Sarah Ferguson pays bizarre tribute to Queen as Monarch’s mantra imprinted on her shoes

Sarah Ferguson says royal family ‘moves together as a unit’

The Duchess of York was photographed on a night out in Mayfair, London, on Wednesday. The ex-wife of Prince Andrew was seen outside Oswald’s private members’ club wearing a black dress and a red military-style jacket with black accents.

But what caught the eyes were her handmade blue velvet loafers by Del Toro x Rotten Roach.

On their front, each shoe presented the words “Never Complain” and “Never Explain” imprinted in white.

This has been the mantra of the Queen throughout her record-breaking reign, during which she has rarely made her voice heard to complain or set the record straight in the public sphere. 

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Sarah Ferguson was spotted wearing a pair of shoes with the words ‘never complain never explain’ (Image: GETTY)

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew have remained in good terms following their divorce (Image: GETTY)

The monarch is believed to have inherited this approach from her beloved mother Queen Elizabeth.

However, the phrase was not coined by a member of the Firm as it dates back to Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who led Britain between 1874 and 1880, during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Sarah, who is known by her friends and fans also as Fergie, was spotted in public on the same day her former husband Prince Andrew was stripped of the ambassadorial title of Freeman of the city of York.

On April 27, York city councillors gathered to decide whether the Duke should retain the Freedom of the City honour. 

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Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew in 1986 (Image: GETTY)

This status is normally given to outstanding members of the community, dignitaries, members of the Royal Family or visiting celebrities.

The title of Freeman is considered a major honour but doesn’t grant any special privileges.

The vote was initially scheduled to take place in March, but was postponed after a number of councillors tested positive for Covid.

All council members at the meeting – with the exception of the Lord Mayor and the Lord Mayor-elect, who abstained – voted in favour of the motion to strip Andrew of the Freeman status. 

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Prince Andrew has been stripped of his Freedom of the City of York honour (Image: GETTY)

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew on their wedding day (Image: GETTY)

The vote came three months after the Duke returned his military and royal patronages to his mother.

The day before, a New York Judge had rejected an attempt by the Duke’s lawyers to have the lawsuit launched against Andrew by Virginia Giuffre thrown out.

The Duke has vehemently denied any wrongdoing since Ms Giuffre first raised allegations against him. 

Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew divorced in 1996 (Image: EXPRESS)

The royal and Ms Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement in February – which did not constitute an admission of guilt by Andrew. 

On the night of the vote in York, some council members also called for Prince Andrew to be stripped of his title of Duke of York.

However, the Queen’s second son could only have his peerage taken away by an Act of Parliament. 

Prince Andrew is the Queen’s second son (Image: GETTY)

The Duke had received the Freedom of the City of York honour in 1987 – one year after his marriage with Sarah.

The Duke and Duchess’ union started to show cracks in the early 1990s and the pair finalised their divorce in 1996.

Nevertheless, they remained close for the sake of their children Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice and, over the years, Fergie has shown her support for Prince Andrew and openly spoken about her lasting affection for him.