Sarah Ferguson declares ‘good grandfather’ Prince Andrew deserves to ‘rebuild’ his life out of the ‘spotlight’

Sarah Ferguson has declared that “good grandfather” Prince Andrew deserves to “rebuild” his life out of the “spotlight”. 

• The Duchess of York has expressed her belief that the “spotlight” should “come off” her former husband Prince Andrew.
• Describing him as a “very good grandfather” to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s children, Sarah suggested he should be able to “get on with his life” without scrutiny.
• This royal news comes as King Charles shared a poignant tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on what would've been his mother's 97th birthday. 

She might not be one of the people who is invited to King Charles’ coronation ceremony, but the Duchess of York is very much still part of the wider Royal Family. The former wife of Prince Andrew, and mother of Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, spent Christmas with the royals last year. Sarah has also given the Queen’s corgis a loving home at the Royal Lodge and she certainly isn’t afraid to speak out about her bonds with the Royal Family. Now Sarah Ferguson has declared that Prince Andrew deserves to “rebuild” his life outside of the “spotlight”.

Getting candid about her ex-husband on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the Duchess of York described him as a “good man” and suggested that he should be able to “get on with his life” after facing considerable scrutiny in recent years. 

“With Prince Andrew, he’s such a good man,” she said. “He’s a kind, good man. And I think the spotlight needs to come off him and let him get on with his life to rebuild.”

Sarah went on to describe him as a “very good grandfather” to Princess Beatrice’s daughter Sienna and stepson Wolfie and Princess Eugenie’s son August. The Duke and Duchess of York will also soon become grandparents for a fourth time when Princess Eugenie welcomes her second baby this summer.

The Duchess’ remarks about her former husband come following a period of intense media attention focused on Prince Andrew. The King’s brother stepped back as a working royal in 2019 amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and after his high profile Newsnight Interview aired.

In August 2021 Virginia Giuffre filed a civil case against Prince Andrew in a New York court, alleging that she was a victim of sexual assault by him when she was 17. The Duke of York vehemently and repeatedly denied these allegations against him. In February 2022 the case filed against Prince Andrew was settled out of court.

Ahead of this, the late Queen confirmed that Prince Andrew had been stripped of his military honors and patronages. He’s rarely been glimpsed in public since although he spent Christmas at Sandringham with the King and Queen in 2022 and recently attended church with them and the wider family on Easter Sunday.

It’s understood that whilst he might be at King Charles’ coronation as a non-working royal he’ll have no official role and won’t appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony. His former wife Sarah Ferguson - who still lives at the Royal Lodge with him - has now addressed not being invited and has taken a very pragmatic view of things.

“It’s a state occasion and being divorced, I don’t think you can have it both ways,” she explained, before later adding, “You can’t have it both ways. You mustn’t sit on the fence. You’re either in or out, but don’t muck around.”