Prince Andrew is ‘keen to re-marry Sarah Ferguson’ if he is ‘able to move on with life after allegations of sexual abuse’, sources have claimed.
Despite being officially divorced since 1996, the Duke and Duchess of York have maintained a remarkably close bond, with the pair living together in Royal Lodge in Windsor.
On Tuesday, Sarah joined the Queen’s son, 61, as he travelled up to the monarch’s 50,000-acre Balmoral estate – where she is currently on holiday – to allegedly avoid further attempts to serve sexual assault papers at his mansion in the Berkshire town, according to media reports.
Insiders have now revealed Fergie and Andrew are ‘closer than ever’ before, with one source telling the Vanity Fair’s Katie Nicholl: ‘They still love and care for each other a great deal and have been living together during the pandemic.
‘It has rekindled something and I can see a second wedding happening if it all goes Andrew’s way.’
Prince Andrew is ‘keen to re-marry Sarah Ferguson’ if he is able to move on from allegations of sexual abuse, sources have claimed (pictured with their daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie)
Meanwhile a second insider said the Duchess’ main priority was ‘supporting Andrew’ during the ‘difficult time’, adding that the pair are currently trying to ‘keep a low-profile’.
Sarah has travelled to Balmoral with Andrew after they were seen leaving the Royal Lodge in Berkshire on Tuesday.
Last week she declared ‘divorce is one thing, but my heart is my oath’ as she told the press in Poland that her wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986 was one of the best days of her life.
The mother of the York princesses, Eugenie, 31, Beatrice, 33, told Polsat News that she ‘made a commitment [on that day] that she will always follow’.
On Tuesday, the Queen’s son (pictured) travelled up to the monarch’s 50,000-acre Balmoral estate – where she is currently on holiday – to allegedly avoid further attempts to serve sexual assault papers at his mansion in the Berkshire town. He was joined by Sarah
‘When you make that commitment, you decide to marry a prince – and I fell in love with him. He was a sailor, he is still. He was a helicopter pilot and was also a prince,’ she said.
‘I kept my commitment, no matter what. People said: “You got divorced”… They don’t know how I feel. Divorce is one thing, but my heart is my oath, my obligation.’
It comes as reports suggest that plans by Prince Andrew’s lawyers to boycott today’s court hearing in his sexual assault civil case risk angering a New York judge.
Legal papers finally delivered to the Duke of York’s Windsor home were not properly served, his team claimed over the weekend, meaning lawyers are considering not taking part in the pre-trial hearing.
Last week Fergie declared ‘divorce is one thing, but my heart is my oath’ as she told the press in Poland that her wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986 was one of the best days of her life (pictured)
Andrew is being sued by Jeffrey Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts, who claims she was sexually assaulted by the Duke. He vehemently denies the allegation.
But while the prince’s team are said to have signalled their intent not to participate in the telephone conference today, Judge Lewis Kaplan has ordered that both parties in the case ‘are directed to confer regarding an agreed scheduling order’, according to the Telegraph.
Judge Kaplan is looking to lay out a timetable for management of the case and if Andrew’s lawyers refuse to dial in for the hearing, it may be seen as being in defiance of his order.
It comes after legal papers were finally accepted by the security chief at Andrew’s Windsor home over the weekend after weeks of ‘avoiding’ officials, court documents dramatically revealed.
Andrew has travelled with Sarah Ferguson to Balmoral Castle (file picture), with is the Queen’s Scottish retreat
The clock is now ticking on the Duke of York, who has 21 days to respond or he will face a default judgment.
But Andrew’s lawyers claimed the papers were not properly served and hope to get the case thrown out on a technicality.
Insiders last week reportedly claimed Andrew is ‘utterly convinced’ that he will brush off allegations of rape and sexual assault from Jeffrey Epstein’s former ‘sex slave’ and believes he could return to public life as soon as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year.
The Duke of York has reportedly told aides that the scandal surrounding the bombshell lawsuit filed in a US court by Virginia Giuffre will ‘blow over’ and has earmarked a return to the royal front line in time for Her Majesty’s historic milestone anniversary.
Sources quoted by one newspaper described Andrew’s ‘incredibly bullish’ attitude and said he believes there is time to salvage his reputation. Palace sources have insisted the duke will ‘not take part’ in any of the official celebrations marking the Queen’s seven decades on the throne.
One insider close to the royal told The Daily Mirror: ‘It is clear he (Andrew) has a clear and burning desire to return to work as soon as possible.
‘That may look entirely impossible but if anything he’s become emboldened in recent weeks and remains utterly convinced he will not only be exonerated but will certainly forge a way back to public life.
‘Certainly he has given the incredibly bullish impression that this will all blow over within a short while, rather than become a protracted issue.’
On Wednesday the duke was seen at a a fishing lodge in a secluded forest six miles from Balmoral and was said to have had a personal lunch with the Queen.
Andrew has not yet publicly responded to the bombshell lawsuit filed in a US court by paedophile financier Epstein’s alleged ex-sex slave Ms Giuffre, who claims he sexually abused her when she was 17. The duke has always denied her allegations.
Ms Giuffre has accused Andrew of abusing her at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion as well as his private Caribbean island, and at the London home of his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently in a New York jail awaiting sex abuse and grooming charges.