HRH Prince Andrew

Marriage, Scandal, and Divorce

 

Prince Andrew met Sarah Ferguson in 1985 (though they had met years earlier when she was 8 and he was 7) she found herself seated next to him at a Buckingham Palace party.  Soon she was accepted into the royal circle being seen around with him then finally on March 19, 1986 he proposed to her.  Sarah thought at first he was joking and told him if in the morning he wanted to change his mind that was fine but the morning came and Andrew still wanted to marry her. 

 

They were married in Westminster Abbey on 23 July 1986. At the time of their marriage Prince Andrew was created The Duke of York, Earl of Iverness, and The Baron Killyleagh.

 

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have two children

HRH Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York.- (b. August 8, 1988) at the Portland Hospital in London

HRH Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena of York (b.23 March 1990) at the Portland Hospital in London

 

In March 1992 it was announced that The Duke and Duchess were to separate; they were divorced in May 1996. The Duke and Duchess have continued to have joint custody of their children.

 

The Duke and Duchess of York appeared to have a happy marriage and presented a united front during the late 1980s. The Duchess of York was seen as boisterous and a breath of fresh air to the stuffy royal protocol that was often reported as surrounding the Royal Family. However, underneath there were problems in the marriage, mainly relating to the fact that the Duke of York was away on Navy business at regular times during the year, and to the relentless media attention on the Duchess.

 

In 1992 pictures of the Duchess appeared in the British tabloid press, showing her in compromising positions with her financial advisor, the American, John Bryan This effectively ended any hopes of reconciliation of the couple and they announced their intention to separate on March 19  1992 The Duke and Duchess of York divorced in May 1996. Custody of the two princesses was to be shared between the Duke and Duchess. The Duchess of York automatically lost her Her Royal Highness style and became known as Sarah, Duchess of York . She continues to live in the Duke's home of Sunninghill Park and retains friendly relations.

 

The Duke of York was widely seen as the injured party in the divorce. His performance as a husband and family man had impressed the general public, and he is currently one of the more popular members of the British Royal Family.

 

Since divorce Andrew has been linked to several women and before his marriage he was linked to soft-core porn star Koo Stark.  He was dubbed Randy Andy.  Relationships with "unsuitable" women, such as model Vicky Hodge earned him back his nickname and a lot of unwanted media attention.  In 2001 he was dating a 30 model named Amanda they were inseparable at the time but eventually parted ways.  Most recently a former flame came forward about her relationship she and the Prince shared four years ago..