Newly Married Fergie Had Deep ‘Concerns’ About Andrew’s Trips Without Her: Report
Behind the formal photographs and public appearances, Sarah Ferguson’s marriage to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was marked by 'loneliness' and deep 'concerns' about her husband. Those who encountered her in her early years, as she entered the royal life, believe so. While their relationship has long been perceived as unconventional rather than troubled, accounts have surfaced over the years suggesting that Ferguson was struggling well before her marriage began to rip apart at the seams.
Journalist Dame Jenni Murray articulated the said concerns. She recalled a conversation she had with Ferguson in 1989. According to The Express, the journalist was escorted to “the sitting room of a flat on the third floor of the Palace, looking out at Queen Victoria’s statue.” Murray recounted, “A young woman, wearing a pinny [apron], her hair tucked into a mob cap, came in; I thought she was a maid; it was Sarah.” To her, it became instantly apparent that Ferguson was “a lonely, deeply unhappy woman who made no secret — privately, but not on tape — of her concerns about her husband.”
Murray believed Ferguson’s isolation had only escalated and was rooted in the frequent absences of Mountbatten-Windsor. She used to be excluded from his travels. The journalist said, “She was never asked to join his travels” and would be “alone with the child and always wondered what he was up to and with whom.” At the time, the former Duke’s commitment to the Royal Navy meant long stretches away from home life.
However, these private struggles stand in contrast to the couple’s public timeline. Ferguson and Mountbatten-Windsor tied the knot in 1986 in a ceremony broadcast to millions around the world. By 1992, the pair had separated, and they finalized their divorce in 1996. Despite the split, they remained unusually close, continuing to live together in the Royal Lodge in Windsor while raising their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie.
As their marriage fell apart, many cited a range of reasons for it, including alleged affairs, to Mountbatten-Windsor’s prolonged naval absences. But Ferguson’s mother, Susan Barrantes, believed the failure was rooted in something more fundamental. Royal biographer Andrew Lownie detailed Barrantes' views in his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York. He drew on the comments she gave to Gente magazine, “He’s a good-looking boy and has a heart of gold to the point where he would be without any money himself to help someone, but he just hasn’t got any character… absolutely none,” she said.
Barrantes continued, “If only he had character, perhaps his marriage wouldn’t have broken up.” This judgment continues to shape how Ferguson’s unhappiness during her marriage is understood today. Lownie wrote, “Having announced their separation, the Yorks perhaps understood that their royal lustre had been tarnished.” Meanwhile, Barrantes' comments were seen as "various leaks to discredit Sarah." Private grievances solidified public narratives as the breakdown of their marriage became a battle over reputation. Interestingly, Fergie, years later, had described herself and Mountbatten-Windsor as "the happiest divorced couple in the world."