Sarah, Duchess of York described her ex-husband, the Duke of York, as a “kind, good man,” as she appeared on Good Morning Britain on Thursday.
She added: “I think the spotlight needs to come off him and let him get on with his life to rebuilding.”Â
The Duke has made a handful of public appearances since stepping back from public duties in November 2019, following his TV interview with BBC Newsnight, which focused on his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In February 2022, he reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, after she sued him claiming she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with the royal when she was 17 and a minor under US law.
Andrew has vehemently denied the allegations.
Ahead of the US lawsuit, the late Queen stripped Andrew of his honorary military roles and he stopped using the style ‘His Royal Highness’ in any official capacity.
Sarah, who has been on a promo trail for her second novel, A Most Intriguing Lady, also spoke about her relationship with Andrew, with whom she still resides at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
When asked about whether she will attend King Charles’s coronation on 6 May, the 63-year-old author replied:Â “No I’m not actually. It’s a state occasion, being divorced I don’t think you can have it both ways. I’m loving being divorced from my ex-husband, not from my new husband, just to differentiate.”
Andrew and Sarah married at Westminster Abbey in 1986 and share two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. The pair separated in 1992 and finalized their divorce four years later, but have remained on good terms since.
