Duchess of York forced to sell gift from the Queen - Royal insider

Despite Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's divorce in 1996, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, remained close. The Queen and Fergie never lost favour and would frequently get together as they shared many common interests. Their connection was evident the year after Sarah and Prince Andrew's divorce was finalised when Her Majesty bought Sarah and her two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, a £1.5 million property in Surrey. Despite the fact that this was a clear sign of support from her ex-mother-in-law, Sarah was unable to use it and was compelled to sell it. It is generally known that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie had a close relationship with the Queen and frequently visited her while they were still young and living close by on the Her Majesty purchased Birch Hall, a beautiful seven-bedroom Surrey house, for her two granddaughters, then aged seven and nine, to live in with their mother and utilise it as they grew older when the Duke and Duchess of York's divorce was finalised in 1996. Despite the supportive gesture from the Queen, Sarah reportedly refused to move into the house as she would be unable to keep up with the huge maintenance costs, meaning that the house stayed empty for two years until it was sold for £1.5 million in 1999. Trustees acting on behalf of the Queen bought the Grade II listed house but the princesses never really moved in because their mother Sarah was reportedly concerned she wouldn't be able to afford the maintenance and operating bills. Instead, the family stayed put at Sunning Hill Park. Sarah and Prince Andrew's former married residence. The Georgian house is situated on five acres of grounds that feature an unlimited amount of green space, a tennis court, an outdoor heated pool and a separate two-bedroom cottage for employees. There's a home gym and orangery and a cinema and games area, which were all added by the most recent owners. In addition, Birch Hall features five living rooms, four bathrooms and seven bedrooms. Birch Hall was refurbished in 2016 and put on the market for £4.2 million with even more astounding features than it had before. Although she was no longer married to Prince Andrew, Sarah remained close to the late Queen and frequently spoke out to thank her for her unwavering support and commitment. The Duchess posted a heartfelt memorial to her late mother-in-law on social media after learning of the Queen's passing. I am heartbroken by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, Sarah tweeted. She leaves behind a remarkable legacy, serving as our nation's head of state for more than 70 years and setting the gold standard for loyalty, fortitude and devotion. She dedicated her entire life to serving the of the Commonwealth and the UK. She was the most amazing mother-in-law and friend to me. I will always be appreciative to her for the kindness she displayed by staying in touch with me even after my divorce. More than words can say, I'll miss her. Prince Andrew and Sarah have kept a strong friendship despite their 1992 separation and eventual divorce four years later. Some people might find their arrangement unusual, yet they have been nicknamed the Together, they raised their kids while taking frequent family vacations and outings. Over the years, numerous royal authorities have remarked on how amicably they are still together. Beatrice and Eugenie love that their parents get along so well. Majesty Magazine editor Ingrid Stewart previously stated, Sarah discussed their closeness in a rare interview with The Telegraph and made very little effort to dispel rumours that they would one day be married again. She said to the newspaper, All I can say is that we're happy the way we are right now. We always say we are the most contented divorce couple in the world. We're divorced to each other, not from each other. We are co-parents who support each other and believe that family is everything. I'm proud of the job that we have done together in bringing up our children and sustaining a strong family unit. Our bywords are communication, compromise and compassion. She also disclosed her incredibly close relationship with her ex-husband in detail in an earlier interview with the Daily Mail from 2018 that was published. July 23, 1986 was the happiest day of my life, she said. Andrew is the best man I know. What he does for Britain is incredible. No one knows how hard he works for his country. My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairy tale. Although we are not a couple, we really believe in each other. The Yorks are a united family. We've shown it. You saw it at the wedding, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brookbank's wedding. We stand up for each other, fight for each other. We're totally respectful of each other's position and thoughts and we listen to each other. Our children listen to us too and we sit around the table and have afternoon tea together. It's a very important part of our lives.