Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have become the real-life Ross and Rachel from Friends with their will they won't they relationship.
While the American sitcom resulted in a happy ending in 2003, King Charles' brother and his ex-wife have kept fans guessing about whether they will have a similar fairytale ever since they got divorced almost 30 years ago.
The Duke and Duchess of York got married in 1986, just weeks after Andrew proposed at Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders on 19 February.
They welcomed Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie before splitting in 1992 and divorcing four years later, as the Duke of York pursued naval deployment and Sarah raised their two daughters back in England.
© Anwar HusseinWhile both parties have been embroiled in royal scandal, with Sarah's compromising pictures with John Bryan and Andrew's affiliation with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, they have developed a close friendship that has sparked rumours of remarriage.
And it's only been fuelled by comments from the self-dubbed "most contented divorced couple in the world" on the possibility of walking down the aisle again…
Sarah Ferguson on remarriage
Sarah hinted that one of the key contributors to the breakdown of their marriage was the lack of time they spent together, which could explain why the pair – who both live in Royal Lodge, Windsor and spend a lot of time together after their reduced royal duties – have become close following their divorce.
The Duchess confessed to Ernie Manouse in 2010: "My deal was that I was marrying my man, who happened to be a prince and a naval officer.
"But what I got was not the man, I got the palace and didn’t get him... and the courtiers told me I had to go to Buckingham Palace and he had to go to sea. For our marriage, I saw him 40 days a year."
© Getty ImagesBy 2013, Fergie was fending off questions about their close relationship. When asked if she and Andrew would remarry during a promotional event for her children’s book, she coyly replied: "He’s still my handsome prince, he’ll always be my handsome prince. It’s lovely that we are such a family and the story has a happy ending all the time."
Fans noticed it wasn't an outright denial, and she took the same approach five years later when she described their relationship as a "fairytale."
"We're so happy with the way we are right now. We enjoy each other's company; we allow each other to blossom. I know it sounds like a fairy tale but that's the way we are," she told the Daily Mail.
Recalling her wedding day, she continued: "July 23, 1986 was the happiest day of my life. Andrew is the best man I know. What he does for Britain is incredible; no one knows how hard he works for his country.
"My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairy tale. Although we are not a couple, we really believe in each other. The Yorks are a united family. We've shown it. You saw it at the wedding.
© Max Mumby/Indigo"We stand up for each other, fight for each other. We're totally respectful of each other's position and thoughts and we listen to each other. Our children listen to us, too. And we sit round the table and have afternoon tea together. It's a very important part of our lives."
Since then, Sarah has praised their ability to co-parent their kids and sustain "a strong family unit" during a chat with The Telegraph.
Prince Andrew on remarriage
Three years after they got divorced, there were already rumours of the former royal couple rekindling their romance. Prince Andrew spoke about his living situation with Tatler in 2000: "We are not just doing it for the children. We are doing it for our own benefit too. I don’t rule remarriage out and I certainly don’t rule it in. If ever the opportunity arose, I do not know what I would do, as it is not in the plan."
At the time, Fergie also added: "There has been no discussion on remarriage or reconciliation or any other such word... I simply say if it should happen, great. It is not in, nor is it ruled out."
© NetflixMeanwhile, the late Queen Elizabeth II's son seemed to have changed his tune by 2010. Backtracking about the possibility of exchanging vows for the second time, he told the Daily Mail: "No. We are both in a better place. It's because we are in a better place which is probably why we are able to remain such close friends."
Their commitment to their friendship has been demonstrated amid the couple facing adversity together. They acted as pillars of support for one another during the Prince's settlement with Virginia Giuffre, his car-crash interview with Emily Maitlis which will be documented in Netflix film Scoop, and Sarah's skin cancer and breast cancer diagnoses.
Insiders on a second royal wedding
Others have also suggested that a romantic reunion is "extremely unlikely" – although not impossible.
Royal commentator and author of Queen Elizabeth II: Pocket Giants Victoria Arbiter has revealed that the reason that Sarah and the Prince will not remarry is due to them not being prepared to disrupt the status quo of their current relationship.
© Anwar HusseinSpeaking to GB News, the author said: "There’s long been speculation regarding whether or not Andrew and Fergie will remarry. But their current situation seems to suit them both well so why complicate things?"
She went on to say: "Fergie’s previously said they’re the happiest divorced couple she knows so there’s little to be gained by remarrying. They’ve always shown immense loyalty towards each other and clearly their relationship works exactly as it is."
Meanwhile, Phil Dampier, a royal commentator who reported on their 1986 royal wedding, said: "I would never say never, but I think it’s extremely unlikely that the Duke and Duchess of York will ever remarry.
"They are best friends and he will undoubtedly have been helping her after her recent illness," he continued. "But I don’t think they are romantically involved, that ship sailed 30 years ago."
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