Sarah Ferguson has reportedly been staying at a luxury Swiss chalet after being forced to leave Royal Lodge, according to reports.
The former Duchess of York is said to have found refuge at the Verbier property owned by her former boyfriend Paddy McNally before his death earlier this week.
The motor racing executive, who died aged 88 following a long illness, had allowed Ferguson to stay at his £15 million (A$29 million) chalet, The Sun reported.
“Paddy always looked after Sarah and at times over the past four decades she needed a lot of looking after,” an insider told the publication.
“He never abandoned her in life and even in his final days allowed her safe sanctuary at his home in Verbier.”
McNally, who was reported to have amassed a fortune of around $800 million (A$1.14 billion), owned the eight-bedroom property Les Gais Lutins.
The chalet became a well-known location among the wealthy in the 1980s, with McNally hosting lavish parties at the Swiss residence.
His death was confirmed earlier this week, just two months after the death of his son Sean, who died suddenly in Scotland.
Ferguson, 66, and McNally were in a relationship from 1982 to 1985, before she married Prince Andrew.
The pair remained close despite their relationship ending, with McNally continuing to support Ferguson over the years.
Ferguson had previously lived at Royal Lodge in Windsor with her former husband Andrew, despite their divorce in 1996.
The couple continued sharing the property until Andrew was ordered to leave by King Charles.
Following her departure, reports suggested Ferguson had struggled to secure permanent accommodation and had been staying with friends.
She was also reported to have spent time overseas while keeping a low profile.
A source told People magazine Ferguson “is keeping a low profile” and “staying in contact with her daughters and is awaiting the news of Eugenie’s baby”.
Ferguson shares daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with Andrew, with Eugenie currently expecting her third child with husband Jack Brooksbank.
The move comes as scrutiny continues over Andrew’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Ferguson has previously defended Andrew and continued to support him publicly.
She was also named in a release of Epstein-related emails, which revealed correspondence between the pair from 2009 to 2011.
In the messages, Ferguson described Epstein as “the brother I have always wished for” and suggested they should marry.
Andrew has denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
The former Duke of York has been living at Sandringham Estate in Norfolk following his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He has denied allegations against him.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
