Biographer Sarah Bradford argued in her book that Sarah was unable to deal with her husband's duties as a naval officer which required him to stay away from home for long periods. According to Sarah's account, the couple saw each other 40 days a year in the first five years of their marriage. By 1991, the marriage was in trouble, and the couple had drifted apart. Her friendship with Texan multimillionaire Steve Wyatt gained much publicity when they were photographed together. The Duke and Duchess of York announced their separation on 19 March 1992. Following the separation, the palace announced that the Duchess would no longer carry out public engagements on behalf of the Queen. Furthermore, the Queen announced in a statement that she would not take responsibility for Sarah's debts. The Duchess also separated her residence from her husband and moved to Romenda Lodge in 1992.