Sarah Ferguson is ‘being a shoulder to cry on’ for Prince Andrew at Spanish villa where he shelters from Epstein turmoil fuelling rumours divorcees may ‘declare they are back together’
- Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson holidaying in Sotogrande, southern Spain
- Duchess of York is supporting her former husband after Jeffrey Epstein’s death
- The trip has fuelled speculation the couple are likely to publicise their romance
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson are hiding from the public eye at a luxury Sotogrande resort – fuelling speculation the divorcees may publicly reunite.
The former royal couple landed at Malaga Airport earlier this week and were driven in a limousine to the resort where they have holidayed together since 2009 – often in their private villa worth more than £38million.
The Duchess of York is said to be using the trip as an opportunity to pay her former husband back for his support over the years.
She swept Prince Andrew to Spain to ‘look after him’ after it was said he ‘panicked’ following Jeffrey Epstein’s death, The Sun reported.
The former royal couple landed in Spain earlier this week and are now spending time in a villa in Sotogrande (pictured) – a privately owned residential development in San Roque
Prince Andrew left Balmoral in a private jet before flying to Spain with Sarah Ferguson
‘She wants to be his shoulder to cry on. She wants to be there for him in his hour of need,’ a senior royal insider told The Sun.
‘She feels this is like the old days when they would take on the world together.’
The Duke of York was expected to spend a week at the Queen’s Scottish estate, but was pictured on Tuesday afternoon boarding a private jet in Aberdeen before heading to Spain.
It is thought Prince Andrew travelled to Sotogrande to escape public speculation after Virginia Roberts said she was ‘forced to have sex’ with the royal in 2001, when she was 17 years old.
The Duke of York’s romantic getaway with his former wife has furthered rumours the pair may soon go public with their reunion. Pictured, Sarah Ferguson travelling to Balmoral earlier this month
A judge later threw out the allegations against the Duke of York and ordered them to be struck from the record as ‘immaterial and impertinent’. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied he had any form of sexual contact with Miss Roberts.
But the Duke of York’s romantic getaway with his former wife has furthered rumours the pair may soon go public with their reunion.
It was first reported the Duke and Duchess of York’s romance was back on in April when ITV’s Royal Editor Chris Ship revealed they were ‘back together’.
The Sun confirmed the couple had become ‘friends with benefits’ after speaking to friends of Prince Andrew and Ms Ferguson later that month.
But royal sources have mixed feelings about whether they are likely to ever remarry – especially as Prince Philip still refuses to be in the same room as Sarah Ferguson.
‘They could never remarry while Prince Philip is alive,’ another royal source said.
‘He is dead against Sarah and blames her for bringing shame on the royals in the Nineties.’
Prince Philip once famously called Sarah Ferguson ‘pointless’.
Prince Andrew is pictured with Epstein in Central Park in New York in February 2011. The Duke may be dragged deeper into the Epstein scandal following his suicide in a New York jail
The fallout came after she was photographed topless and having her toe sucked by her American financial adviser John Bryan on holiday in France in 1992.
But the Queen apparently has a ‘soft spot’ for her former daughter-in-law, the royal source added.
The Queen thinks Ms Ferguson has been a ‘wonderful’ mother to Beatrice and Eugenie.
‘When Philip has gone, it wouldn’t surprise me if they remarry,’ the source said.
Another royal source denies this would ever happen. It suits the Duchess of York to stay friendly with her ex-husband, the source added.
‘He has bailed her out financially on numerous occasions. She would be broke without him,’ the source said.
The Duke and Duchess of York married at Westminster Abbey in July 1986 but announced their separation in 1992 – divorcing four years later.
They brought up their daughters together in their official residence, Sunninghill Park in Berkshire, until 2004, and now live together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
Virginia Roberts, then 17 and one of Epstein’s accusers, is photographed with Prince Andrew and socialite Ghislaine Maxwell in early 2001
The Duke and Duchess of York married at Westminster Abbey in July 1986 but announced their separation in 1992 – divorcing four years later