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Sarah Ferguson Had a ‘Secret’ Code to Signal the End of Her Marriage to Prince Andrew, Reveals Author

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at a Banquet at Le Reduit in Mauritius. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Tim Graham Photo Library)
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at a Banquet at Le Reduit in Mauritius. (Cover Image Source: Getty Images| Tim Graham Photo Library)
Aug. 24 2025, Published 01:45 PM. ET
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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson are in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after royal author Andrew Lownie’s controversial new book hit the shelves. The scathing biography exposes their alleged shady life choices, secret love affairs, and questionable financial dealings. One excerpt puts Ferguson squarely in the spotlight, claiming she used a 'secret code' to signal the troubled state of her marriage to Andrew. Lownie revealed she used the five-word code among her inner circle, adding a dramatic twist to the couple’s already checkered history.

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attend day 4 of Royal Ascot. (Image Source: Getty Images| Max Mumby/Indigo)
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson attend day 4 of Royal Ascot. (Image Source: Getty Images| Max Mumby/Indigo)

The Duke and Duchess of York separated in 1992, before their divorce was finalized in May 1996. As reported by the Daily Express, Lownie penned in his book, Entitled: The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, "By now, Sarah was using a secret code with her closest friends to let them know that her relationship with Andrew was crumbling. Said one: 'When things were getting very rough, she'd say 'The ranch is getting closer.' A reference to her mother's flight to Argentina." The 'ranch' the author referred to was when Ferguson's mother, Susan Barrantes, left her family to pursue a relationship with Argentinian polo player Hector Barrantes. Barrantes passed away in 1990, eight years before Susan, who is reportedly buried next to him.

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at Ascot Racecourse in 2019.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at Ascot Racecourse in 2019. (Image Source: Getty Images| Max Mumby/Indigo)

In another excerpt, Lownie particularly dissected Ferguson's many alleged affairs during her marriage to Andrew. As per the Mirror, the book mentioned how she allegedly wanted to be 'The One' but enjoyed several affairs with 'reckless abandon.' Within weeks of their royal wedding in 1986, she is said to have realized the marriage was a mistake as they barely shared any interests. Lownie alleged that in 1989, Ferguson reportedly struck up a romance with American Steve Wyatt and later got involved with his Texan friend John Bryan. The births of Andrew and her two daughters, Princess Beatrice in 1988 and Princess Eugenie in 1989, did nothing to save their doomed relationship. 

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew leave Portland Hospital with their newborn daughter, Princess Beatrice.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew leave Portland Hospital with newborn Princess Beatrice. (Image Source: Getty Images| John Shelley Collection/Avalon)

Lownie revealed that Ferguson allegedly ignored advice from the late Queen Elizabeth to cut off contact with Wyatt after she invited him to a Buckingham Palace event in 1990. Soon after, she reportedly began the affair with businessman John Bryan, who asked her to dinner at a luxury restaurant, just a short walk from his flat in Chelsea. That night, the author claimed they spent the night together, after which Bryan reportedly said, "Here she was jumping into bed with me. I couldn’t believe anyone behaved with such reckless abandon." The infamous photos of him sucking on her toes surfaced in 1992, but the biography shared that Andrew had allegedly made peace with his wives' many affairs by then. 

While Ferguson’s numerous alleged love affairs were exposed in the book, the author did not go easy on Andrew either. The biography uncovered that he allegedly had relations with a dozen women during his first year of marriage. Lownie also spilled that the Duke made unwanted advances toward his children’s nannies while still married to the Duchess, and reportedly cracked vulgar jokes about women’s knickers at dinner parties.

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