Royal Wedding Guest List: Fergie's Inclusion Explored

Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie, was invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. However, she was not invited to the evening reception hosted by Prince Charles. Fergie's relationship with the royal family has been strained due to her involvement in scandals and her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996. Despite this, she has maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband and his family, and Harry pushed for her to be invited to his wedding.

Fergie's strained relationship with the royal family

Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie, has had a strained relationship with the royal family since her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996. While she has maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband, her ties with other members of the royal family have been fractured due to several scandals and a falling out with her former friend, Princess Diana.

Fergie's relationship with the royal family began to sour following her separation from Prince Andrew in 1992. The Queen announced that she would not take responsibility for Fergie's debts, and Fergie moved out of the family's home. The finalisation of their divorce in 1996 marked the end of her status as an official member of the royal family.

One major scandal that damaged Fergie's relationship with the royal family involved secretly taken photographs published in the British tabloid Daily Mirror. The photos showed an American financial manager, John Bryan, sucking on Fergie's toes as she sunbathed topless. This incident led to widespread public ridicule and further estranged Fergie from the royal family.

Another scandal involved Fergie offering an undercover reporter posing as an Indian businessman access to Prince Andrew for £500,000. This incident was filmed and widely publicised, increasing Fergie's public profile and notoriety.

In addition to these scandals, Fergie also had a falling out with her former friend, Princess Diana, which may have contributed to the strain in her relationship with the royal family. It is speculated that Prince William, knowing the extent of the rift between the two women, may hold a grudge against Fergie.

Despite the strained relationship, Fergie has been invited to some royal events in recent years, including the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. However, she was notably not invited to the evening reception hosted by Prince Charles, indicating that the relationship with her former in-laws remains strained.

Prince Harry pushed for her invite

Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie are very close, and it is likely that Harry pushed for Fergie's invite to his wedding. Eugenie is Fergie's daughter, and Harry reportedly pushed back against Buckingham Palace's pressure for him not to invite Fergie.

Harry's wedding was not a state occasion, and he was not under the same pressure as his brother, Prince William, in terms of the guest list. However, Fergie's relationship with the royal family has been strained since her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996. She was involved in several headline-making scandals, which fractured her relationships with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Despite this, Harry has remained close with Fergie and has regularly spent time with her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Fergie was not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, and she was reportedly "deeply upset" by her exclusion from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second wedding reception. However, she did attend the wedding ceremony and was given a huge hug by her future son-in-law, Jack Brooksbank, upon her arrival.

Fergie's positive relationship with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and her recent inclusion in some royal events, such as the Royal Ascot, may have also influenced Prince Harry's decision to invite her to his wedding.

Fergie's children were invited

Fergie's children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. In fact, Eugenie was also newly engaged at the time. Harry is close with Eugenie, and he reportedly pushed for Fergie to receive an invite to the wedding.

Fergie's children were also invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011, but Fergie herself was not invited. Fergie is Prince Andrew's ex-wife, and the father of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Although Fergie and Andrew divorced in 1996, they have remained close and even still live together at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor.

Fergie's children were not the only members of her immediate family to be invited to Harry and Meghan's wedding. Prince Andrew was also invited, as was Fergie's future son-in-law, Jack Brooksbank, who came out of the chapel to welcome her with a huge hug.

Fergie's ex-husband, Prince Andrew, maintained a positive relationship with her

Fergie, also known as Sarah Ferguson, was married to Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and younger brother of King Charles III. Despite no longer being an official member of the royal family following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996, Fergie has maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband.

Even after their divorce, Fergie and Prince Andrew continued to live together at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. They also regularly spent time with their two daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Fergie has described Prince Andrew as her "handsome prince". This ongoing relationship with her ex-husband and his family may have contributed to Fergie's invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018.

Fergie's positive relationship with Prince Andrew may also have influenced her invitation to other royal events, such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Although she was not invited to the evening reception hosted by Prince Charles, she was included in the ceremony and luncheon hosted by the Queen. This invitation caused some controversy, as Fergie had not been invited to the weddings of Prince William and Kate Middleton or Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones.

Overall, despite no longer being an official member of the royal family, Fergie has maintained a positive and close relationship with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and has even been welcomed back into certain royal events and occasions.

Fergie's involvement in headline-making scandals

Fergie has been involved in several scandals that have negatively impacted her relationship with the royal family, particularly Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. One of the most well-known scandals is the so-called "toe-sucking incident", which occurred in 1992, shortly after her separation from Prince Andrew was announced. Fergie was photographed with her financial advisor, American businessman John Bryan, who appeared to be sucking her toes while they were on holiday in Saint-Tropez, France. These intimate photos, which also included images of the couple kissing and embracing, caused great embarrassment to the royal family and created an enormous rift between Fergie and the Queen and Prince Philip.

Another scandal that made headlines was Fergie's attempt to sell "access" to her former husband, Prince Andrew, for over $700,000. This incident reinforced the perception that Fergie was willing to do anything for money, which may have contributed to the royal family's reluctance to invite her to certain events.

Fergie's relationship with Princess Diana, who was a childhood friend, also ended dramatically. The exact reason for the falling out is not known, but it occurred around six months before Diana's death in 1997. The bad feeling between the pair was so strong that Diana refused to take any of Fergie's calls.

In addition to these scandals, Fergie has also been criticised for her financial struggles and has been described as an "embarrassment" to the royal family. Despite these issues, she has maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and has even lived with him at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. In recent years, she has been invited to some royal events, including Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle, indicating a potential path towards reconciliation with the royal family.

Frequently asked questions