Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has recently shed light on the emotional state of her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, following the deaths of his parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The Duke of Edinburgh passed away in April 2021, and the Queen followed over a year later in September 2022. According to Ferguson, these losses have left Prince Andrew grappling with loneliness and grief.
During the sixth episode of her podcast, "Tea Talks with Sarah and the Duchess," Ferguson shared a poignant moment she shared with Prince Andrew. They were reminiscing about their days spent at the Queen's Scottish estate, Balmoral, a place where the family would usually spend their summer holidays.
"We both, Andrew and I, just sat quietly under some really beautiful trees, and I asked him if he was alright without his mum and dad," Fergie recalled. "He said, 'It's lonely,' you know?' He thinks about it a lot... It's sort of like people process grief in their own way."
Sarah Thompson, her co-host, empathized with the Duke's situation, noting the difficulty of losing both parents in quick succession. Ferguson agreed, adding, "I think that is what's hard... his grief must be even more of a huge gap."
In the same episode, Ferguson also discussed her recovery from a single mastectomy following a breast cancer diagnosis in May. As part of her recovery, she has been walking Queen Elizabeth II's corgis, Sandy and Muick, along with her five other dogs with Prince Andrew.
"I took all the seven doggies yesterday to where the Queen would have walked them, and so I was chatting to them saying, 'Now where do we go?' And they were sort of showing me the way. There was a little woodland walk that was made especially for the Queen and just so special," she shared.
Despite the controversies surrounding Prince Andrew, including his step back from public life in 2019 and accusations of sexual abuse by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Ferguson has consistently stood by him. She has praised him as a good man and a "very good grandfather."
"With Prince Andrew, he's such a good man. He's a kind, good man, and I think the spotlight needs to come off of him and let him get on with his life to rebuild," she said during an interview on "Good Morning Britain" in April this year.
As Prince Andrew navigates his grief and the challenges of his public image, he continues to have the unwavering support of Ferguson. Their unique relationship, despite their divorce in 1996, remains a testament to their enduring bond and mutual respect.
