Prince Andrew's disgrace also affects his ex-wife. Sarah Ferguson's reputation shaken by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal

Andrew's ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who remained close to the younger brother of King Charles III despite their divorce, was also deprived of titles and a royal residence after the former British prince's fall from grace due to his connections with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reports AFP, taken over by Agerpres.

The former Duchess of York, who the British affectionately call “Fergie”, managed to reinvent herself after her divorce from Andrew in 1996, writing books and presenting television shows. She had also recently become close to the inner circle of the Windsor royal family.

But the decision of King Charles III, announced on Thursday evening, to withdraw all of Andrew's titles – accused of having sexual relations with a young woman who was a minor while under the influence of the American financier Jeffrey Epstein – and to force him to leave the 30-room royal residence he occupied near Windsor Castle, did not remain without consequences for Sarah Ferguson, 66 years old.

Although divorced, they lived together

Andrew and Sarah continued to live together at Royal Lodge despite their divorce and regularly appeared together at social events. In 2013, when Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein were already sparking plenty of commentary, Sarah Ferguson continued to say that Andrew would be her “always Handsome Boy”.

The two received for care the two corgi dogs that belonged to the late Queen Elizabeth II, after her death in September 2022.

Although Buckingham Palace did not mention Sarah Ferguson in its press release on Thursday, it said the former Duchess of York – she lost that title when Andrew renounced his title on October 17 – will make her own arrangements for her future residence. Andrew will be hosted at the British monarch's expense at his private Sandringham estate in Norfolk County.

Sarah Ferguson, who had so far managed to stay out of the scandal that led to Andrew's fall from grace, was finally caught up in the Epstein scandal. In September, the publication in the press of an email she sent the sex offender in which she described him as “an exceptional friend” has already begun to diminish the affection many Britons hold for her.

She wrote the email just a month after apologizing for accepting £15,000 from the US financier and declaring in an interview that it was “a huge error of judgement” and that she “never wanted to have anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein again”.

Discontinued collaborations

Several charities with which she collaborates then decided to give her up, as did Julia's House, an association to help sick children, patronized by Sarah Ferguson.

According to the BBC, the publication of his next children's book, originally scheduled for October 9, has been delayed.

In recent years, Sarah Ferguson, famous for her straight-talking style and who has never hidden the financial difficulties she went through after her divorce, has become closer to the Windsor family in recent years. In 2023, she joined the royal family at Sandringham Castle to spend Christmas together, a first since 1992.

The following month, she announced that she had been diagnosed with skin cancer, months after undergoing breast cancer surgery.

As the British press questioned the fate of former Queen Elizabeth II's two corgi dogs – Muick and Sandy – received to be cared for by the former Duke and Duchess of York, a Buckingham Palace source confirmed that the four-legged friends will remain in Andrew's family, but did not specify whether the animals will be cared for by the former prince, Sarah Ferguson or one of their two daughters, the elderly Princess Beatrice 37 years old, and Princess Eugenie, 35 years old.

Beatrice and Eugenie will retain their princess titles and remain active members of the British royal family.