The Duchess of York has described her ex-husband Prince Andrew as a “good and kind man”.
Sarah Ferguson made the comments during an interview with Mariella Frostrup on Times Radio on Tuesday.
When asked if she would still marry the Duke of York if she could go back in time, Ferguson replied: “Oh, yes. He's a very good and kind man. He's a good man.”
On the subject of their 1986 wedding day, she added: “And it was an exceptional day, July 23 1986. And it was just extraordinary.
”I think my life is an amazing life. I think I've been very lucky. And I am now just beginning my life again. And I think it's pretty cool to be able to say that.”
The news follows reports that the Duke is pushing to have his royal status reinstated.
The Queen’s second son was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and stepped back from public life in January this year following allegations of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre who claimed he had sex with her when she was a minor and had been trafficked by his friend, the billionaire paeodophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In March, Prince Andrew paid millions to Ms Giuffre to settle the civil case. He has consistently claimed he has never met Ms Giuffre and has denied all allegations against him.
The Duchess of York later added: “And, you know, I will stand very firmly by Andrew... a very good and kind man and that's what I believe.
“We are divorced. I think it's very important, Mariella, that people realise that I don't spend long here in England, because I don't wish to. I'd much prefer being out.
“I've built 156 schools in Africa and Poland. And, you know, and I just want to keep going doing my philanthropy work.”
Former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown made some explosive claims regarding the former couple’s relationship in her sensational book on the royals published in April, The Palace Papers.
According to the book, a media executive visiting Ferguson at Royal Lodge in 2015 was gobsmacked when Prince Andrew entered the room as they were having lunch and remarked: “What are you doing with this fat cow?”
The guest was reported to have been “stunned at his level of sadism. I thought, ‘What an a–hole.’ She has to sing for her supper. She’s afraid of him.”
