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Former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were once coined the \u201chappiest divorced couple\u201d \u2014 but one royal author said they were more like \u201cBonnie and Clyde,\u201d bound by scandal, chaos and nonstop drama.<\/p>\n
Andrew Lownie\u2019s extended version of his 2025 book, \u201cEntitled,\u201d<\/a> revisits Andrew and Sarah\u2019s decades-long relationship as scrutiny surrounding Andrew\u2019s ties to Epstein continues generating headlines in Britain and abroad.<\/p>\n Fox News Digital reached out to the former couple for comment about Lownie\u2019s book and its claims. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital that it does not comment on books.<\/p>\n FERGIE WOULD MARRY EX PRINCE ANDREW \u2018ALL OVER AGAIN\u2019 DESPITE SCANDALS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe reason that they\u2019ve stayed together is a professional business relationship,\u201d Lownie told Fox News Digital. \u201cI describe them as Bonnie and Clyde. He was her calling card for money, and I think maybe he had a sentimental loyalty to her. She, of course, was one of the last people to remain loyal to him and supportive of him. And I think he felt grateful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s sort of a playboy, but he also likes the comfort of being a married man with a family,\u201d Lownie said. \u201cAnd so, he got the best of both worlds \u2014 at least the impression that they were a happy family<\/a> while still being totally independent.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite years of controversy, Andrew and Sarah have frequently presented themselves publicly as a close-knit family focused on co-parenting their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie<\/a>.<\/p>\n WATCH: ROYAL AUTHOR DETAILS FORMER PRINCE ANDREW, SARAH FERGUSON\u2019S UNUSUAL DYNAMIC<\/strong><\/p>\n Sarah became the Duchess of York when she married what many described as Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s favorite son in 1986. However, a happily ever after wasn\u2019t to be. Over the years, the marriage was dogged by tabloid rumors of extramarital relationships.<\/p>\n Andrew earned the nicknames \u201cAir Miles Andy, \u201cPlayboy Prince\u201d and \u201cRandy Andy\u201d for his lavish lifestyle and womanizing reputation. Meanwhile, Sarah was romantically linked to Texas oilman Steve Wyatt, which Vanity Fair<\/a> reported was an open secret in royal circles.<\/p>\n There was also \u201cToegate\u201d in 1992, when the Daily Mirror published photos of a topless duchess with John Bryan, another businessman from Texas, while vacationing in the South of France<\/a>. Andrew and Sarah officially divorced in 1996.<\/p>\n The relationship between the former couple didn\u2019t end there.<\/p>\n Despite Sarah\u2019s numerous commercial ventures, she and her ex-husband continued living together.<\/p>\n \u201cThey lived in a very big house, so they were at opposite ends,\u201d Lownie said. \u201cThey were more business partners than a couple. I think a lot of the romance had gone. They were having affairs even during the marriage, both of them. So I don\u2019t think there was a huge sense of, shall we say, fidelity there,\u201d Lownie alleged.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cShe hung in there because he was a member of the royal family, and that was her calling card for business,\u201d he claimed. \u201cSo, it was just a myth that they projected.\u201d<\/p>\n Lownie said he was not surprised by reports that Andrew allowed Sarah to entertain alleged romantic partners in their shared home even after they called it quits.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was much more generous when it came to her having her own relationships,\u201d he claimed.<\/p>\n Lownie, who has written extensively about the royal family, said he believes Andrew relied heavily on Sarah\u2019s loyalty during periods of public backlash.<\/p>\n \u201cHe had other preoccupations,\u201d said Lownie. \u201c\u2026 [Meanwhile], she often went off and stayed with boyfriends,\u201d Lownie claimed.<\/p>\n Over time, the eyebrow-raising arrangement between the exes became increasingly controversial. Sarah endured recurring financial scandals, including debt issues and the 2010 undercover \u201ccash-for-access\u201d sting in which she appeared to offer access to Andrew in exchange for money. Andrew faced criticism over lavish taxpayer-funded travel, questionable business associates and his reputation as a royal playboy.