Sarah Ferguson was seen in a rare outing after keeping a low profile since her ex-husband, the former Prince Andrew, was arrested
NEED TO KNOW
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Ferguson was last seen in public in September 2025
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Andrew was detained on Feb. 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office in a historic arrest
Sarah Fergusonhas been seen for the first time since her ex-husband, the formerPrince Andrew, was arrested in February.
She has been tracked down to a mountain hideaway in the Austrian Alps, British newspaperThe Sunreported on April 16.
The outlet's photos showed Ferguson, 66, standing outside a dark van and carrying a teal tote bag. She was dressed casually, in a blue jacket and dark pants, covering her red hair with a white baseball cap.
A source toldThe Sun,“Fergie has been keeping an incredibly low profile while high up in the Alps.
“The area is absolutely beautiful and it’s very quiet most of the time, so it’s the perfect place for a high-profile figure such as her to lie low when the heat is on,” the source added.
PEOPLE has reached out to Ferguson's rep for comment.
Ferguson, who lost her Duchess of York title when Andrew was stripped of his royal honors by his brotherKing Charles, was last spotted out among family and friends at the christening of her granddaughter Athena,Princess Beatrice’s second baby, in December 2025. However, she has stayed out of the public eye even longer, not attending any events since September 2025.
As of January, PEOPLE understood that Fergusonplanned to spend time overseasas she reviewed her next moves and considered where she might live long term.
Since then, there have been several stories and rumors that she has been moving around the world, staying with friends, with one claim that she was at the home of friend Priscilla Presley (Presley's repdenied thatto PEOPLE). Other reports said that she had been staying at various places around Europe, from awellness center in Switzerlandto another retreat in Donegal, Ireland.
When King Charles removed Andrew's royal titles, he also forced him and Ferguson out of their longtime home at Royal Lodge. Andrew is now living on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, and Ferguson was believed to have been mulling over some properties to live in Windsor.
"This has really hit her," a friend said in anexclusive PEOPLE cover story.
Prior to the latest sighting, Ferguson had not been seen in public since September 2025, when she attended a funeral with Andrew. She and her ex-husbandquietly attended the christening of their granddaughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi in December, but were not photographed there. The former couple alsoskipped the afterparty at a London pubfor the celebration honoringPrincess Beatrice's youngest daughter.
Ferguson last officially stepped out in public on Sept. 16, when she and Andrewattended the funeralof the lateKatharine, Duchess of Kent, together. Ferguson and Andrew, 66, who has been calledAndrew Mountbatten-Windsorsince hisroyal titles were strippedin October, divorced in 1996 but remained friendly.
Following their divorce, the pair amicably co-parented their daughters, Princess Beatrice andPrincess Eugenie, and even lived together at Royal Lodge until their royal eviction.
On Feb. 19,Andrew was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public officeat his temporary home on the royal family's Sandringham Estate.
Authorities are investigatinga claim that the former Duke of York shared confidential informationwith Epstein during his time as a trade envoy for the U.K. The allegations came to light following research into the latest batch of Epstein filesreleasedby the U.S. Department of Justice on Jan. 30, which included correspondence between Andrew and Epstein. (The trove also showed that Fergusonkept in touch with Epsteinafter claiming to have cut off contact with him.)
Queen Elizabeth's second son was a trade envoy for Britain from 2001 to 2011, and his links to the American financier and convicted sex offenderset his step back from royal life in motionin 2019. He has continuously denied any wrongdoing regarding his relationship with Epstein.
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Andrew becamethe first member of the British royal family to be arrested in modern historywhen he was detained on Feb. 19. He wasreleased after spending about 11 hours in police custody.
PEOPLE understands thatBuckingham Palace was not informed of Andrew's arrest in advanceand King Charles, 77, released a statement soon after,underscoring the palace would cooperate in the investigation.
Ferguson's whereabouts were immediately unknownfollowing her ex-husband's arrest. She did not make the move with him to Wood Farm, his temporary residence in Sandringham, while the nearby Marsh Farm, earmarked as his more permanent destination, underwent renovations.
A spokesperson for Ferguson previously debunked reports that she might move into a property at the country home of her elder daughter, Princess Beatrice. Suggestions that she could stay with her younger daughter Princess Eugenie in Portugal were also dismissed.
It's been a monumental few months for the former Duke of York and his family. On Oct. 17, Andrew announced that hewould no longer use his royal titles and honorsas it distracted from the work of his brother the King and the rest of the royal family.
Nearly two weeks later, on Oct. 30, King Charles launched the process of stripping Andrew's styles, titles and honors in an unprecedented step. Buckingham Palace said he would be called Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, using the surname for the descendants of the late Queen andPrince Philip, and had been ordered to surrender his lease at Royal Lodge, hs longtime home where he lived with his ex-wife.
Thetransition was made officialvia a Letters Patent on Nov. 3, confirming that Andrew was stripped of all titles and honors, including prince and "His Royal Highness."
The changes came amid renewed scrutinyaround the depth of Andrew’s connections to Epstein and ongoing controversy surrounding past allegations. Andrewstepped back from his royal rolein 2019 following abombshell BBC interviewin which he discussed his relationship with Epstein following the financier's death, but retained his royal titles.
In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth stripped Andrew of hismilitary titles and patronagesafter a judge rejected his attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre’ssexual assault lawsuitagainst him dismissed. Andrew settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Though Andrew no longer held a working royal role, he continued to attend major family events and reportedly paid "peppercorn rent" at Royal Lodge, a 30-bedroom mansion in Windsor Great Park.
Amid the fallout,multiple sources told PEOPLE that Ferguson would be moving into a home of her own— and moving on.
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"She is going to be moving out and into a separate home," a source who knows Ferguson told PEOPLE. "Contrary to reports, she has never asked for a property or any provision for herself. She will continue to forge an independent life."
A separate source close to the former Duchess confirmed that she would find her own home and was “going to move forward independently.”
Though Ferguson has weathered scandals before — and often managed to recover — a friend describes Andrew's arrest as truly sobering for the former Duchess of York.
"She always thinks she can bounce back," the insider says. "But this isn’t something that can blow over."
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