Royal author details former Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson's unusual dynamic
Andrew Lownie, author of "Entitled," weighs in on former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s evolving relationship amid royal scrutiny. The exes were once known as the "happiest divorced couple."
Former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were once coined the "happiest divorced couple" — but one royal author said they were more like "Bonnie and Clyde," bound by scandal, chaos and nonstop drama.
Andrew Lownie’s extended version of his 2025 book, "Entitled," revisits Andrew and Sarah’s decades-long relationship as scrutiny surrounding Andrew’s ties to Epstein continues generating headlines in Britain and abroad.
Fox News Digital reached out to the former couple for comment about Lownie’s book and its claims. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on books.
FERGIE WOULD MARRY EX PRINCE ANDREW 'ALL OVER AGAIN' DESPITE SCANDALS
Andrew Lownie, author of "Entitled," dubbed Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor as the royal family's "Bonnie and Clyde," as they remained deeply loyal to each other while navigating scandals and public scrutiny throughout the years. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
"The reason that they’ve stayed together is a professional business relationship," Lownie told Fox News Digital. "I describe them as Bonnie and Clyde. He was her calling card for money, and I think maybe he had a sentimental loyalty to her. She, of course, was one of the last people to remain loyal to him and supportive of him. And I think he felt grateful for that."
"He’s sort of a playboy, but he also likes the comfort of being a married man with a family," Lownie said. "And so, he got the best of both worlds — at least the impression that they were a happy family while still being totally independent."
The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson sit laughing with their daughter Princess Eugenie on her lap during a school sports day in London in 1993. The exes became known as the "happiest divorced couple." (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)
Despite years of controversy, Andrew and Sarah have frequently presented themselves publicly as a close-knit family focused on co-parenting their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
WATCH: ROYAL AUTHOR DETAILS FORMER PRINCE ANDREW, SARAH FERGUSON'S UNUSUAL DYNAMIC
Sarah became the Duchess of York when she married what many described as Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son in 1986. However, a happily ever after wasn't to be. Over the years, the marriage was dogged by tabloid rumors of extramarital relationships.
Andrew earned the nicknames "Air Miles Andy, "Playboy Prince" and "Randy Andy" for his lavish lifestyle and womanizing reputation. Meanwhile, Sarah was romantically linked to Texas oilman Steve Wyatt, which Vanity Fair reported was an open secret in royal circles.
Over the years, Sarah Ferguson has pursued a wide range of business ventures, media appearances, endorsements and publishing deals as she worked to rebuild her finances. (Bob Levey/WireImage)
There was also "Toegate" in 1992, when the Daily Mirror published photos of a topless duchess with John Bryan, another businessman from Texas, while vacationing in the South of France. Andrew and Sarah officially divorced in 1996.
The extended version of "Entitled" by Andrew Lownie is available now. (William Collins)
The relationship between the former couple didn’t end there.
Despite Sarah’s numerous commercial ventures, she and her ex-husband continued living together.
Andrew Mountbatten-WIndsor and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, were living at Royal Lodge, a 30-room mansion. They agreed to vacate the Windsor estate residence. (Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
"They lived in a very big house, so they were at opposite ends," Lownie said. "They were more business partners than a couple. I think a lot of the romance had gone. They were having affairs even during the marriage, both of them. So I don’t think there was a huge sense of, shall we say, fidelity there," Lownie alleged.
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Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor are seen here on their wedding day in 1986. (Derek Hudson/Getty Images)
"She hung in there because he was a member of the royal family, and that was her calling card for business," he claimed. "So, it was just a myth that they projected."
Lownie said he was not surprised by reports that Andrew allowed Sarah to entertain alleged romantic partners in their shared home even after they called it quits.
The former Duke and Duchess of York are seen here with their daughter, Princess Beatrice, at her graduation ceremony. The family put on a united front at Goldsmiths College in London on Sept. 9, 2011. (Ian Nicholson/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"He was much more generous when it came to her having her own relationships," he claimed.
Lownie, who has written extensively about the royal family, said he believes Andrew relied heavily on Sarah’s loyalty during periods of public backlash.
Sarah, Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, watch a fashion show at the Royal York Hotel in Ontario, Canada, on July 17, 1987. (John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Getty Images)
"He had other preoccupations," said Lownie. "… [Meanwhile], she often went off and stayed with boyfriends," Lownie claimed.
Over time, the eyebrow-raising arrangement between the exes became increasingly controversial. Sarah endured recurring financial scandals, including debt issues and the 2010 undercover "cash-for-access" sting in which she appeared to offer access to Andrew in exchange for money. Andrew faced criticism over lavish taxpayer-funded travel, questionable business associates and his reputation as a royal playboy.
A photo of the former Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell was released by the Justice Department as part of the latest Epstein files. (Department of Justice)
Rather than distancing themselves from each other as scandals mounted, they remained publicly loyal and closely connected, creating the perception that they were still a united royal family.
