Prince Andrew and Duchess of York spend a week at Balmoral as rumours mount over their romance

The Duke and Duchess of York have reportedly been spending the week with the Queen in Balmoral – sparking claims their relationship is back on.

Divorced Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, both 59, flew separately to the Scottish summer getaway in a bid to avoid further reports of their romance.

Ferguson took a commercial flight on Thursday, while Prince Andrew arrived in a private jet on Tuesday.

The former flames are reportedly guests of the Queen at Balmoral Castle (pictured) in the Scottish Highlands

Princesses Beatrice, 31, and Eugenie, 29, their daughters, are understood to be joining them.

A royal source told the Sun: ‘Prince Andrew and Sarah are at Balmoral as guests of the Queen and are expected to be there for a number of days. They will be joined by their daughters for some of the holiday.

‘It’s not the first time they’ve been there as a couple in recent years but it’s significant because of all the rumours about them getting back together.

Ferguson took a commercial flight on Thursday, while Prince Andrew arrived in a private jet on Tuesday (both pictured at Eugenie’s wedding in October)

Queen Elizabeth II leaves Crathie Kirk after the Sunday service at Balmoral, Scotland on Sunday morning. She stays in a seven-bedroom stone house on her estate when on her retreat

‘The Queen wanted them there as a family and it’s very much her giving the private nod of approval.’

It comes after rumours circulated that the pair had rekindled their love in April.

But Ferguson was quick to douse the flame, despite the pair appearing ‘virtually inseparable’ on a family getaway with Beatrice and her boyfriend.

The family gathering saw the Duke and Duchess of York holidaying with Princess Beatrice, 30, and her boyfriend property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in Bahrain where they stayed at the Ritz Carlton and had a VIP day at the Grand Prix, fuelling rumours that the royal couple have rekindled their romance.

Princesses Beatrice (pictured with her parents last year), 31, and Eugenie, 29, their daughters, are understood to be joining them

But a spokesman for Ferguson denied the claims saying ‘The Duke and Duchess of York continue to be good friends and nothing has changed in their relationship.’

The couple ‘amicably’ divorced in 1996 following ten years of marriage after the duchess was photographed having her feet kissed by her financial adviser, John Bryan, in the South of France.

But the pair have remained extremely close, sharing Andrew’s official residence, Royal Lodge at Windsor, and buying a luxury ski chalet in Verbier.

A royal source said: ‘Prince Andrew and Sarah (pictured with their children) are at Balmoral as guests of the Queen and are expected to be there for a number of days. They will be joined by their daughters for some of the holiday’

The Duke and Duchess are reportedly not seeing other people and royal staff were said to have dubbed their relationship as ‘friends with benefits’ at the end of April.

In a further positive step, Prince Philip, 98, is understood to have dropped his animosity towards the romance.

Yet the Prince of Wales, 70, is believe to still have doubts over the pairing and does not want Ferguson to become a royal again.

Happy families: Could this family wedding photo of the Duchess of York standing at Prince Philip’s shoulder be a metaphor for things to come?

In an interview with the Daily Mail earlier this year, Sarah said of her former husband: ‘We’re the happiest divorced couple in the world. We’re divorced to each other, not from each other.’

The couple have ‘virtually lived together almost as man and wife’ for many years’ but Royal insiders have insisted that Prince Philip had been the reason they had not declared they are back in a relationship.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman confirmed Prince Andrew had paid for his private jet, but would not comment on who else attended.