Being Duchess of York - the triumphs and the tragedies
The title of Duchess of York has been used since 1385 by the wife of the Duke of York. In more recent times, the Dukedom of York has traditionally come to be associated with the reigning sovereign’s second son. The first Duchess of York was Isabella of Castile, daughter of King Peter and his mistress Maria de Padilla. Isabella accompanied her elder sister, Constance, to England in 1371, after Constance’s marriage to John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster. The following year, Isabella married John of Gaunt’s younger brother, Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, and fifth son of King Edward III and Philippa of Hainault.
Isabella and Edmund were reputedly “an ill-matched pair” and, as a result of her indiscretions, Isabella’s reputation was tarnished – her loose morals even being noted by Thomas Walsingham, a prolific chronicler of the time.
The incumbent title holder is, of course Sarah, Duchess of York, born Sarah Margaret Ferguson.
Sarah married Prince Andrew at Westminster Abbey on July 23, 1986. Shortly before the wedding it was announced that Andrew was to be made Duke of York, a title last held by his grandfather, who went on to become King George VI. It meant that Sarah (who would’ve become a princess on marriage) was to be known as the Duchess of York, rather than the rather ugly and cumbersome “Princess Andrew”.
Queen Elizabeth II actually created Andrew Duke of York, Earl of Inverness and Baron Killyleagh (the County Down home of Sarah’s ancestors) only 90 minutes before the ceremony started.
Settling into a Royal marriage and coping with life as a serviceman’s wife can be difficult but Sarah seemed to approach it with good humour and high spirits. The couple saw their first child, Princess Beatrice, arrive on August 8, 1988. Their second child, Princess Eugenie, was born on March 23, 1990.
Andrew’s duties as a naval officer required him to stay away from home for long periods and, according to Sarah, the couple only saw each other 40 days a year in the first five years of marriage.
During her marriage, the tabloid press ridiculed the Duchess for her dress sense and weight, labelling her the “Duchess of Pork”. This criticism, combined with bringing up two small daughters virtually single-handedly, her loneliness as a Navy wife, and her busy life as a working member of the Royal family took its toll.
Sarah sought solace elsewhere and her relationship with Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt attracted significant negative publicity. However, it was surreptitiously-taken photographs of John Bryan, an American financial advisor, sucking Sarah’s toes as she sunbathed topless that led to the announcement of a formal separation agreement between the Duke and Duchess in March 1993. They were divorced in 1996 and, subject to the terms of the divorce, Sarah relinquished the title “Her Royal Highness” and is now styled as “Sarah, Duchess of York.”
Since her divorce, Sarah has been involved in a number of controversies and has had to deal with major health issues. In June 2023, it was announced that she had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer following a routine mammogram.
She underwent a single mastectomy and subsequent
reconstructive surgery. And, at the beginning of this year, it was announced that Sarah had been diagnosed with malignant melanoma after having several moles removed for analysis.
OTHER NOTABLE DUCHESSES OF YORK
Mary of Teck (July 6, 1893 – November 9, 1901)
When Mary first married Prince George, in 1893, the Yorks were allowed to get away with performing very few Royal duties. Although in the direct line of succession they seemed very remote from the throne. George’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales did most of the deputising for Queen Victoria – and loved it.
Mary was rather shy and reserved and, in the shadow of her glamorous mother-in-law with whom it would be impossible to compete, she fell back on glacial good manners. The truth was that Alexandra was jealous of Mary’s position in her son’s life.
George and Mary’s home for the next 33 years was the newly renamed York Cottage, in the grounds of Sandringham House (it had previously been called Bachelor Cottage, a more appropriate name given its size). Living practically in her motherin-law’s garden meant that everything Mary did was reported to, discussed with, and usually criticised by the Princess of Wales.
Nevertheless, Mary made the best of the situation: “The cottage is very nice but very small. However, I think we can make it charming,” she wrote.
The couple’s first child, Edward, was born on 23 June 1894 at White Lodge, Richmond Park. Their other five children were born in York Cottage: Bertie in 1895; Mary in 1897; Henry in 1900; George in 1902, and John in 1905.
The quiet family life of the Yorks changed after January 22, 1901, when Queen Victoria died and George became heir apparent. The couple were now expected to fulfil their fair share of Royal duties, and Mary broke down in tears at the thought of leaving her children for eight months while the couple toured the British Empire.
Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (April 26, 1923 – December 11, 1936)
“We must break her in slowly,” observed King George V, anxious to allow Elizabeth an easy passage into Royal life. But there was never to be the slightest hint of a problem.
The new Duchess of York could always make people feel at ease, and even succeeded in bringing some joy and warmth into the lives of the rather staid King and Queen.
To her husband who thrived on the security and serenity she brought into his life, she must have appeared perfect.
Yet the relationship was not one-sided. Elizabeth, in turn, began to rely on Bertie’s constant love and attention and a great partnership started to emerge.
In 1926, the couple had their first child, Princess Elizabeth who would later become Queen Elizabeth II. Their second daughter, Princess Margaret, was born at Glamis Castle in 1930.
No two people were ever happier than Bertie and Elizabeth as they created a warm and homely atmosphere of domestic bliss.
They divided their time between their London townhouse, 145 Piccadilly, and Royal Lodge, their weekend retreat in Windsor, blissfully unaware of the looming events that were going to change their lives forever – the death of King George V and the subsequent crisis caused by the abdication of King Edward VIII.