Sarah Ferguson's family 'questioned why she married Prince Andrew'

A royal author has claimed Sarah Ferguson's own family were unsure of the reasons why she married Prince Andrew. Royal author Andrew Lownie, has explored the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of York and events leading up to their wedding in his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York.

Mr Lownie writes: "Even Sarah's own family were not sure about the relationship. She's either in love with Andrew or in love with the Royal Family and I think it's the latter." Buckingham Palace announced their engagement on February 19, 1986, and the pair married on July 23, 1986, at Westminster Abbey.

The author added: "There were mixed feelings in the Royal Family. They had known Ferguson all her life as she was part of royal circles and shared their interests in outdoor pursuits, in dogs, horses, even charades. Compared to Diana, she was easy-going and clearly made Andrew happy, but according to a well-connected source: Fergie couldn't stop talking, and inappropriately."

As reported in the Daily Mail, the royal author added: "There were also concerns that there might be scandals in her private life. A Palace source confided in journalist Stuart White that the worry was "Fergie had put it about a little, and was a "game girl". That phrase was used to me and didn't have anything to do with liking grouse moors."

Even Sarah Ferguson was allegedly alarmed by the speed of the relationship. The couple had only met for the first time at Ascot in June 1985, and less than a year later they were engaged to be married.

One friend told Mr Lownie: "While she was enormously happy, she was petrified about what she was letting herself in for."

The author added: "Feeling under pressure from his family to settle down, on the rebound from various failed relationships, driven by a strong physical attraction to Ferguson and loneliness, he felt this was an opportunity he should not lose."

The Duke and Duchess of York faced a turbulent marriage which culminated in their separation in 1992 followed by a divorce in 1996.

The Duchess of York who celebrates her 66th birthday today, currently lives in Royal Lodge Windsor, alongside her ex-husband, Prince Andrew. Despite their divorce in 1996, the pair have maintained a notably close and enduring relationship that continues to draw public interest.

The pair, who share two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, have often spoken about their bond, which seems to defy the typical trajectory of divorced royal couples.

The book Entitled, which was released in August 2025, "traces the lives of the late Queen's second son and his ex-wife through their childhoods, courtship, marriage, divorce, careers, and royal and charitable activities".