Forty years ago, millions cheered for them, but today Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (66) and Sarah Ferguson (66) are certainly among the most unpopular Britons. Yet everything had begun like a fairy tale for the couple. The then-Prince Andrew, allegedly the favorite child of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) and Prince Philip (1921-2021), and his future wife are said to have met as children.
Fergie is the daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson (1931-2003) and his first wife Susan Wright (1937-1998). The family had private connections to the royals. The spark between Sarah Ferguson and Andrew allegedly didn't ignite until 1985. Princess Diana (1961-1997), Andrew's sister-in-law, is said to have set the two up.
After just a few months, Andrew proposed to his girlfriend on February 19, 1986, his 26th birthday. Their engagement was announced in March 1986. Elton John (79) celebrated at Andrew's bachelor party.
Designer prevented teddy bears on the wedding dress
The wedding of Andrew and Sarah Ferguson took place on July 23, 1986, at Westminster Abbey in London. About 2,000 guests attended the ceremony, including all high-ranking members of the royal family. An estimated 500 million viewers worldwide watched the broadcast. Designer Lindka Cierach reportedly advised Sarah against having teddy bears and helicopters embroidered on her wedding dress as a tribute to her husband, as Hello! reports. Andrew is known as a collector of teddy bears.
Instead, the dress with puffed sleeves and a train over five meters long was adorned with hearts as a symbol of love, anchors and waves as a tribute to Andrew's career in the Royal Navy, and motifs from the Ferguson family coat of arms. The couple's initials, A and S, were also sewn into the dress.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds headed to Buckingham Palace. Around 100,000 people had gathered there to witness Andrew and Sarah's first kiss as a married couple on the residence's balcony. Their honeymoon took them to the Azores.
The Fergie fever cooled quickly
The media frenzy triggered by the wedding was described by the New York Times as Fergie fever. Behind the scenes, the relationship of the couple, who had two daughters, Beatrice (37) and Eugenie (36), allegedly cooled very quickly. As reported at the time, Andrew and Fergie only saw each other 40 days a year due to his commitments in the Navy.
Royal expert Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, later claimed according to The Mirror that the unhappy marriage of the Duke and Duchess of York was allegedly marked by infidelity - even in the first year. Just a few weeks after their lavish 1986 wedding, Fergie is said to have realized the marriage was a mistake, as they had few common interests.
Photos that surfaced in the press in 1992 caused a scandal, showing the then-still-married Duchess with U.S. financial manager John Bryan. The images showed a half-undressed Fergie and Bryan, who was seen attending to her toes. Andrew and his wife had announced their separation shortly before, in March 1992, and divorced in 1996.
The happiest divorced couple is a thing of the past
Since the ex-partners remained friends and even lived together at Royal Lodge in Windsor until early 2026, rumors circulated that the two might marry again. Sarah Ferguson has repeatedly publicly defended her ex-husband and described herself and Andrew as the happiest divorced couple just a few years ago.
Meanwhile, royal experts doubt even that: British media speak of a marriage of convenience for image reasons. And even that has been history for several months. Earlier this year, Andrew, who had already lost all his titles because of the Epstein scandal, had to leave the sprawling Windsor estate where he lived with Ferguson. His ex-wife has also moved out.
While the former prince has taken up residence at Marsh Farm estate in Sandringham, Ferguson's whereabouts are unknown. She has allegedly gone underground abroad after her close friendly connections to convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein (1953-2019) came to light in recent months.
Investigations are underway against Andrew
Meanwhile, investigations are underway against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in his homeland. In February, the former British trade envoy was arrested by Thames Valley Police. He was released after about twelve hours. The charge is misconduct in public office. Authorities are examining whether Andrew passed government information to his friend Epstein. However, detectives specializing in offenses of a certain nature are also involved in the investigations against Andrew.
Andrew had already lost numerous privileges after he allegedly paid millions to Virginia Giuffre (1983-2025) in an out-of-court settlement in 2022. She had claimed she was forced to be intimate with Andrew when she was 17 years old. Andrew has denied all allegations.
