The unconventional love story of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, which survived for decades even after their divorce, was ultimately shattered by a series of scandals, but one marital disaster during Sarah's pregnancy proved particularly brutal for their relationship.
The Foundation of a Royal Romance
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson had known each other since childhood, but their romantic relationship began in 1985 after being seated together at Royal Ascot. Their engagement followed just nine months later on February 19, 1986 - Andrew's 26th birthday - where he presented Sarah with a striking ruby engagement ring.
The couple married at Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986, welcoming their first daughter, Princess Beatrice, two years later in 1988, followed by Princess Eugenie in 1990. However, cracks soon appeared in their marriage, largely due to Andrew's naval career requiring long absences from the family.
The Loneliness That Led to Infidelity
Sarah Ferguson later revealed the profound isolation she experienced during her marriage, claiming she spent eight months of her first pregnancy alone. She once told Rosie magazine that Prince Philip had forbidden her from living with her naval husband at his posting locations.
"My deal was that I was marrying my man, who happened to be a prince and a naval officer," she explained to US TV host Ernie Manouse in 2010. "But what I got was not the man, I got the palace and didn't get him. For our marriage, I saw him 40 days a year."
This loneliness apparently drove Sarah into the arms of another man. During her third year of marriage and while pregnant with Eugenie, she met American Steve Wyatt at the Houston Grand Opera's British Opera Festival in 1989. The connection was immediate and profound, with some sources later claiming Steve, not Andrew, was the "love of her life."
The Discovery and Aftermath
According to royal author David Leigh, "Steve Wyatt was the main reason for the breakdown of her marriage." The situation reached a critical point when Andrew discovered the affair.
Dr Allan Starkie, a former friend, documented a revealing incident in his memoir 'Fergie - Her Secret Life.' He described how, after leaving Harry's Bar in Mayfair following a party, Sarah tripped and fell while seven months pregnant. The normally courteous Andrew reportedly walked resolutely on, leaving his pregnant wife to pick herself up and chase after him.
Though Sarah continued her relationship with Steve Wyatt, it ultimately ended when he became engaged to Cate Magennis. The final blow to the Andrew and Sarah's marriage came in August 1992 when photographs emerged of Sarah having her toes sucked by her American financial advisor John Bryan - Steve's close friend - while holidaying in the South of France.
The royal couple separated in January 1992, with the Queen confirming their parting in an official statement that read: "Last week, lawyers acting for the Duchess of York initiated discussions about a formal separation for the Duke and Duchess. These discussions are not yet completed and nothing will be said until they are."
Sarah would later insist she didn't actually want a divorce from Andrew, but from that point onward, the choice was taken out of her hands. The royal fallout was swift and severe, with Princess Margaret penning a brutal note accusing Sarah of doing "more to bring shame on the family than could ever have been imagined."
While the couple maintained an unusually amicable relationship post-divorce, continuing family holidays and joint appearances, their recent involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal has created new challenges, resulting in both being stripped of their royal titles and facing an uncertain future at Royal Lodge.
