Prince Andrew andSarah Ferguson are considering remarrying, a source told Vanity Fair.- Insider spoke to royal author Nigel Cawthorne about what would happen if they reconciled.
- Cawthorne said Ferguson would be entitled to an HRH title, but her image would be damaged.
The Duke and Duchess of York are considering getting remarried, according to Vanity Fair.
Sources told royal correspondent Katie Nicholl that Prince Andrew, 61, is "keen to remarry if he's able to move on with his life following allegations of sexual abuse" from Virginia Giuffre.
Giuffre alleges that Andrew sexually abused her at Jeffrey Epstein's mansion in the early 2000s when she was 17 years old, and filed a lawsuit against the royal last month. Andrew has repeatedly denied Giuffre's allegations and said he doesn't recall ever having met her.
"Sarah and Andrew have been closer than ever in the past year," a source told Nicholl. "They still love and care for each other a great deal and have been living together during the pandemic. It has rekindled something and I can see a second wedding happening if it all goes Andrew's way."
Andrew and Sarah Ferguson separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. They remained friends in the years following, and Ferguson publicly supported Andrew after he stepped back from public duties in 2019 following criticism of his friendship with Epstein.
Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Vanity Fair's report. However, Andrew addressed the topic during an interview with Tatler in 2000, saying he doesn't "rule remarriage out and I certainly don't rule it in," according to The Guardian.
Insider spoke to royal biographer Nigel Cawthorne about what would happen if the prince and Ferguson were to remarry.
Ferguson could get back the HRH title that she lost when they divorced
Cawthorne, author of "Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell and the Palace" told Insider that if Andrew and Ferguson remarried each other after
When the couple divorced in 1996, Ferguson was permitted to keep her "Duchess of York" title but was no longer allowed to use the HRH title.
HRH - which stands for His or Her Royal Highness - is a title given to senior members of Britain's royal family, most notably to the Queen's children and their spouses.
Cawthorne said that if Ferguson were to remarry Andrew, "it is hard to see how she would not become once again an HRH."
However, Ferguson may choose not to accept the title, especially if she has no intention to return to royal duties.
As History Extra reports, "the HRH marks the dividing line between those members of the royal family engaged in active service to the monarchy and the nation, and those who lead more private lives unfettered by public duties."
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stopped using their HRH titles when they stepped back from royal duties last year, though the Duke of York currently still uses his title.
Being associated with Andrew in this capacity could be considered a blow for Ferguson's reputation. Andrew was ranked the least popular member of the royal family in a YouGov poll released earlier this year.
Remarrying Andrew would be "a major sacrifice for Fergie as she would get as mobbed, as Andrew is now by the media," Cawthorne said. "It would doubtless be considered as a vote of confidence by the public."