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Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor leave after attending the Easter Mattins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, on March 31, 2024. (Hollie Adams/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"The reason that Fergie continued to live with Andrew was because she moved back in after she ran up a huge number of debts renting very expensive properties," Lownie said. "And I think they felt the solution was that if she moved in with him, that would solve the problem. He was away a lot, and she was away a lot promoting Weight Watchers and Wedgwood in the States. He was on naval bases or ships. So it made sense for them to live together."
Sarah has previously described Andrew publicly as one of her closest confidants and has insisted their post-divorce relationship remained rooted in friendship and family.
The former Duke and Duchess of York attend a Thanksgiving service for King Constantine of the Hellenes at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle on Feb. 27, 2024. (Chris Jackson/AFP)
While Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II were reportedly opposed to the former couple continuing to live together, Lownie claimed Sarah persuaded Andrew that maintaining the arrangement would benefit their two daughters by ensuring both parents remained closely involved in their lives.
Prince Andrew and his fiancée Sarah Ferguson stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II during her 60th birthday celebration in London on April 21, 1986. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)
"I think the queen was keen that Sarah and Andrew were happy for the sake of her grandchildren," Lownie said. "She was the one who encouraged them to divorce, saying it looked terrible that they were having these affairs in public. She kind of forced it on them. I think she was fond of Sarah, but she had no illusions about what she was like. Prince Philip certainly had no illusions."
Lownie noted that while the late queen may not have approved of some of the women Andrew was linked to, he did not believe that it necessarily meant she wanted him to reunite with Sarah.
Prince Philip and his then-daughter-in-law, Sarah Ferguson, attend Easter service in Windsor, circa 1990s. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)
But their connection to Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender, ultimately eclipsed every scandal that came before it.
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Former Prince Andrew was released from custody hours after his arrest on Feb. 19., 2026. (Reuters)
On Feb. 19 — his 66th birthday — Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office during an inquiry linked to his ties to Epstein. After being held for 11 hours, Thames Valley Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that he had been released.
Andrew has repeatedly denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and has not been criminally charged in connection to the case.
The former Prince Andrew, Duke of York, walks next to Ghislaine Maxwell during the Royal Ascot Race Meeting Ladies Day in Ascot, United Kingdom, date unknown. (Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images)
Six companies linked to Sarah were shut down amid renewed attention surrounding her past ties to Epstein. It's understood that no creditors were owed money.
A man views the Sarah's Trust charity website on his smartphone in London on Feb. 3, 2026. The charity, owned by the ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, announced it will shut "for the foreseeable future" after months of discussion following the release of three million new documents by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. (John Phillips/Getty Images)
An email from Sarah about "desperately" needing money surfaced after the Department of Justice (DOJ) released more than three million records related to Epstein, including his personal emails. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.
Like Andrew, Sarah claimed she had cut off all contact with Epstein. Fox News Digital previously reached out to her representative for comment about the DOJ’s release.
A mural of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, with a sign reading "Shame" is seen in Shoreditch, London, on July 1, 2020. (Guy Smallman/Getty Images)
Epstein died in custody in 2019.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a photo of herself as a teen, when she says she was abused by Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and the former Prince Andrew, among others. (Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service)
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein, accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17. The American woman filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced to have sex with the disgraced duke three times.
The case was settled out of court in 2022. Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre’s allegations and said he had no recollection of meeting her. The settlement agreement stated it was not an admission of liability.
Police officers walk near the entrance to the Royal Lodge in Windsor, Britain, on Feb. 19, 2026, following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on suspicion of misconduct in public office after the U.S. Justice Department released records related to Jeffrey Epstein. (Jaimi Joy/Reuters)
The 41-year-old died in 2025. Her posthumous memoir, published in October, reiterated her claims.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre's memoir "Nobody's Girl - A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice" is displayed near Big Ben in London on Oct. 21, 2025. (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that King Charles III had "initiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew."
The decision followed Andrew’s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein. On Feb. 3, Andrew vacated Royal Lodge three months after the king ordered him to surrender his lease.
Sarah Ferguson has publicly expressed regret over her association with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
A spokesperson for Sarah previously told The Guardian: "The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims."
King Charles III issued a statement from Buckingham Palace pledging his full support to authorities after his brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in London on Feb. 19, 2026. (Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
"It’s a waiting game at the moment," Lownie said. "I think [Andrew] may well end up in the Middle East. That would solve a lot of problems for the royal family, keep the story under wraps and get them away from public view."
Lownie speculated about what Sarah’s future relationship with the royal family could look like financially. Before the Epstein fallout, friends and insiders believed the former couple considered remarrying.
Despite years of trying to reinvent herself, Sarah Ferguson’s future remains uncertain, author Andrew Lownie told Fox News Digital. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"Sarah Ferguson is clearly not going to make money in the way she did. So it’s going to be a question of how she supports herself. Will she eventually be paid off by the royal family with some sort of pension to keep her quiet? Will she find another rich benefactor or husband? She’s no longer the figure she once was."
