Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, flew from London Heathrow Airport to the capital of Austria without Prince Andrew amid his ongoing feud with his brother, King Charles
Sarah Ferguson jets off to Vienna for their Christmas Fair
Sarah Ferguson has explained why she was seen at Heathrow Airport – about to board a flight without Prince Andrew.
The Duchess of York, 65, jetted off on a festive trip as “concern” mounts for her estranged husband, despite still living with him at Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berkshire. Sarah has previously described their relationship as that of the “happiest divorced couple in the world” but Andrew was not seen with Sarah at the airport on Friday.
Sarah, though, told her TikTok following she was at the hub to board a flight for Vienna, Austria, for a personal trip to enjoy the city’s popular Christmas markets. She said she likes the time of year and was hopeful of some seasonal cheer. The picturesque city is famed for its Christmas markets, which attract visitors year after year.
But the getaway comes amid an ongoing feud between King Charles and Prince Andrew, with the monarch having reportedly cut financial ties to his younger brother.
Taking to TikTok, mum-of-two Fergie shared a clip taken at Heathrow Airport, accompanied by the following caption: “Heading off to Vienna to kick start Christmas. Absolutely love this time of the year and seeing all the joy on peoples faces.”
The Duchess told followers: “It’s Monday and I decided that we need to get the Christmas spirit going. “Heathrow Airport on my way to Vienna. And what am I doing in Vienna? I am going to see [the] Christmas fair.”
Appearing excited for the travel adventures ahead, Fergie continued: “The airports are just so exciting. It’s a new adventure, new day, new journey. Let’s go.”
This comes at a supposedly tense time for the York clan. Daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34, are said to be worried about their father, Prince Andrew, who spends most of his time shut away in the “crumbling” £30 million lodge, five years after his controversial Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis shattered his reputation.
A source told HELLO!: “The girls take the grandchildren to visit him most weekends. They are spending far more time with him now than they have done in recent years. They are quite close to their father; they seem to be quite protective towards him.”
After the Duke of York seemingly refused to move out of the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge, where he and Fergie have lived since 2004, King Charles reportedly withdrew his £1 million living allowance. This has been viewed as an attempt on King Charles’ part to publicly distance himself from Prince Andrew, whose friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has attracted controversy.
In an updated version of his book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, published November 7, royal author Robert Hardman claimed that Charles chose to cut off Andrew financially after being encouraged to do so for months by his advisors.
Following months of alleged infighting behind palace walls, the King is said to have ordered the Keeper of the Privy Purse to cut the disgraced Duke of York’s annual personal allowance, as well as his private security.
A source told The Times: “If Andrew can pay for his own upkeep with legitimate means, then it is not an issue. But the King’s patience has run out when it comes to funding his brother’s lifestyle in a way that does not fit his status.”
Sarah and Andrew married in the summer of 1986 and divorced ten years later in 1996 – four years after their initial separation. Although they’re no longer a couple, they have remained on good terms and even spend Christmas together.
As well as daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, the former spouses have also welcomed grandchildren Sienna, August, and Ernest. Amid the apparently heated royal row, Sarah spoke with Bella magazine about how she herself deals with family conflict. She revealed: “The three C’s: communicate, compromise, compassion. Family is the most important thing.”
In a 2018 interview with the Daily Mail in 2018, Fergie spoke of how “united” the York family will always be, despite the trials and tribulations they’ve weathered over the years. Clarifying that she was “divorced to” Andrew, not divorced from him, Fergie explained: “We’re the happiest divorced couple in the world. We’re divorced to each other, not from each other.
“My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairytale.” The Duchess continued: “The Yorks are a united family. We’ve shown it.”
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