Amid renewed scrutiny tied to the Jeffrey Epstein files and mounting pressure from Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are confronting the possible loss of their longtime residence at Royal Lodge, a development that has intensified questions about the former couple's unusually close relationship decades after their divorce.
The pair, divorced since 1996 yet cohabiting for years at the Windsor estate, now face a deadline to vacate Royal Lodge following a directive from King Charles III, according to people familiar with the matter. The order allows the Yorks to remain through Christmas but requires them to make arrangements to leave thereafter, a move that compounds financial and reputational pressures already weighing on the household.
The timing coincides with the release of additional documents connected to Jeffrey Epstein, which have revived public attention on Andrew's past associations and Sarah Ferguson's communications with the late financier. The renewed focus has heightened a sense of isolation for both, prompting what one person close to the family described as a "siege mentality" within Royal Lodge.
"This latest blow has hit them hard, and it's ended up bringing them closer than anyone imagined," one source said. Another individual familiar with their living arrangements added: "The bond they have at the moment goes well past anything you'd call simple friendship."
Andrew withdrew from public duties in 2019 following allegations raised by Virginia Giuffre, which he has denied and later settled without admitting liability. Since then, his public standing has deteriorated, and his finances have come under strain, limiting his housing options beyond Royal Lodge.
Sarah Ferguson, meanwhile, has faced her own reputational fallout. Earlier this year, resurfaced emails in which she referred to Epstein as her "steadfast, generous and supreme friend" prompted several organizations to sever ties. The speed of the response was notable, with multiple patronages dropped within hours of the disclosures becoming public.
The Yorks' shared history with Epstein has long been a point of controversy. Andrew has previously acknowledged contact with the financier after his 2008 conviction, while Sarah publicly ended her friendship in 2011, later calling it a "terrible, terrible error of judgment." Private correspondence disclosed since then suggested a more complex emotional reliance during that period.
Despite the public consequences, people close to the pair describe a pattern of mutual dependence that has endured through illness and scandal. "When Sarah fell ill, Andrew was with her every step of the way," said a friend of the former duchess, referencing her cancer diagnoses in 2023 and 2024. "And when the Epstein mess closed in on him, she refused to waver. Loyalty like that doesn't just disappear."
A senior household source said Andrew's long bachelorhood reflected that attachment. "Andrew has stayed single for so long because, deep down, his feelings for Sarah never really went away," the source said. "She's been his anchor, his soulmate, the one person he relies on without hesitation."