<\/p>\n Rather than distancing themselves from each other as scandals mounted, they remained publicly loyal and closely connected, creating the perception that they were still a united royal family.<\/p>\n LIKE WHAT YOU\u2019RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe reason that Fergie continued to live with Andrew was because she moved back in after she ran up a huge number of debts renting very expensive properties,\u201d Lownie said. \u201cAnd I think they felt the solution was that if she moved in with him, that would solve the problem. He was away a lot, and she was away a lot promoting Weight Watchers and Wedgwood in the States. He was on naval bases or ships. So it made sense for them to live together.\u201d<\/p>\n Sarah has previously described Andrew publicly as one of her closest confidants and has insisted their post-divorce relationship<\/a> remained rooted in friendship and family.<\/p>\n While Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II<\/a> were reportedly opposed to the former couple continuing to live together, Lownie claimed Sarah persuaded Andrew that maintaining the arrangement would benefit their two daughters by ensuring both parents remained closely involved in their lives.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the queen was keen that Sarah and Andrew were happy for the sake of her grandchildren,\u201d Lownie said. \u201cShe was the one who encouraged them to divorce, saying it looked terrible that they were having these affairs in public. She kind of forced it on them. I think she was fond of Sarah, but she had no illusions about what she was like. Prince Philip certainly had no illusions.\u201d<\/p>\n Lownie noted that while the late queen may not have approved of some of the women Andrew was linked to, he did not believe that it necessarily meant she wanted him to reunite with Sarah.<\/p>\n But their connection to Jeffrey Epstein<\/a>, an American financier and convicted sex offender, ultimately eclipsed every scandal that came before it.<\/p>\n On Feb. 19 \u2014 his 66th birthday \u2014 Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office during an inquiry linked to his ties to Epstein. After being held for 11 hours, Thames Valley Police confirmed to Fox News Digital that he had been released.<\/p>\n Andrew has repeatedly denied wrongdoing related to Epstein and has not been criminally charged in connection to the case.<\/p>\n Six companies linked to Sarah were shut down amid renewed attention surrounding her past ties to Epstein. It\u2019s understood that no creditors were owed money.<\/p>\n An email from Sarah about \u201cdesperately\u201d needing money surfaced after the Department of Justice<\/a> (DOJ) released more than three million records related to Epstein, including his personal emails. Inclusion in the files does not necessarily imply wrongdoing.<\/p>\n Like Andrew, Sarah claimed she had cut off all contact with Epstein. Fox News Digital previously reached out to her representative for comment about the DOJ\u2019s release.<\/p>\n Epstein died in custody in 2019.<\/p>\n SARAH FERGUSON ALLEGEDLY BEGGED JEFFREY EPSTEIN FOR JOB AS \u2018HOUSE ASSISTANT\u2019 IN NEWLY REVEALED EMAILS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who said she was trafficked by Epstein, accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17. The American woman filed a civil lawsuit<\/a> alleging she was forced to have sex with the disgraced duke three times.<\/p>\n The\u00a0case\u00a0was settled out of court\u00a0in 2022. Andrew has consistently denied Giuffre\u2019s allegations and said he had no recollection of meeting her. The settlement agreement stated it was not an admission of liability.<\/p>\n The 41-year-old died in 2025.\u00a0Her posthumous memoir,\u00a0published in October, reiterated her claims.<\/p>\n Andrew announced in October that he was giving up his royal titles, and the palace confirmed later that month that King Charles III had \u201cinitiated a formal process to remove the style, titles and honours of Prince Andrew.\u201d<\/p>\n The decision followed Andrew\u2019s initial step back from public life in 2019 after his BBC interview, in which he discussed his\u00a0relationship with Epstein. On Feb. 3, Andrew vacated Royal Lodge three months after the king ordered him to surrender his lease.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Sarah previously told\u00a0The Guardian<\/a>: \u201cThe duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.\u201d<\/p>\n