Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson have purchased a luxury chalet in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, reportedly worth between £8m and £13m. The property was acquired on a joint mortgage, with sources describing it as a 'family investment'. The Duke and Duchess of York have holidayed in Verbier for at least 17 years with their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the purchase, which comes at an awkward time for the royal family. The revelation follows the Duke of York being named in US court papers related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who allegedly pressured a young woman to have sex with Prince Andrew. The palace has 'emphatically denied' the allegations.
A source close to the duchess stressed that no external party provided funding for the chalet, despite Epstein once loaning Sarah Ferguson £15,000. The Queen may have underwritten the mortgage, given her substantial private wealth. The couple divorced in 1996 but remain close, with Ferguson living at Royal Lodge in Berkshire.
