Sarah Ferguson on Sept. 16, 2025 at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral.Credit : Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Sarah Ferguson was seen in a rare outing after keeping a low profile since her ex-husband, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested
Ferguson was last seen in public in September 2025
Andrew was detained on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office in a historic arrest

Sarah Ferguson has been seen for the first time since her ex-husband, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested in February.

She has been tracked down to a mountain hideaway in the Austrian Alps, British newspaper The Sun reported on April 16.

The outlet’s photos showed Ferguson, 66, standing outside a dark van and carrying a teal tote bag. She was dressed casually, in a blue jacket and dark pants, covering her red hair with a white baseball cap.

A source told The Sun, “Fergie has been keeping an incredibly low profile while high up in the Alps.

“The area is absolutely beautiful and it’s very quiet most of the time, so it’s the perfect place for a high-profile figure such as her to lie low when the heat is on,” the source added.

PEOPLE has reached out to Ferguson’s rep for comment.

Ferguson, who lost her Duchess of York title when Andrew was stripped of his royal honors by his brother King Charles, was last spotted out among family and friends at the christening of her granddaughter Athena, Princess Beatrice’s second baby, in December 2025. However, she has stayed out of the public eye even longer, not attending any events since September 2025.

As of January, PEOPLE understood that Ferguson planned to spend time overseas as she reviewed her next moves and considered where she might live long term.

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral in London on Sept. 16, 2025.Jordan Pettitt – Pool/Getty

Since then, there have been several stories and rumors that she has been moving around the world, staying with friends, with one claim that she was at the home of friend Priscilla Presley (Presley’s rep denied that to PEOPLE). Other reports said that she had been staying at various places around Europe, from a wellness center in Switzerland to another retreat in Donegal, Ireland.

When King Charles removed Andrew’s royal titles, he also forced him and Ferguson out of their longtime home at Royal Lodge. Andrew is now living on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and Ferguson was believed to have been mulling over some properties to live in Windsor.

“This has really hit her,” a friend said in an exclusive PEOPLE cover story.

Prior to the latest sighting, Ferguson had not been seen in public since September 2025, when she attended a funeral with Andrew. She and her ex-husband quietly attended the christening of their granddaughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi in December, but were not photographed there. The former couple also skipped the afterparty at a London pub for the celebration honoring Princess Beatrice’s youngest daughter.

Ferguson last officially stepped out in public on Sept. 16, when she and Andrew attended the funeral of the late Katharine, Duchess of Kent, together. Ferguson and Andrew, 66, who has been called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor since his royal titles were stripped in October, divorced in 1996 but remained friendly.

Following their divorce, the pair amicably co-parented their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and even lived together at Royal Lodge until their royal eviction.

On Feb. 19, Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office at his temporary home on the royal family’s Sandringham Estate.

(Left) An unmarked vehicle outside the gates of the Royal Lodge, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s former residence in Windsor Great Park on Feb. 20, 2026; (Right) Prince Andrew at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral on Sept. 16, 2025.Leon Neal/GettY; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Authorities are investigating a claim that the former Duke of York shared confidential information with Epstei​​n during his time as a trade envoy for the U.K. The allegations came to light following research into the latest batch of Epstein files released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 30, which included correspondence between Andrew and Epstein. (The trove also showed that Ferguson kept in touch with Epstein after claiming to have cut off contact with him.)

Queen Elizabeth’s second son was a trade envoy for Britain from 2001 to 2011, and his links to the American financier and convicted sex offender set his step back from royal life in motion in 2019. He has continuously denied any wrongdoing regarding his relationship with Epstein.

Andrew became the first member of the British royal family to be arrested in modern history when he was detained on Feb. 19. He was released after spending about 11 hours in police custody.

PEOPLE understands that Buckingham Palace was not informed of Andrew’s arrest in advance and King Charles, 77, released a statement soon after, underscoring the palace would cooperate in the investigation.

Ferguson’s whereabouts were immediately unknown following her ex-husband’s arrest. She did not make the move with him to Wood Farm, his temporary residence in Sandringham, while the nearby Marsh Farm, earmarked as his more permanent destination, underwent renovations.

A spokesperson for Ferguson previously debunked reports that she might move into a property at the country home of her elder daughter, Princess Beatrice. Suggestions that she could stay with her younger daughter Princess Eugenie in Portugal were also dismissed.

It’s been a monumental few months for the former Duke of York and his family. On Oct. 17, Andrew announced that he would no longer use his royal titles and honors as it distracted from the work of his brother the King and the rest of the royal family.

Nearly two weeks later, on Oct. 30, King Charles launched the process of stripping Andrew’s styles, titles and honors in an unprecedented step. Buckingham Palace said he would be called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, using the surname for the descendants of the late Queen and Prince Philip, and had been ordered to surrender his lease at Royal Lodge, hs longtime home where he lived with his ex-wife.

The transition was made official via a Letters Patent on Nov. 3, confirming that Andrew was stripped of all titles and honors, including prince and “His Royal Highness.”

The changes came amid renewed scrutiny around the depth of Andrew’s connections to Epstein and ongoing controversy surrounding past allegations. Andrew stepped back from his royal role in 2019 following a bombshell BBC interview in which he discussed his relationship with Epstein following the financier’s death, but retained his royal titles.

In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth stripped Andrew of his military titles and patronages after a judge rejected his attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault lawsuit against him dismissed. Andrew settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Though Andrew no longer held a working royal role, he continued to attend major family events and reportedly paid “peppercorn rent” at Royal Lodge, a 30-bedroom mansion in Windsor Great Park.

Amid the fallout, multiple sources told PEOPLE that Ferguson would be moving into a home of her own — and moving on.

“She is going to be moving out and into a separate home,” a source who knows Ferguson told PEOPLE. “Contrary to reports, she has never asked for a property or any provision for herself. She will continue to forge an independent life.”

A separate source close to the former Duchess confirmed that she would find her own home and was “going to move forward independently.”

Though Ferguson has weathered scandals before — and often managed to recover — a friend describes Andrew’s arrest as truly sobering for the former Duchess of York.

“She always thinks she can bounce back,” the insider says. “But this isn’t something that can blow over.”