Sarah, Duchess of York has remained a key part of the royal family following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996.
The former couple, who share Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, exchanged vows at Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986. However, they had an "amicable" split in 1992, Buckingham Palace confirmed, and they got divorced four years later.
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While Sarah has demonstrated her close bond with the late Queen Elizabeth and spoken very highly of her ex-husband in the past, her divorce inevitably led to some changes in the family dynamic. Take a look at what changed following Sarah and Andrew's split…
Christmas
Speculation that Fergie is set to join the royal family for Christmas at Sandringham hit the headlines recently since she has been notably absent from the traditional royal gathering for the past few years.
Sarah is not expected to attend the traditional royal gathering at Sandringham
King Charles celebrated the festive season with his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, at his Norfolk estate – just as the late Queen did. It had been speculated that Sarah would be included, but while Sarah was invited by Queen Elizabeth to spend Christmas at Windsor last year, she was not invited to Sandringham.
Instead, she enjoyed holiday celebrations with her daughters and her grandchildren, Princess Beatrice's one-year-old daughter Sienna and Princess Eugenie's son August, who will turn two in February.
Homes
The Duchess rented Kingsbourne during her divorce
Sarah and Andrew now live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, causing many to wonder if their home setup will lead to a future reunion. However, the Duchess of York moved out of their marital home and rented a nearby mansion amid her divorce.
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Sunninghill Park in Ascot was gifted to the former couple by the Queen and featured a tennis court and swimming pool on site. While she temporarily left the family home behind from 1994 to 1997, she reportedly moved back – before the family relocated to Royal Lodge.
Speaking about her unusual living arrangements to USA Today, the Duchess said: "Andrew and I, we’re the happiest divorced couple in the world – extraordinary, really, isn't it. We live in the same house, but then, it's a big house, so that’s ok. But I think it's really good that we believe in compromise and communication and compassion. And family."
Weddings
Fergie attended Prince Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in 2018
A royal wedding is a time for families to gather, but Sarah did not join Prince Andrew, Beatrice and Eugenie at the nuptials of Prince William and Princess Kate and Zara and Mike Tindall in 2011.
"I didn't think I was probably worthy to go to their wedding," Fergie told Town & Country of the Prince and Princess of Wales. "I took myself to Thailand, actually, to be far away from it so that I could try and heal."
Seven years later and she was among the guests at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding. She implied it was Queen Elizabeth who extended the invitation during a chat with Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain.
"I just think that Her Majesty is an incredible lady," Sarah explained. "What an icon to the country, and one of the finest people I've ever met. She leads by such example and to include me is a wonderful gesture... Her Majesty knew me from a little naughty age ten... I can't thank Her Majesty enough for being so steadfast to me."
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Sarah and Andrew got married in 1986
Sarah revealed her delight at the crowd cheering for her on her arrival, saying: "I wanted to cry [when the crowd cheered]. It was extraordinary and I looked around like, 'Are they doing that for me?'. Then someone shouted 'Fergie'."
Family occasions
Weddings are not the only family occasion that Fergie has not attended. She was also missing at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April 2021 – which had a restricted guest list amid the pandemic – and his memorial service in March 2022, which was attended by her former husband, her two daughters and their respective spouses Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank.
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