Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson were exiled from The Firm amid their dealings with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. But now it is claimed the ex-Duke and Duchess of York are hoping that one recent Royal Family update will be their “ticket” to re-entering the royal fold.
Princess Eugenie, Andrew and Sarah’s youngest daughter, revealed earlier this month that she was expecting her third child with husband Jack Brooksbank, an announcement that King Charles was “delighted” by, Buckingham Palace said. However, a source has claimed that Eugenie’s pregnancy is “far more than simply another happy family milestone”. “They see it as a rare opportunity to slowly reintegrate themselves into the wider royal fold through private family occasions, christenings, birthday celebrations, and gatherings centred around the children,” the source said.
“There is a belief between them that public affection for royal babies and young children naturally softens attitudes and could be their ticket back into the royal fold,” the unnamed source told Radar Online.
However, royal insiders reportedly think the disgraced pair, both 66, are “fooling themselves” if they think Eugenie’s new arrival will improve their circumstances.
“There are plenty of people inside royal circles who think Andrew and Sarah are fooling themselves and are totally delusional if they believe a new baby somehow changes the institutional damage that has already been done,” they said.
Both Andrew and Sarah were omitted from Eugenie’s latest pregnancy announcement, unlike with her first two children, August, five, and Ernest, two.
This comes after both Andrew and Fergie were stripped of their titles and kicked out of Royal Lodge earlier this year after revelations emerged about their ties to Epstein. Both have always denied any wrongdoing.
In February, Andrew was arrested at the Sandringham Estate on suspicion of misconduct in public office, accused of sharing confidential information with Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy.
Now living at Marsh Farm on the Sandringham Estate, Andrew has only been seen walking his dog. Sarah’s whereabouts remain unknown after she went into hiding following the release of the Epstein files. She was last spotted at a luxury ski resort in the Austrian Alps and has reportedly been travelling between friends in the UK and the Middle East.