▁child hood ; ▁they ▁had ▁met ▁occasionally ▁at ▁pol o ▁matches , ▁and ▁became ▁re - ac qu aint ed ▁with ▁each ▁other ▁at ▁Royal ▁As cot ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁ ▁The ▁couple ▁appeared ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁happy ▁marriage ▁and ▁had ▁two ▁daughters ▁together , ▁present ing ▁a ▁un ited ▁out ward ▁appearance ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁His ▁wife ' s ▁personal ▁qual ities ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁ref res hing ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁formal ▁protocol ▁surrounding ▁the ▁Royal ▁Family . ▁However , ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁York ' s ▁frequent ▁travel ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁military ▁career , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁rel ent less , ▁often ▁critical , ▁media ▁attention ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁York , ▁led ▁to ▁f ract ures ▁in ▁the ▁marriage . ▁On ▁ 1 9 ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁the ▁couple ▁announced ▁plans ▁to ▁separate ▁and ▁did ▁so ▁in ▁an ▁am ic able ▁way . ▁Some ▁months ▁later , ▁pictures ▁appeared ▁in ▁the ▁tab lo id ▁media ▁of ▁the ▁Duch ess ▁in ▁int imate ▁association ▁with ▁John ▁Bry an , ▁her ▁financial ▁ad visor ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁which ▁effectively ▁ended ▁any ▁hopes ▁of ▁a ▁recon c ili ation ▁between ▁the ▁Duke ▁and ▁Duch ess . ▁The ▁marriage ▁was ▁ended ▁in ▁divor ce ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁The ▁Duke ▁of ▁York ▁spoke ▁fond ly ▁of ▁his ▁former ▁wife : ▁" We ▁have ▁managed ▁to ▁work ▁together ▁to