Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson have been divorced since 1996, however nicely earlier than their relationship ended, each events had stepped out of their marriage. In November 1989, Ferguson met American businessman Steve Wyatt whereas attending the British Festival in Houston, Texas. Despite being nicely into her being pregnant with Princess Eugenie, Sarah began an affair with Wyatt—and even invited him to the “Dance of the Decades” at Buckingham Palace.
In his e-book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of Yorkwriter Andrew Lownie recounts how Ferguson rapidly turned infatuated with the American. A supply who was current at the British Festival advised the writer, “It was obvious that Sarah was enormously attracted to him…There was clearly a chemistry between them.”
Ignoring the recommendation of her pal and religious advisor Maureen Conway, who “warned against the relationship,” Ferguson then met up with Wyatt the following month when he was visiting England, carrying on with the affair all through her being pregnant.
Sarah Ferguson and the previous Duke of York are seen at a pink carpet occasion in 1989.
(Image credit score: Getty Images)
After one other vacation, this time within the South of France, Ferguson hosted a dinner at Buckingham Palace to assist Wyatt’s oil profession, bringing him alongside to a cocktail party afterward. At the occasion, Lownie says she engaged in what a visitor known as “a display of mutual fondling I have never seen before in a three-star restaurant.”
The former Duchess of York even went so far as inviting Wyatt to the housewarming occasion she and the previous Prince Andrew held at their new house, Sunninghill Park, in October 1990.
Andrew, Sarah and a younger Princess Beatrice are pictured at the 1990 Royal Windsor Horse Show, held three months after Andrew’s 30th celebration.
(Image credit score: Getty Images)
In December 1990, the affair was nonetheless going robust. That month, the Royal Family celebrated the milestone birthdays of 4 relations as Prince Andrew turned 30, Princess Anne turned 40, Princess Margaret turned 60 and the Queen Mother turned 90.
To mark the event, Queen Elizabeth invited 800 visitors to the “Dance of the Decades,” a ball honoring the household’s 4 huge birthdays that yr. Steve Wyatt ended up making the invite listing but once more, however Queen Elizabeth and Ferguson’s mom, Susan Barrantes, each gave their two cents.
According to Lownie, the late Queen “asked whether Wyatt was ‘quite the sort of person you should be encouraging, dear.'” Lownie added that “Susan Barrantes was more direct,” telling her daughter to “Chill him.”
But Ferguson could not be stopped. By Christmas 1991, Lownie wrote that “divorce was discussed” by Andrew and Sarah, however Queen Elizabeth “suggested they wait six months before making a decision.”
(Clockwise from prime left) Princess Margaret, Prince Andrew, Princess Anne and the Queen Mother are pictured at the “Dance of the Decades” in 1990.
(Image credit score: Alamy)
Steve Wyatt is seen together with his ex-wife, Cate Wyatt, at Ferguson’s fortieth celebration in 1999.
(Image credit score: Getty Images)
Although Fergie was carrying on a years-long affair, Andrew wasn’t innocent within the marriage. Per Lownie, the previous duke’s driver stated that Andrew “had slept with ‘more than a dozen women before their first anniversary.'”
In January 1991, a collection of intimate pictures of the then-duchess got to the Daily Mail by a window cleaner who allegedly discovered them in Steve Wyatt’s condo. However, a number of royal sources questioned whether or not the pictures have been “planted” after being “stolen from Sunninghill,” as Lownie famous.
The incriminating pictures included Wyatt on trip with Ferguson and a photograph of younger Princess Beatrice “on his knee” with out garments. The footage marked “the final straw for the Royal Family,” as Lownie wrote in his e-book. A household assembly was held, and three days later, Andrew and Sarah advised Queen Elizabeth they’d be separating.
As for Wyatt, he went on to suggest to his future ex-wife, Cate, in 1993, leaving Ferguson heartbroken. The pair stored in contact through the years, nonetheless, with the Wyatts attending Ferguson’s fortieth celebration and Sarah reuniting with Steve in Texas for Mother’s Day 2017.
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