Sarah Ferguson holidays in Vienna without Prince Andrew as 'concern' grows
30 November 2024, 15:36
Sarah Ferguson has gone on a festive holiday as "concern" grows for the welfare of Prince, Andrew.
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The Duchess of York still lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor with her ex-husband, and previously referred to their relationship as that of "the happiest divorced couple in the world".
Yet Fergie was travelling on her own as she flew to the Austrian capital of Vienna for some seasonal fun.
The city is know for its Christmas markets which are a popular destination for visitors year after year.
It comes amid an ongoing feud between King Charles and Prince Andrew, with the monarch having allegedly cut financial ties to his younger brother.
On TikTok, Fergie shared a clip taken at Heathrow Airport with the 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."
Speaking excitedly about her travel adventures, Fergie said: "The airports are just so exciting. It's a new adventure, new day, new journey. Let's go.”
But her daughters Princess Beatrice, 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34, are thought to be worried about their father Prince Andrew, who apparently spends most of his time hidden away in the "crumbling" £30 million lodge, following his shocking Newsnight interview five years ago with Emily Maitlis which crushed 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."
When the Duke of York seemingly refused to vacate the 30-bedroom Royal Lodge, where he and Fergie have lived since 2004, it was reported that King Charles withdrew his £1 million living allowance.
This was viewed as an attempt by King Charles to publicly distance himself from Prince Andrew, whose friendship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was causing controversy.
In an updated version of his book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, published on November 7, royal author Robert Hardman wrote that Charles chose to cut off Andrew financially after being encouraged to do so for months by his advisors.
After months of alleged infighting behind palace walls, the King is thought to have ordered the Keeper of the Privy Purse to cut the shamed Duke of York's annual personal allowance alongside 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 tied the knot in the summer of 1986 and got divorced ten years later in 1996, four years after their first separation.
Whilst they are no longer a couple, they remain on friendly terms and spend Christmas together.
The pair have welcomed grandchildren Sienna, August and Ernest.
Following on from the intense royal row, Fergie revealed how she deals with family conflict.
She told Bella magazine: "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 experienced.
She said 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."
