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Ferguson to Return
Sarah Ferguson is expected to return to the UK “back in the UK shortly,” a source close to her told the BBC, after she was forced to move out of Royal Lodge in Windsor in October and was last seen in public at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral the previous month.
“expected "back in the UK shortly"”
The BBC said Ferguson was believed to have been spending time out of the public eye at an Alpine chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, since leaving Royal Lodge, and that her belongings were collected from Mountbatten-Windsor’s home in Sandringham this week.
HELLO! reported Ferguson would be making an “imminent” return to the UK six months after her eviction from Royal Lodge in February, and said the Sun reported she would move into a rented £10,000-a-month gated property in the Home Counties as soon as Monday.
People said Ferguson would be returning in a matter of days and that she would be renting a six-bedroom property for around $8,000 per month, with The Sun reporting the house is located in the Home Counties surrounding London.
The Independent also said Ferguson, 66, is set to return to the UK after living overseas amid the fallout over her and ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, and said she could “imminently” move into a home with three bathrooms and a “granny annexe.”
Timing With Sussexes
Multiple outlets tied Ferguson’s return to the same period that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle came back to Britain, with People saying her return comes shortly after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry arrived back in Britain with their children.
Page Six said Ferguson’s “imminently” returning to the UK comes just days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle returned to the country, and it reported that a source told the outlet she “had her eyes on a return for some time but it takes time to find the right new house.”
ABC News said Ferguson’s spokesperson did not comment, but ABC News understands she will be moving back to the U.K. soon, adding that the reported return would mark another change for Ferguson who has largely stayed out of the public spotlight in recent months.
The Independent reported that Harry, Meghan, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet flew into the country on a private plane from California shortly before midday on Wednesday, landing at Birmingham Airport, and said Archie and Lilibet are expected to start school in Britain beginning in September.
The Guardian said Ferguson’s expected return comes just days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived back in the UK with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and described the family’s stay as an “extended period” with the children enrolled at school and due to start next week.
Epstein Fallout Context
Ferguson’s planned move back is framed across outlets by the fallout from her ties to Jeffrey Epstein and the scrutiny that led to her and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor relinquishing royal titles, with the BBC saying the pair relinquished their royal titles following increased scrutiny and revelations surrounding their links to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“"You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family."”
The BBC reported that in an email exchange from 2011, Ferguson appeared to privately apologise for her public rejection of Epstein, writing: "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family."
The Guardian said Ferguson has faced calls to speak to US authorities about Epstein after last year’s release of millions of documents associated with him shed fresh light on their relationship, and it added that one email exchange suggested Ferguson had taken her daughters to see Epstein in the US days after he was released from prison for child sex crimes.
People said Ferguson has been keeping a low profile and staying out of the country amid the fallout from her ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and it noted that Ferguson has not been accused of wrongdoing while Andrew is accused of sharing confidential information with Epstein during his time as a trade envoy for the U.K.
The Telegraph reported that Ferguson’s expected return will come soon after news that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had flown back to Britain from the US with their two children, and it said Ferguson’s expected return will come “imminently” and as soon as next week, according to the report.