A broadcaster recalls private moments that hinted at trouble long before the divorce
New reflections suggest the cracks in Sarah Ferguson’s marriage to Prince Andrew appeared far earlier than many realised.
The couple married on 23 July 1986 in a ceremony watched by millions. At the time, it looked like a modern royal fairytale. Yet just three years later, behind closed doors, the picture was already far more complicated.
Veteran broadcaster Dame Jenni Murray has recalled meeting Sarah in 1989 and being struck by how different she seemed once the cameras were off. Writing years later for Saga Magazine, she described being shown into a palace sitting room and momentarily mistaking a casually dressed young woman for a member of staff. It was Sarah herself.
That first impression lingered. Dame Jenni said it quickly became clear she was speaking to someone who felt lonely and deeply unhappy, and who privately shared worries about her marriage.
At the time, Andrew’s naval career kept him away for long stretches. According to Dame Jenni, Sarah was rarely invited to travel with him and spent much of her time alone caring for their eldest daughter. The isolation, she suggested, weighed heavily.
The couple would go on to divorce in 1996 but remained on good terms, even continuing to live together at Royal Lodge for many years. Looking back, Dame Jenni wrote that the eventual separation did not come as a shock. From her brief but revealing encounter, the unhappiness was already there.
