The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson has has jetted off on a solo festive trip as ‘concern’ mounts for her ex Prince Andrew.
Ferguson still lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor with her ex-hubby, previously described their relationship as that of the “happiest divorced couple in the world”. Despite that, Fergie was spotted flying solo to the Austrian capital of Vienna, for a spot of seasonal cheer – famed for its Christmas markets, which attract visitors year after year.
This comes after King Charles reportedly cut financial ties to his younger brother Prince Andrew, the Mirror reports. Taking to TikTok, mum-of-two Fergie shared a clip taken at Heathrow Airport, accompanied by the following caption: “Heading off to Vienna to kick start Christmas. Absolutely love this time of the year and seeing all the joy on peoples faces.”
The Duchess told followers: “It’s Monday and I decided that we need to get the Christmas spirit going. “Heathrow Airport on my way to Vienna. And what am I doing in Vienna? I am going to see [the] Christmas fair.”
Fergie continued, appearing excited for the travel adventures ahead: “The airports are just so exciting. It’s a new adventure, new day, new journey. Let’s go.”
Five years after Prince Andrew’s controversial and reputation shattering Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, he spends his time shut away in the “crumbling” £30 million lodge as concern grows amongst his daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34.
A source told HELLO!: “The girls take the grandchildren to visit him most weekends. They are spending far more time with him now than they have done in recent years. They are quite close to their father; they seem to be quite protective towards him.”
King Charles reportedly withdrew his £1 million living allowance after the Duke of York seemingly refused to move out of the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge, where he and Fergie have lived since 2004. This has been viewed as an attempt on King Charles’ part to publicly distance himself from Prince Andrew, whose friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has attracted controversy.
It was claimed that Charles chose to cut off Andrew financially after being encouraged to do so for months by his advisors in an updated version of his book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, published November 7, by royal author Robert Hardman. Following months of alleged infighting behind palace walls, the King is said to have ordered the Keeper of the Privy Purse to cut the disgraced Duke of York’s annual personal allowance, as well as his private security.
A source told The Times: “If Andrew can pay for his own upkeep with legitimate means, then it is not an issue. But the King’s patience has run out when it comes to funding his brother’s lifestyle in a way that does not fit his status.”
Sarah and Andrew married in the summer of 1986 and divorced ten years later in 1996 – four years after their initial separation. Although they’re no longer a couple, they have remained on good terms and even spend Christmas together.
As well as daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the former spouses have also welcomed grandchildren Sienna, August, and Ernest. Amid the apparently heated royal row, Sarah spoke with Bella magazine about how she herself deals with family conflict. She revealed: “The three C’s: communicate, compromise, compassion. Family is the most important thing.”
In a 2018 interview with the Daily Mail in 2018, Fergie spoke of how “united” the York family will always be, despite the trials and tribulations they’ve weathered over the years. Clarifying that she was “divorced to” Andrew, not divorced from him, Fergie explained: “We’re the happiest divorced couple in the world. We’re divorced to each other, not from each other.
“My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairytale.” The Duchess continued: “The Yorks are a united family. We’ve shown it.”
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