They once dubbed themselves the “happiest divorced couple” in the world, but it looks like Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are on track to remarry before the year is out.
Since the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May last year, the Duke of York and his flamed haired Duchess Fergie have gradually stepped back into the spotlight together, and sources tell New Idea the longterm lovers are “pulling out all the stops to make things official” before Fergie’s 60th birthday on October 15.
WATCH this video to look back on Fergie and Andrew’s most memorable moments!
The Duchess of York has been by her ex-husband’s side at a litany of major royal family events of late.
Andrew and Fergie sat together to watch their youngest daughter Princess Eugenie marry her longtime love Jack Brooksbank at St George’s Chapel in Windsor last October, and even jetted off to Bahrain together for a family holiday with Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at the beginning of the year.
“Andrew is doing everything he can to bring Fergie back into the royal fold,” says a palace source.
“She was at the preview of Trooping the Colour and Lady Gabriella Windsor’s wedding in London, but he’s just not allowed to bring her to official events until they are officially married again.”
But since the birth of Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s third child Prince Louis last April, Fergie and Prince Andrew no longer need the Queen‘s permission to wed now that the Duke is seventh in line to the throne, per the Royal Marriages Act of 1772.
And now Buckingham Palace has responded to mounting claims of a formal reconciliation between the Yorks, by refusing to comment on the rumours when contacted by Express.co.uk.
Despite official reluctance to engage on the matter, royal fans have made it clear they are wholly supportive of a wedding announcement for Fergie and Andrew as soon as possible.
A family photo of the Yorks and their daughters taken at rehearsals for Trooping the Colour last week attracted a flood of comments from well wishers when Fergie and Eugenie shared the image online, with one user writing: “Just remarry and make us all happy!”
Another follower wrote on Princess Eugenie’s post: “Your parents are true soulmates – I have been waiting for them to remarry for years.”
And according to reports, Sarah and Andrew’s rekindled relationship has even been welcomed by the rest of the British royal family, many of whom have been critical of the outspoken Duchess’ antics and much-publicised financial problems in the past.
Prince Philip allegedly regarded Sarah – and also Princess Diana – as being “substantially responsible for many of the difficulties that have beset the Royal Family and undermined their public standing”, an opinion shared by his son Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Express.co.uk reports.
Prince Charles has long been rumoured to harbour distaste for the Duchess of York, who was once a close confidante of his ex-wife the late Princess of Wales.
In April, sources told New Idea Prince Andrew wants to wait until after the Duke of Edinburgh has died to announce their intention to marry as he knows his father still regards Fergie as “a royal embarrassment”.
Yet through each embarrassing gaffe, Fergie has maintained an incredibly close relationship with her monarch mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II who she privately calls “Mama”.
Her Majesty was said to be devastated by the breakdown of the Yorks marriage in 1992 and is known to remain very fond of her fiery daughter-in-law.
Fergie and Andrew married at Westminster Abbey in London on July 23, 1986 and since then, the Duke and Duchess of York have always made it clear that family is their priority.
“The thing about Andrew and I is that we go with our hearts, we go with the family unity. We really believe in that, you can see that the York family unity, it’s all about seeing the light in life,” Sarah told the BBC ahead of Eugenie’s wedding last year.
Fergie lived with Prince Andrew at the Royal Lodge from 2008 until 2015, with some claiming they continue to share a home to this day.
The couple continue to take regular ski trips to the favourite royal slopes at Verbier in Switzerland.
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