Sarah Ferguson’s Attempted Assault From 1988 Revisited Amid Prince Andrew Reunion Rumors

Sarah Ferguson previously endured an attempted assault while she was pregnant with Princess Beatrice in 1988.

In the YouTube documentary “Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York,” the narrator revealed that Ferguson’s first pregnancy was an eventful one.

“In New York, after the 'Phantom of the Opera,' her favorite musical, she was confronted by a pro-IRA demo. A man lunged at her with a flagpole – he got quite close,” the narrator revealed.

Reports revealed that around 50 pro-IRA protesters picketed the theater while carrying Irish flags and chanting “IRA all the way.” As the Duchess of York was getting to her hotel room at the Waldorf-Astoria in Midtown Manhattan, the man attempted to attack her.

Footage of the actual incident surfaced online, and it shows the man attempting to accost Ferguson as she stepped out of her Rolls Royce before being wrestled to the ground by security officers.

The suspect, Michael Shanley, was charged with attempted assault on the Duchess and on a federal agent. A spokesperson for the US State Department also released a statement regarding the shocking incident.

“At 11:17 p.m., an assailant wielding a furled green flag attached to a six-foot solid wood pole about 2 inches in diameter charged at the visiting Duchess of York as she arrived at the Waldorf-Astoria. Two security agents of the State Department’s diplomatic security service grabbed the man before he reached the Duchess,” the statement read.

According to the spokesperson, Ferguson was immediately rushed inside the hotel by the other members of the department’s protective detail.

Meanwhile, the incident was unearthed just days after royal fans once again urged Ferguson to get back together with Prince Andrew. The couple tied the knot in 1986, but they divorced 10 years later.

Last week, it was revealed that Ferguson made a heartfelt tribute to Prince Andrew at Princess Eugenie’s royal wedding on Oct. 12, 2018. Ferguson revealed that the handbag she used at her daughter’s wedding was the same handbag that her late mother used on Ferguson and Prince Andrew’s wedding day.