Sarah Ferguson expressed worries about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor during their marriage, a journalist has claimed. Dame Jenni Murray spoke with the former Duchess of York in 1989, just three years after she wed the then Prince Andrew.Â
Recalling the chat, Jenni said Sarah appeared "lonely [and] deeply unhappy" and was forthcoming about her genuine feelings towards her husband off-camera.
Discussing the experience in Saga Magazine, she wrote: "I was shown into the sitting room of a flat on the third floor of the palace, looking out at Queen Victoria's statue.
"A young woman, wearing a pinny, her hair tucked into a mob cap came in, I thought she was a maid, it was Sarah."
Read more: The 3 royals key in healing rift between Prince William and Prince Harry
Read more: The Royal Family's hidden weapon helps us forget about Andrew, Meghan and Harry
She continued: "It became apparent quickly that I was talking to a lonely, deeply unhappy woman who made no secret – privately, but not on tape – of her concerns about her husband."
During this period, Andrew's commitments to the Royal Navy meant he was frequently absent from home life with Sarah and their eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice, now 37.
"She was never asked to join his travels," Jenni noted. "She was alone with the child and always wondered what he was up to and with whom."
Jenni also wrote that, given the distance in their relationship, it was not surprising that they separated six years later and divorced in 1996.
Discussing Andrew's links with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the radio presenter went on to say: "I can only assume Sarah must have hated Andrew's friendship with the two sex offenders."
Epstein died in his prison cell in 2019 while being detained on federal sex-trafficking charges, while Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in his offences.
Andrew has previously expressed regret over his judgement in associating with Epstein, whom he is thought to have first encountered in the late 1990s.
The King's brother has consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintained that he didn't participate in criminal conduct.
He has also repeatedly stated he has "no recollection" of meeting the now deceased Virginia Giuffre, who made sexual assault allegations against him connected to Epstein.
Earlier this year, Andrew was stripped of his royal titles due to his links to Epstein.
When his misconduct first gained widespread attention in 2011, she publicly distanced herself from him and stated she would cease all further contact.
Yet, apparent leaked private correspondence showed she had privately sent him a message apologising to him weeks later.
It's also been reported that she referred to him as a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend".
The mother-of-two hasn't refuted sending the email, but she and her representatives have asserted that it was a pressured action and doesn't mirror her true feelings.