been a force to be reckoned with and didn't exactly fit the mold of the dutiful royal wife. 

Indeed, since splitting from Andrew in 1992 and officially divorcing in 1996, Sarah has been involved in several money-earning projects that have helped her maintain the lifestyle she became accustomed to while married. It's this desire to continue to work that is yet another clear sign that the duke and duchess are unlikely to reconcile any time soon. 

Although divorce in the royal family became much more normalized thanks to the breakups of the '90s, it's still a relatively new change in the grand scheme of things. For hundreds of years, it was severely frowned upon and rarely done, so there aren't many examples of what life looks like for a royal after divorcing. King Charles III is the only monarch in modern times to remarry, and Anne, Princess Royal's second wedding was also allowed. Though there was certainly some precedent for Prince Andrew to move on, he never has — but Sarah, Duchess of York, hasn't always been shy about her romantic pursuits. 

While she was separated but not officially divorced from Andrew in the '90s, the duchess was photographed on vacation with Texan businessman John Bryan. The relationship may not have turned serious, but it was an important message that Sarah wasn't taking herself off the shelf quite yet. Even now, over 30 years later, Sarah has admitted that though she may not be dating anyone currently, she's not opposed to the idea. 

In a 2023 episode of her podcast, "Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah" (via the Daily Mail), Sarah said: "Do I have a boyfriend? No." When she was pressed by her co-star on whether she wanted one, the duchess simply replied, "Yes." Sorry, Andrew! 

There's no skirting around the issue; Prince Andrew, Duke of York's controversial friendship with Jeffrey Epstein got him into some serious trouble. Things started to really unravel for the royal in 2015 when Virginia Giuffre claimed that she had sex with Andrew when she was under the age of consent. Four years later, Andrew would come under fire once more when he claimed in a disastrous TV interview that he couldn't be guilty of the offence as he was at a Pizza Express in Woking at the time. As a result of the fallout from the entire situation, Andrew was stripped of a range of military affiliations and royal patronages and forced to take a step back from public duties. 

Despite reaching a settlement in 2022 with Giuffre, mud sticks. The public opinion of Andrew has never been quite the same, with many voicing their annoyance that Andrew managed to avoid criminal charges. The unsettling situation may have been enough for others to turn their backs on Andrew, but Sarah, Duchess of York, has always remained steadfast in her support of her ex-husband. She previously told the Daily Mail: "My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will."

Sarah's unwavering dedication to her ex might be honorable but offering her friendship is one thing. Becoming romantically involved again with Andrew in the aftermath of the Giuffre case has the potential to reflect badly on Sarah on a deeper level. 

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There's an old saying: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Since divorcing Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, has had a lot of ups and downs. Immediately after their split, Sarah hit the headlines for having a whopping £4.2 million overdraft at upscale bank Coutts & Co. Despite the odds, Sarah was able to turn it around and make her own way in the world without sacrificing her lifestyle. However, despite her bid for independence, the duchess has one big advantage: she remained in her marital home, the £30 million estate Royal Lodge, even though she's not married to Andrew. 

The pair stayed in the home to raise their children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and Sarah continues to call it a residence. In a piece she wrote for The Sunday Times in 2021, Sarah explained: "I travel a lot, and I've always been able to make wherever I am home ... When I'm in the UK, I'm lucky enough to stay at Royal Lodge. I wouldn't call it my home as that would be presumptuous." She may be unwilling to call it her home, but the fact is that Sarah gets the best of both worlds. 

She has an excellent relationship with Andrew and, as a result, gets to take advantage of all the comforts Royal Lodge has to offer. At the moment, Sarah has the best of both worlds as a free agent — why would she change that? 

It's not unusual for celebrities to get back together and even remarry. Famously, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor married twice, but for royals, once you're out, you're out. Moving on and getting remarried is one thing, but no member of the House of Windsor has ever gotten back together with an ex-spouse. It's true that the modern world is constantly changing and royal traditions aren't as stuffy as they once were, but history dictates that it's highly unlikely Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, would get back together. 

It's not just public opinion but also the implications that it would have on the royal family and its longstanding traditions that have to be considered. Though it's not talked about so much these days, King Charles III, just like his mother before him, is the head of the Protestant Anglican Church, the Church of England. This is where things get a little tricky; according to the church's website, the church acknowledges that not all marriages work out but remarrying in the church is only allowed on a case-by-case basis. 

Princess Anne's second marriage had to take place outside of England due to harsher rules at the time, and even Charles and Queen Camilla had to make do with a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. So, while not impossible, these rules certainly make it more difficult for Sarah, the Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew to get hitched again if that's what they wanted. 

If there's one thing the British royal family values more than anything else, it's privacy. Queen Elizabeth II worked hard to keep the lid on any drama that unfurled behind closed doors during her reign, though it didn't always work. Princess Diana and King Charles III's marriage dissolution was all over the headlines, and years later, the startling revelations from Prince Harry's "Spare" would rock the boat in more ways than one. There's a rule that one simply does not open up the family to public speculation and ridicule, and the less one says about anything, the better. While Sarah, Duchess of York, has never criticized the royal family, she hasn't exactly kept quiet, either. 

Sarah has released two autobiographies over the years, both of which lifted the lid on her time within the inner sanctum. Not only that, but she started a podcast called "Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah" in 2023 that often touches on her experiences with the Windsors. She may have never revealed anything as scandalous as Prince Harry wrote about, but Sarah has still been very vocal. This may be something that's difficult to come back from if she reunited with Prince Andrew, as it denotes a lack of trust. 

Similarly, let's not forget the infamous scandal from 2010 in which Sarah told an undercover reporter she would arrange direct access to Andrew for a £500,000 fee.

It's clear that the road to reconciliation isn't paved with gold for Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York — at least, in an official capacity. There are simply too many things that stand in the way, but the biggest one could be Andrew's brother, the head of the royal family himself, King Charles III. Over the years, there have been rumors that Charles has strong feelings about Sarah, and they aren't flattering. In 2019, a royal source told The Sun that Charles' resentment of the duchess runs deep, going back to her treatment of Queen Camilla after Charles divorced Princess Diana. 

"Charles is not ok with Fergie. He can't stand her in reality," explained the source. "He thinks she's brought embarrassment to the Royal Family in the past, and his relationship with his brother has been strained as a result. ... There's so much baggage because he feels she sided with Diana over Camilla all those years ago."

There has been some progress since this bombshell report, however, as Sarah has slowly worked her way back into the royal family. She was invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham with the rest of the royals in 2023. That being said, if there are still underlying tensions there, Charles could make life very difficult for Andrew and Sarah if they wanted to remarry. They may not need his permission (only the first six in line to the throne do and Andrew isn't that high up the chain) but moving ahead without his blessing wouldn't be easy.