The royal family could find itself facing what one expert has called a “horrifying prospect” if Sarah Ferguson makes a comeback.
In recent months, Sarah and her former husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have again found themselves under intense scrutiny because of their past association with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew stepped back from royal duties in 2019. Last year the spotlight burned even brighter as his links to Epstein and sexual assault allegations repeatedly dominated headlines. Andrew has always denied the claims.
The fallout was severe. Andrew was stripped of his royal titles. This meant Sarah also lost her Duchess of York status. The former couple are also set to leave Royal Lodge, a move that may mark a turning point in their long-standing arrangement.
Sarah Ferguson reportedly considering ‘comeback’
According to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, the change in living arrangements could signal the end of their famously close post-divorce dynamic.
“It will be a very substantial change from the image of this idea that they were the world’s most friendly divorced couple,” Fitzwilliams told GB News.
“[She] will almost certainly try some sort of comeback. But in what form and how?”
While Andrew took the biggest public hit after being stripped of his royal titles, Sarah was also caught up in the Epstein scandal. A 2011 email that resurfaced last September saw her describe Epstein as a “supreme friend”.
The remark prompted several charities to cut ties with her. But a spokesperson later said the comment had been made under duress.
“Her charities have cast her adrift,” Fitzwilliams said. “What we don’t know is what she will do next. And of course, from the point of view of the royal family, a horrifying prospect is that there could be television.”
Last year, reports claimed Sarah was “carefully considering” a number of lucrative offers for a major sit-down interview. American broadcasters were allegedly willing to pay six-figure sums.
Sources suggested such an appearance could echo Andrew’s disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview. This deepened the scandal around his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Andrew has had his chance to tell the story. Now it’s Fergie’s time,” an insider told The Sun.
If she does go ahead, Sarah would likely face questions about Andrew’s relationship with Epstein and his settlement with Virginia Giuffre in 2022.
Ms Giuffre accused Andrew of sexual assault. She alleged Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with the royal on three occasions when she was 17.
Andrew and Ms Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement in February 2022. The royal stressed that the agreement did not involve any admission of guilt. But while it ended the civil case, the damage to his reputation has lingered.
‘She’s been keeping a low profile’
Other royal watchers believe Sarah has deliberately stepped back from the spotlight. Royal commentator Richard Eden drew attention to her absence during Palace Confidential on MailOnline’s YouTube channel.
“Unusually for Sarah, she’s been keeping an extremely low profile,” he said. “Indeed, when she attended the christening of Beatrice’s daughter Athena before Christmas, she literally ducked down in the car so you couldn’t see her face.”
Sarah shares daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with Andrew and has been seen far less often in public recently. Insiders say the move is intentional.
For now, her strategy appears to be lying low and avoiding headlines while the fallout from her former husband’s scandal continues, even as questions grow about whether a dramatic return could still be on the cards.
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