The former Duchess of York was reportedly “deeply unhappy” in her marriage to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and had “concerns” about what he was up to, if an unearthed interview is to be believed.

Recalling a chat she had with Sarah Ferguson in 1989, Dame Jenni Murray said (via The Express): “I was talking to a lonely, deeply unhappy woman who made no secret – privately, but not on tape – of her concerns about her husband.”

Dame Jenni then pointed out how Andrew’s commitment to the Royal Navy meant he was frequently absent from the home he shared with Sarah and their only daughter at the time, Princess Beatrice. “She was never asked to join his travels,” the royal insider explained. “She was alone with the child and always wondered what he was up to and with whom.”

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Perhaps it’s no wonder that the then-Duke and Duchess of York later announced their separation in 1992, just six years after their wedding and two years after the birth of their second daughter, Princess Eugenie.

Sarah and Andrew didn’t actually finalise their divorce until 1996, however, and they remained close friends after this. They continued to co-parent their two kids, go on holiday together, and even lived together at Royal Lodge. That has now come to an end, though, as they’ve been evicted from the mansion due to their alleged ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. They’ve also lost all of their remaining titles and found themselves exiled from the Royal Family’s traditional Christmas celebrations.

As the former Duke and Duchess continue to move through the scandal, friends – who say there is a “definite spark” between them – have hinted that they could romantically reconcile. If they did, how different might their relationship be than when Sarah told Dame Jenni of her sadness in the late 80s?