A new report has revealed the sole family member offering Sarah Ferguson support amid the fallout from her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's arrest on 19 February and the stripping of their Duke and Duchess of York titles and honours last year.
As revealed in new photos published in The Sun on Thursday, the former Duchess has been holed up in an Austrian wellness retreat during her self-imposed exile from public life in Britain. Now, according to the Daily Mail, Sarah's cousin by marriage, Martin Barrantes, has revealed that she is intent on eluding the media for a particular reason.
© Getty Images"I have spoken to her [and] can tell you that she just wants to protect her children and her grandchildren," Barrantes told the newspaper. "We spoke around three months ago. I wanted to give her my support in a difficult moment for her, with all that was going on with the Epstein Files.
© Tim Graham"Sarah is going through a difficult moment, and I wanted to send her our support. She is a valued member of our family. Given the situation, she seemed to be in good spirits."
Barrantes is the nephew of Hector Barrentes, Sarah's stepfather from 1975 to 1990.
Sarah Ferguson flees to Austria
Sarah's time in Austria comes as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor gets acclimated to his new home on the Sandringham estate. It comes after he was forced to leave Royal Lodge on the Windsor Replica Luxury Handbag Park estate, his home since 2004, at the request of King Charles.
The luxury ski resort that Sarah Ferguson is allegedly staying in costs a reported £2,000 per night. The images released earlier this week marked the first time the 66-year-old had been seen in public since the Duchess of Kent's funeral in September.
The mother of two had been previously seen at the christening of her granddaughter, Athena, in December, but her face was obscured in photos.
© Getty ImagesAustria is a familiar place for Sarah, as she stayed at the MAYRLIFE Clinic there after she was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma in 2024. She stayed at the resort for two weeks.
Meanwhile, the royal also previously took refuge at the £13,000-a-day Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, arriving after Christmas 2025 and leaving at the end of January 2026.
According to the clinic's website, they treat "addiction, burnout, depression, anxiety, trauma, and other mental health challenges with a comprehensive blend of tailored, evidence-based therapies."
