Royal Expert Says 'Andrew Was Always the Objective' — While Sarah Ferguson Was The 'Leverage'
It looks like the decades-long wall of loyalty surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has finally cracked. According to royal journalist Rob Shuter, Sarah Ferguson is no longer defending her former husband and has instead become an important witness for the lawyers building a case against him. After years of being a staunch ally of the disgraced royal – even describing themselves as the world's ‘happiest divorced couple’ – this is a stunning pivot for the woman who was once his rock. While she once stood by the ex-Duke, Fergie is now allegedly standing by the truth amid his recent arrest.
Despite their 1996 divorce and scandals that followed, Ferguson was Mountbatten-Windsor’s most vocal supporter, standing by him as he was stripped of his titles and evicted from Royal Lodge, a residence they shared for two decades. However, as the legal grip surrounding his contentious ties with Jeffrey Epstein tightens – particularly regarding allegations that he misused his former role as a UK trade envoy and shared confidential trade details with him – authorities have redirected their focus toward the woman who knows his secrets best. Shuter quoted a source on his Naughty But Nice Substack, suggesting “Andrew was always the objective…Sarah isn’t the headline. She’s leverage.”
Insiders suggest that Fergie isn’t currently a target of the investigation, but instead a significant piece of the puzzle. “When someone can fill in the gaps, they become very important very quickly,” another insider told Shuter, also adding, “And important witnesses don’t get treated like defendants.” The former Duchess’s sudden cooperation in the ongoing crisis comes at a time of extreme personal and financial vulnerability. Recent leaks of the Epstein files have painted a desperate picture of Ferguson, including correspondence that she begged the disgraced financier for cash and a job. With six of her companies now shut, the former Duchess may be looking for a way to secure her own future by cooperating.
Legal sources, as quoted by Shuter, suggest that immunity or at least an agreement not to prosecute is likely the carrot being dangled by authorities. “Nothing is off the table if the information is strong enough..Value buys protection,” a source familiar with prosecutorial strategy told the royal journalist.” While Ferguson was reportedly in the UAE during Mountbatten-Windsor’s 66th birthday arrest, her return to the UK has forced a major decision: her former husband’s freedom or her own. If convicted of misconduct in public office, the former Prince is looking at a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Because of this fact, Fergie’s calculation appears to have changed drastically.
A friend of the former Duchess told Shuter that Ferguson understands the ‘stakes,’ highlighting “At some point, survival outranks loyalty.” Even a top barrister spoke on the matter, telling Page Six that while there is no evidence suggesting Fergie’s wrongdoing, “The police may have a basis for questioning Sarah Ferguson [as] she may be a relevant witness in this case…as part of this investigation, they can call upon who they want.”