Sarah Ferguson ‘Completely on Edge’ and ‘Embarrassed’ as Friends Say She Has ‘Nowhere to Go’
Sarah Ferguson is said to be deeply distressed and 'embarrassed' after Prince Andrew agreed to vacate Royal Lodge, their shared 30-room home of nearly two decades. Friends close to the 66-year-old suggest that she is highly anxious about her next move and fears her public image has suffered damage from which there's no returning. Behind closed doors, discussions continue about how and where to relocate the former Duke and Duchess of York.
Royal commentator Rebecca English, who spoke to friends of Ferguson, wrote in the Daily Mail, “She is contrite and embarrassed but also fears the scandal has fatally damaged her own business interests. People don’t want to be associated with her anymore." The source continued, “The honest truth is that she has nowhere to go and no one to go with. Her future is hanging in the balance.” Another insider described her as 'absolutely bereft' and 'completely on edge' following weeks of speculation over her and Andrew’s living arrangements.
Reports suggest that Andrew has demanded Frogmore Cottage, previously occupied by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, until they too were asked to leave in 2023 after the Duke’s tell-all memoir Spare was published. As per The Telegraph, Andrew had previously resisted the idea of relocating there when King Charles had offered him the property in 2023, citing it was 'not grand enough.' However, now it appears he has come to terms with the fact that his dwindling reputation makes Royal Lodge no longer sustainable.
Ferguson, by contrast, has shown interest in Adelaide Cottage, which will soon be vacated by Prince William and Princess Kate when they move to Forest Lodge in early November. The four-bedroom residence lies within the Windsor estate and is just roughly half a mile from Frogmore, allowing the Yorks to remain near one another. Yet, despite this, English noted that the former Duchess "has nowhere to go – or anyone else to go with," noting that negotiations over and Andrew’s living arrangements have 'rumbled on' for months.
The royal editor opined, "It was an option put forward by the 'other side' and at an early stage [in negotiations]. Whether it is still on the table, I don't know. But the suggestion that they have been demanding a new home each is misrepresentative of the truth. No demands have been made. People have been trying to come up with solutions.” As the Palace weighs its next move, Ferguson waits in uneasy limbo, caught between old comforts and an uncertain royal future.
English's remarks highlighted the delicate nature of the dispute. Both sides seem eager to reach an outcome that spares further embarrassment to the monarchy. The matter, however, is far from simple. Andrew’s lease on Royal Lodge, signed in 2003 after the Queen Mother’s death, remains a major complication. He paid roughly $9.5 million for renovations and about $1.3 million for the lease, allowing him to live rent-free under a symbolic ‘peppercorn’ arrangement. Yet Charles is said to have reached the limits of his patience.