Royal author Andrew Lownie has asserted that Sarah Ferguson's decision to separate her living arrangements from Prince Andrew indicates that their long-standing portrayal as the "happiest divorced couple in the world" was a strategic facade to benefit their financial and reputational pursuits. Lownie, author of "Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York," argues that Ferguson's claims of a uniquely positive post-divorce relationship with Andrew "never rang hollow" but rather served as a "convenient cover" that generated favorable media attention.
According to Lownie, the reality of their marriage was marked by infidelity on both sides shortly after their 1986 wedding. He suggests Ferguson's continued reliance on Andrew for accommodation was primarily to save money and maintain her royal connections, which aided her subsequent money-making ventures. "The only reason Ferguson continued to cadge accommodation from him was that it saved her money and burnished her royal connections and her money-making activities," Lownie told the Daily Mail.
The marriage, which began with a lavish ceremony attended by over 50 million viewers worldwide, reportedly faced significant challenges early on. Ferguson allegedly began an affair with American businessman Steve Wyatt during her second pregnancy, and in 1992, photographs surfaced of her with Wyatt, raising questions about her relationship with the prince. The Queen subsequently advised Ferguson to end ties with Wyatt, a directive that, along with other marital issues including alleged infidelity by Andrew, contributed to the couple's public announcement of separation in March 1992.
Lownie also pointed to Ferguson's highly publicized 1991 encounter with her financial advisor John Bryan, where they were photographed in St Tropez, as further evidence of marital strain and public scrutiny. He stated that Ferguson's repeated assertion that her wedding day was the happiest of her life was met with Andrew's stern reminders of his own priorities: "Andrew was more direct telling her to remember that he was a prince first, a naval officer second and a husband third."
The author's comments come amid renewed public interest following Prince Andrew's stripping of his military titles and patronages in October after allegations of misconduct related to his association with Jeffrey Epstein. The prince's relocation from Royal Lodge, where he had continued to live with Ferguson, has further fueled speculation about their cohabitation arrangement. Lownie suggests that their decision to live apart, particularly after Andrew's move to Wood Farm and subsequently Marsh Farm in Sandringham, indicates a desire to end an arrangement he characterizes as mutually beneficial and designed to maximize private gain from Andrew's public life. "It's lucrative for both of them to be together. The point is that this has been an arrangement of convenience to enable them to live at a certain level," Lownie observed. He added that their shared desire for a particular lifestyle and perceived greed fueled this arrangement, which has persisted since 2008.