Sarah, Duchess of York, is at home recovering from surgery after having a mastectomy as part of treatment to overcome breast cancer, her spokesman has confirmed. The royal is being supported by her daughters Princess Bearice and Princess Eugenie at Royal Lodge in Windsor - and is living with her ex-husband Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
Despite being divorced for 27 years, the Duchess's representatives have confirmed that she is staying at the property she shares with the Duke of York, the Mirror reports.
The 63-year-old discovered she had an early form of breast cancer during a routine mammogram. She reportedly left the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, central London – which has treated the royal family for decades, on Sunday and is now recovering with her family at Windsor.
A spokesman for the duchess said: “Sarah, Duchess of York was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening. She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully.
“The duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her family. The duchess wants to express her immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days.
“She is also hugely thankful to the staff involved in the mammogram which identified her illness, which was otherwise symptom free, and believes her experience underlines the importance of regular screening.”
The Sun reported that the Duke of York, 63, and their daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Euegnie, 33, are by her side as she recovers.
The Duke and Duchess, despite being divorced for decades, have been living together for some time. Sarah has previously said they are the "happiest divorced couple in the world".
The couple married in 1986 but speaking years later Sarah said she saw Prince Andrew '40 days a year' thanks to his naval and royal careers.
Speaking to US TV host Ernie Manouse in 2010, she said: "My deal was that I was marrying my man, who happened to be a prince and a naval officer. But what I got was not the man, I got the palace and didn't get him. For our marriage, I saw him 40 days a year."
The couple separated in March 1992 amid rumours the Duchess had had an affair. Then months later compromising pictures of her with another man were published in national papers. She and Andrew divorced in 1996.
The pair still lived together at Sunninghill Park in Ascot and since 2008 they have lived together in Windsor - when Sarah is in the UK.
In an interview with US TV show Good Morning America in 2021, Sarah called Andrew a "great man" and said their wedding day was "the best day of [her] life". "He is a great man and [our wedding day] was the best day of my life," she said.
"I would do it all over again because he was a very good-looking sailor, but I fell in love with him and I think love conquers all."
In 2018, she also told the Daily Mail how "united" the family would always be, despite all they'd been through, and claimed she was "divorced to" Andrew, not divorced from him. "We're the happiest divorced couple in the world. We're divorced to each other, not from each other," she explained.
"My duty is to him. I am so proud of him. I stand by him and always will. The way we are is our fairy tale." The duchess continued to say: "The Yorks are a united family. We've shown it. You saw it at the wedding," she said.
Sarah also shared how they might live in the same home but they have separate rooms on different sides of the property. She added: "We sit round the table and have afternoon tea together. It's a very important part of our lives."
