Sarah Ferguson forced to sell £1.5m gift from the Queen
15.10.2022 - 19:39
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
The late Queen kept a very close relationship with her former daughter-in-law, The Duchess of York, despite her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew still live together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, and she has even dubbed them "the happiest divorced couple in the world". Due to the closeness of their bond, it ensured that Fergie and the Queen never fell out of touch and allowed them to frequently spend time together due to their similar interests.
Her close bond with the Queen was shown after Sarah and Andrews divorce was finalised, as Her Majesty bought a £1.5million home in Surrey for Sarah to live in with her two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. This was a clear sign of support from her former mother in law, Sarah was unfortunately never able to use the home and was forced to sell it, writes the Mirror.
It is well-known that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were very close with The Queen, spending a lot of time with her when they were growing up nearby on the Windsor Estate in both Sunninghill Park and Royal Lodge.
After The Duke and Duchess of York's divorced was finalised in 1996, Her Majesty bought her two granddaughters, who were then aged seven and nine, a lavish seven-bedroom Surrey mansion known as Birch Hall for them to live in with their mother and to use when they were older.
Despite the supportive gesture from The Queen, Sarah reportedly refused to move into the home as she would be unable to keep up with the huge maintenance costs, meaning that the home stayed empty for two years until it was sold for £1.5 million in 1999.
Sarah maintained a lifelong bond with the late monarch and frequently spoke out to praise her for her maintained support and