Sarah Ferguson said the recent controversy around Prince Andrew s friendship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been incredibly difficult for the family.

The Duchess of York, who shares daughters Eugenie and Beatrice with her former husband, opened up about his disgrace in a revealing interview with Vogue Arabia , published last week.

When I talk about Prince Andrew, I talk about family because the last six months have been hard on the girls and me, she said. To see such a wonderful man go through such enormous pain.

She added, He is the best man I know. Its just incredible what he has done for Britain, and its all nonsense [Vogue noted that her voice rose as she alluded to the Epstein scandal], so I talk about familyhood, and Im very strong about it. The mental health of men is important and I think it is vital to articulate that more.

The woman known affectionately as Fergie had previously defended Andrew after his disastrous BBC Newsnight interview in November. The prince has been accused of raping a minor who was allegedly trafficked by Epstein, though Andrew has repeatedly denied all allegations.