State of Andrew and Sarah's relationship now - 'don't believe that poor Andy crap'

State of Andrew and Sarah's relationship now - 'don't believe that poor Andy crap' Few royal relationships have survived as much disgrace as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. But now after years of unbreakable loyalty, the tide appears to have turned Sarah Ferguson once bragged that she and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor were the 'happiest divorced couple in the world'. But now their oddly close bond appears to be in tatters, with one source claiming that Sarah is not welcome at Andrew's new home on the King's Sandringham estate. It's a sharp turn of events to say the least. For 20 years, the former Duke and Duchess of York lived together at Royal Lodge - staying under the same roof long after their divorce. They seemed inseperable, often turning up to public events as a duo and supporting each other on the sidelines. "We have a great love, a great respect, a great understanding," Sarah said in a 2011 interview. "He's an extraordinary human being." Fergie, 66, even hinted at the idea of remarriage. "He's still my handsome prince," she told a literature festival crowd in 2013. "He'll always be my handsome prince". But the years since have been marred with scandal after scandal. And revelations from their years-long friendship with the late paedophile financer Jeffrey Epstein proved to be the final straw. Andrew now lives at Marsh Farm, a five-bed farmhouse world's away from the sweeping estate of Royal Lodge. Sarah, meanwhile, is thought to be renting a six-bed gated property out in the Home Counties. But it seems unlikely they'll be paying each other visits, with a source telling The Times that Andrew has distanced himself from Sarah. "The red setter, as she's known, is not welcome at Marsh Farm," they said. "She's persona non grata as far as Andrew is concerned." But Andrew is far from wallowing in his own company. The same source shared: "Don't believe all that poor Andy crap. He's having a very nice time, thank you very much. He goes out, he goes off shooting with friends, he sees his old chums who are very loyal to him. He's not sitting around feeling sorry for himself any more." That it was Andrew who chose to freeze Sarah out may come as a surprise to some. Earlier this year, ahead of her return to the UK following several months overseas, a source told the Daily Mail that it was Sarah who keen to carve out her own path away from her disgraced ex. She reportedly told friends: "When I come back, I am going to have to put some distance between myself and Andrew." The former couple's old home has now come back under scrutiny after it was revealed that King Charles has been forced to settle an eyewatering £1.8million bill for renovations to Royal Lodge after Andrew was unable to pay. While the former prince had been eligible for £302,000 worth of compensation after his elder brother kicked him out prior to the expiration of the lease, he won't pocket a penny, following an independent assessment of damage and vital repairs to the historic estate, for which he'd been liable. Andrew also recently won a High Court battle over police raids earlier this year at his homes on the Sandringham Estate and Royal Lodge. The late Queen Elizabeth II's middle son was arrested on February 19, his 66th birthday, by Thames Valley Police on suspicion of misconduct in public office and questioned for 12 hours. He has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any offences. Thames Valley Police has accepted that the search warrants it used were unlawful and have been quashed, the High Court heard at a hearing which Andrew did not attend. Mr Justice Hilliard stated that a "significant error was made" by police as well as an unnamed Old Bailey judge. The criminal investigation remains ongoing, and items seized by officers during the raids will remain with police as the legal challenge continues. As for Fergie, she's kept a relatively low profile following her royal exile, although her spokesperson has recently poured cold water over reports that she is mere "days away" from a seven-figure book deal to "rescue her reputation". Last month, a source told The Sun: "Sarah wants to set the record straight about everything and earn some money to resolve her financial issues. There has been a secret bidding war, and a deal is close to being secured. The notes are compelling, and the bidders are excited. Fergie is ever the optimist and believes she can be forgiven and welcomed back." But Sarah's spokesperson said: "There have been no discussions, and she is not writing a personal memoir; it's not what she's going to do." Do you have a story to share? Email me at [email protected].