Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have lost his royal titles, but the scandal surrounding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein continues to follow him — and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
People magazine reported that while it’s unclear whether the former Duchess of York has seen her ex-husband recently, the two remain in contact.
“They have an ongoing cordial and supportive relationship as co-parents and co-grandparents,” a spokesperson for Ferguson told People.
Fox News Digital reached out to Ferguson’s spokesperson for comment.
“It is not surprising,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. “If Andrew came to court, she might well be called as a witness. Much depends on whether the police in Britain can obtain the unredacted Epstein files. But there is no way back for Andrew. He hasn’t helped the FBI. He has no support. He has no reputation to lose. It can’t get much worse. His fall is unique. It has further to go.”
Andrew has been issued a witness summons in a civil fraud case, marking what is believed to be the first such summons issued to a member of the British royal family since 1870, The Associated Press reported.
WATCH: SARAH FERGUSON DENIES TELL-ALL BOOK AMID ROYAL FAMILY CONCERNS: EXPERT
The summons comes after a High Court judge in London ruled in October that Andrew could be called to testify about a payment he received in connection with the case. Andrew may apply to have the summons set aside, so there is no guarantee he will testify, the AP reported.
The lawsuit was filed by Turkish national Nebahat Evyap Isbilen, who alleges that her former advisor, Selman Turk, misappropriated tens of millions of pounds of her money. As part of the case, she says Turk misled her about a 750,000-pound (approximately $1 million) payment he arranged for her to make to Andrew in 2019. The younger brother of King Charles III repaid the money in 2021, and he is not a party to the lawsuit. Turk denies dishonesty.
Police Scotland confirmed to People that “active inquiries” are underway into information concerning Andrew and Epstein at Balmoral Castle, the royal family’s Scottish estate. Police told People that the inquiries are at a “very early stage.”
The confirmation follows a report by the Scottish Daily Express that police inquiries concern allegations that women were trafficked to the royal estate, where Andrew hosted Epstein and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“All inquiries are evidence led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those enquiries,” Police Scotland told People. “We would never confirm details of ongoing enquiries, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Police declined to specify the focus of the inquiries or whether Andrew is the subject of an investigation. Fox News Digital reached out to Police Scotland and Andrew’s attorney for comment. A spokesperson for Buckingham Palace told Fox News Digital the palace does not speak on Andrew’s behalf because he is no longer a working royal.
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Andrew lives in seclusion on the king’s Sandringham estate in Norfolk. A spokesperson for Ferguson told People that she has been spending time with their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and her five grandchildren since returning to the U.K. in late August.
“She’s resettling here, lying low while she looks at the next stage. She’s happy spending time with her family and focusing on her relocation,” the spokesperson said.
People reported that Ferguson is renting a house in the Home Counties, a region of counties surrounding London. She previously spent time in the Austrian Alps.
“Sarah Ferguson will be deliberately lying low to allow any tension involving the royal household to die down,” royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. “Right now, Sarah is probably staying away from Sandringham to avoid adding to the melodrama. Obviously, Sarah is concerned about Beatrice and Eugenie. Any repercussions attached to her may fall on their shoulders too.”
“The Andrew and Sarah story and their continued love for each other have always been strong,” Turner said. “Most days, when they were living together at Royal Lodge, they would make time for each other.”
On Feb. 19, Andrew’s 66th birthday, Thames Valley Police arrested him on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations that he shared confidential information with Epstein while serving as a British trade envoy. He has not been charged. The investigation followed the king’s decision in 2025 to strip his brother of his remaining royal titles and honors over his ties to Epstein.
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On Oct. 8, Andrew secured a legal victory when a High Court judge in London ruled that search warrants used to raid two properties linked to him were unlawful because police had relied on the wrong legal provisions. The judge, however, said “the fact that the search warrants were quashed does not bring an investigation to an end, or mean that the whole of the investigation was unlawful.”
Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.
Ferguson retreated from public life after the release of Epstein-related documents renewed scrutiny of her past relationship with the convicted sex offender. She has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the financier, who died in federal custody in 2019.
Emails released as part of the Epstein files revealed that Ferguson continued to praise the convicted sex offender even after his 2008 conviction, including referring to him as a “supreme friend,” renewing scrutiny of their relationship.
“For 30 years, Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor sold us the much-debated story: Married. Divorce. Living together at Royal Lodge. Co-parenting. The ‘happiest divorced couple in the world,'” British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital.
Chard believes Ferguson is prioritizing her family even as her relationship with Andrew remains “publicly cordial for their daughters but privately fractured.”
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“Sarah is loyal,” Chard said. “However, she is also loyal to herself and will do what she needs to spring back. She realizes her own Epstein emails, calling him a ‘supreme friend’ and more has cost her charities, book deals, her title. Her much-needed invitations also dried up, although she still has a close circle of friends.”
On Oct. 29, Ferguson made a rare public appearance alongside her daughters at a memorial service in London for her former boyfriend and longtime friend, Paddy McNally, who died in July at age 88.
“It was no coincidence,” Chard said. “Paddy was the one who helped her navigate her most trying time living away from her loved ones, in the Austrian Alps, in exile, cut off from royal life. His guidance, his support, his belief in her gave her the strength to come back to the U.K. to resettle and rebuild. Paddy’s legacy is still carrying her through.”
Ferguson’s plans for the future remain unclear, People reported. While she is looking to “forge an independent life,” her spokesperson told People she is not working on a tell-all memoir. Ferguson has written several books.
Andrew has also remained largely out of public view as he faces an ongoing police investigation and a witness summons in a separate civil fraud case.
“As long as Sarah is tied to Andrew, a comeback with King Charles, Prince William and Princess Catherine is almost impossible,” Chard said. “William is reportedly taking an even tougher line. With her daughters, grandchildren and close friends around her, she no doubt is plotting her public revival. Her Falklands hero and exiled ex Prince Andrew will not be in tow.”
