Sarah FergusonandPrince Andreware off to the races!
The former couple were all smiles as they attended Royal Ascot on Friday. Fergie, as the Duchess of York is affectionately known, turned heads in a bright yellow dress paired with purple shoes and a green fascinator featuring netting and feathers, while Prince Andrew stuck to the traditional dress for men of a suit and top hat.
Fergie, 59, showed off her deep curtsy when 93-year-oldQueen Elizabetharrived.
Prince Andrew, 59, did not take part in the carriage procession for the horse race event’s fourth day after riding in with his mother,Queen Elizabeth, on the opening day and again on Thursday. Their daughtersPrincess BeatriceandPrincess Eugeniealso rode in the carriage procession on the event’s opening day, andEugenie also attended on Ladies’ Day.
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Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew.Tim Rooke/Shutterstock
Although rumors surfaced in April that Fergie and Prince Andrew had recently rekindled their romance, Fergie’s spokesman told PEOPLE, “Nothing has changed —the couple continue to be good friends.”
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The couple are committed parents to their daughters, and palace sources regularly note that the family is close.
“Beatrice and Eugeniehave had astabilitythat William and Harry have found painfully lacking in their lives,” says Ingrid Seward in this week’s issue of PEOPLE. “Although their early childhood was not good, those girls have had a very secure upbringing.”
Fergie and Andrew ran in the same social circles from early in their lives — their fathers played polo together — yet the couple had a whirlwind romance. After just one year of dating, Prince Andrew announced his engagement to Fergie in March 1986.
Prince Andrew and Fergie welcomed their first child, daughterPrincess Beatrice, in August 1988, andPrincess Eugeniefollowed 19 months later.
Despite their growing family, there was trouble for the couple. The pair announced their separation in March 1992, officially divorcing four years later.
Sarah Ferguson, Princess Eugenie, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice in Switzerland.Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty
Prince Andrew and Fergie remained friendly and continued to raise Beatrice and Eugenie together, regularly appearing as a foursome to outings over the years. And when Fergie isn’t traveling for her philanthropic work, she still resides at the family’s home, the Royal Lodge at Windsor.
“I’m in and out all the time, and he’s in and out all the time,” she explained in a 2016 interview for an Australian radio show. “And no, we’re not married. We’re very happy with the way things are.”
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Royal Ascot has been a favorite event for Fergie and Andrew to attend together through the years. Last year,Fergie waved and cheered the royal procession of carriagesas they made their way into the Parade Ring, then dipped into a deep curtsy to show her respect for the monarch.
She was then spotted happily chatting with the Queen in the royal box.
source: people.com
