The rebel prince. Prince Andrew has a history of shocking the royal family and the public with his choices — including his decision to marry Sarah Ferguson after dating less than one year.
The Duke of York is the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip. Unlike his brother, Prince Charles, Andrew has had a little more flexibility with his role in the Monarchy over the years.
For example, after reconnecting with his childhood pal Ferguson in the summer of 1985, Andrew proposed to the redhead in February 1986 — before he was technically allowed to pop the question.
“Just before midnight Andrew went down on both knees and asked Sarah Ferguson to be his wife. Sarah was caught off-guard and, to cover her confusion, tried to make light of it,” royal biographer Ingrid Seward wrote in her 1991 book, Sarah: HRH The Duchess of York, of the proposal. “She told the prince: ‘If you wake up tomorrow morning, you can tell me it’s all a huge joke.”
According to Seward, the prince asked for Ferguson’s hand in marriage again in the morning, at which time she said yes. The pair had to keep the news a secret, however, because Andrew had proposed without getting permission from the queen.
When Her Majesty returned to town from her tour to Australia, Andrew obtained her consent to marry Ferguson and the twosome publicly announced their engagement. The whirlwind romance didn’t stop there with the duo tying the knot just five months later.
Andrew again made headlines when and Ferguson announced they were separating in 1992. While many royals have since gotten divorced, including Charles and the late Princess Diana, Andrew’s split in the early ‘90s was still somewhat taboo.
The exes continued chummy relationship led many fans to think that someday the former couple could again become romantically linked.
“Although we are not a couple, we really believe in each other. The Yorks are a united family. We’ve shown it,” Ferguson, who shares Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, with Andrew, told the Daily Mail in November 2018. “You saw it at the wedding. 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.”
Ferguson continued: “So many people have asked me [if we’ll get back together], but we’re so happy with the way we are right now. We enjoy each other’s company; we allow each other to blossom. I know it sounds like a fairytale but that’s the way we are.”
The close bond that Andrew and his ex-wife have hasn’t wavered over the years, even after the prince made headlines for his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the fall of 2019 — and was accused of sexual assault.
“Eugenie and Beatrice are really upset. They believe their dad made a huge mistake in judgment ever being associated to Jeffrey Epstein,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2019, after Andrew stepped back from his royal duties amid the controversy. “The girls are leaning on each other and are being really supportive of their dad.”
Ferguson, for her part, wished her ex-husband a happy birthday in February 2020. Three months later, she shared a family photo in honor of International Family Day. “I am so proud of our united loving family,” the duchess wrote via Instagram in May 2020.
Scroll down to see Prince Andrew’s life in photos, including all the highs and lows:
The Queen’s third child was born on February 19. At the time of his birth, he was second in line for the throne behind older brother, Charles. His older sister, Anne, Princess Royal, was bumped to third in line because gender, not age, dictated the royal succession at that time.
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He received a Green Beret in 1980 after completing the Royal Marines All Arms Commando Course. One year later, he was presented with his “wings” and the award for best pilot by his late father, the Duke of Edinburgh.
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The prince married Ferguson at Westminster Abbey, five months after getting engaged.
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The pair welcomed their first child, Princess Beatrice, two years after tying the knot.
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Princess Eugenie was born two years later, rounding out Andrew’s family of four.
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Andrew separated from Ferguson in 1992, but it wasn’t until 1996 that their divorce was finalized.
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Andrew rose to the role of commander before retiring from active service in the Royal Navy in 2001. He maintained his naval affiliation until 2015, reaching the honorary rank of vice admiral.
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The duke became the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for International Trade and Investment in 2001, shortly after completing his military career. He remained in the role for nearly a decade before stepping back in 2011.
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The prince was installed as the new Chancellor of Huddersfield University, following Sir Patrick Stewart’s 11-year term. The title came with an honorary doctorate.
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The proud father walked his youngest daughter, Eugenie, down the aisle as she married Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in England.
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Andrew made headlines for friendship and past association with Epstein. The financier took his own life in August 2019 while he was serving time at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. He was previously convicted of one count for the human trafficking of a minor. Prosecutors at the time alleged that he was also involved in a trafficking scheme.
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Andrew was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Roberts Giuffre amid the Epstein scandal. One month later, Andrew denied the allegations during an interview with BBC Newsnight. “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he said at the time. “It just never happened.” Giuffre, for her part, claimed that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times between 1999 to 2002.
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The prince announced his step back from his royal duties “for the foreseeable future” after his association with Epstein plagued the Crown and its efforts to do good.
“I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure,” he said in a statement. “I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
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The royal was present at his daughter Beatrice’s wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi amid the controversy over his alleged ties to Epstein. “She wanted him at the wedding,” a source exclusively told Us at the time. “He walked her down the aisle and did a speech at the reception.”
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Andrew became a grandfather for the first time when his daughter Eugenie welcomed her first child, son August Philip Hawke, with Brooksbank. The prince’s eldest daughter, Beatrice, became a mother seven months later, giving birth to a baby girl in September 2021.
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Andrew mourned the loss of his father alongside his family and took part in Prince Philip’s funeral procession with his three siblings and his three eldest nephews, Prince William, Prince Harry and Peter Phillips.
“It’s a terrible loss,” the duke told reporters after his dad died. “My father said to me on the telephone a few months ago, ‘We’re all in the same boat and we must always remember that.’ … My father’s death has brought home to me, not just [my family’s] loss, but also the loss that everybody else has felt.”
He added: “I just want to say how grateful I am [and] we are for these tributes. He was a remarkable man. I loved him as a father. He was so calm. If you had a problem, he would think about it. … He was always someone you could go to and he would always listen.”
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Giuffre filed a lawsuit against the prince for alleged sexual assault and emotional distress. She previously claimed to BBC that she was trafficked by Epstein when she was underage and forced to have sex with his friends, one of which was Andrew.
"Prince Andrew committed sexual assault and battery upon Plaintiff when she was 17 years old. As such, Prince Andrew is responsible for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress pursuant to New York common law,” the lawsuit states. “The damage to Plaintiff has been severe and lasting.”
Andrew’s Los Angeles attorney Andrew Brettler argued during an August 2021 court hearing that the claims are “baseless, nonviable and potentially unlawful.” The prince must file his responses to the lawsuit’s claims by October 29, 2021.
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