The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has confessed that she still loves her embattled ex-husband, the Duke of York.
As the Queen’s third child and ninth in line to the throne prepares to face court in January over allegations connected to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, his former wife has told French magazine Madame Figaro that Andrew is “a good man”.
“I loved him and I still love him today. I will stay by his side, because I believe in him. He is a good man.”
Andrew, 61, will attempt to have allegations that he sexually abused a 17-year-old trafficking victim at the London home of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and at the late financier’s residences in Manhattan and the US Virgin Islands dismissed from a New York court. According to the BBC, the prince’s lawyers argue that the “baseless lawsuit” should be squashed because his accuser, now 38, had “failed to sufficiently outline her claims against him”.
Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
Despite their 1996 divorce, loyal Fergie famously enjoys a close relationship with her ex-husband and still lives with him at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
In the article published Sunday, December 5, the colourful royal told Madame Figaro that her wedding day “was the most beautiful day of her life”. Some royal watchers have even speculated that the pair might be considering tying the knot a second time.
The mother-of-two added that her daughters, Princess Eugenie and Beatrice, are her priority, and that “she never misses any of their calls”.
Being a mother was the one thing she had done best in her life, Fergie claimed.
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The Duchess has also grabbed headlines for saying in the interview that she believes she’s “the most persecuted royal woman in British history”.
“I was maybe the most persecuted woman in the history of the Royal Family, but I’m still here. The bruised reed that doesn’t break is in my DNA.”
The world’s media have been quick to jump on the comment, pointing out that the Duchess had overlooked far more obvious candidates such as the late Princess Diana or Anne Boleyn, who was publicly vilified and beheaded at the order of her husband, King Henry VIII.
Many also took to Twitter to ridicule Fergie over the quote:
Oi Fergie
Empress Matilda wants a word
Lady Di’s holding her beer
And 5 of Henry VIII’s wives are forming an orderly queue.https://t.co/QoEEGfuxjn
— fleetstreetfox (@fleetstreetfox) December 7, 2021
Wrote one: “She’s not even the most persecuted royal alive.”
Said another:
“Empress Matilda wants a word Lady Di’s holding her beer And 5 of Henry VIII’s wives are forming an orderly queue.”
To which someone added: “There are a couple of Scottish royals who’d like a word too, but one of them is hanging in a cage off the side of a castle so cannot get to the phone.”
One Twitter post said Fergie had only herself to blame for her negative publicity over the years.
“Ah but was she not the architect of much of her own misfortune? Only an idiot would conspire against [Queen] Liz.”