Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie, was invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. This came as a surprise to many, as she had not been an official member of the royal family for over 20 years following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996. Fergie was not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011 and instead spent the weekend at a spa in Thailand.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding | Yes |
Invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding | No |
Reason for not being invited to the latter | Her position within the royal institution at the time |
Reason for being invited to the former | Prince Harry pushed for her to be invited |
Her relationship with the royal family | Fractured, but improving |
What You'll Learn
Sarah Ferguson's relationship with the royal family
Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie, was once married to Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II and a younger brother of King Charles III. She is the mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Fergie was an official member of the royal family for a decade, from her marriage to Prince Andrew in 1986 until their divorce in 1996.
Fergie's relationship with the royal family has been strained at times, due in part to several headline-making scandals. She was not invited to the weddings of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, or Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. However, she has maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband, and even still lives with him at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. Fergie has also remained close with Prince Harry, Eugenie's friend, and was invited to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.
In recent years, Fergie has made strides towards rehabilitating her relationship with the royal family. She was invited to Balmoral as a guest of the Queen in 2017 and attended the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle the following year. She was also invited to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, though she was not part of the procession. Fergie paid tribute to the Queen following her death, saying, "I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce."
Fergie has also continued her charitable work, founding Sarah's Trust in 2020, which has provided aid for NHS staff, care home workers, and Ukrainian refugees. She has also remained involved with several other charities, including Children in Crisis, which she founded in 1993, and the Teenage Cancer Trust, of which she has been a patron since 1990.
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Prince Harry's relationship with Princess Eugenie
Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie's Close Relationship:
Prince Harry and his cousin, Princess Eugenie, have always shared a special bond. As children, they spent a lot of time together, along with their cousins, Prince William and Princess Beatrice. They often vacationed together and attended family gatherings and events, forming a tight-knit group. Being close in age, Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie developed a deep friendship and remain very close to this day.
A Supportive Cousin:
Over the years, Princess Eugenie has been a constant source of support for Prince Harry. When he decided to open up about his mental health struggles and his mother's death in a very public way, Eugenie was one of his biggest champions. She has always been protective of her cousin and supported his endeavors, including his military career and charitable work.
A United Front at Weddings:
Princess Eugenie and her sister, Beatrice, were prominent guests at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle. The cousins were seen together at the wedding celebrations, and Eugenie was reportedly a great support to Harry during the planning process, offering advice and guidance. Likewise, Prince Harry was very involved in Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank. He was spotted at the wedding festivities and is said to have played a role in keeping the event a smooth and happy occasion.
A Shared Understanding:
Both Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie have experienced the unique challenges and pressures of being younger royals and have supported each other through these experiences. They understand the public scrutiny and the need to forge their own paths while managing the expectations that come with their royal titles. This shared understanding has likely strengthened their bond and created a sense of camaraderie.
A United Royal Family:
Despite any differences or challenges within the royal family, it is clear that Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie's relationship remains strong. They continue to support each other publicly and privately, and their bond serves as a reminder of the enduring strength of family ties within the royal family. This close relationship is also indicative of the strong ties between the children of Prince Andrew and Prince Charles, despite any differences that may arise between the siblings themselves.
The content provides a focused exploration of the relationship dynamics between Prince Harry and his cousin, Princess Eugenie, highlighting their close bond and mutual support within the context of the British royal family.
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Sarah Ferguson's divorce from Prince Andrew
Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie, was married to Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, from 1986 until their divorce in 1996. The couple had two daughters together, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, born in 1988 and 1990, respectively.
Fergie and Prince Andrew's marriage was strained due to Andrew's duties as a naval officer, which kept him away from home for long periods. In an interview, Fergie revealed that in the first five years of their marriage, they only saw each other for a total of 40 days. She also endured ridicule from the press for her weight, which took a toll on her self-esteem and exacerbated her eating disorder.
The final straw for the marriage came in August 1992, when the British tabloid Daily Mirror published secretly taken photographs of Fergie with another man, American financial manager John Bryan, who was seen sucking her toes as she sunbathed topless. This incident led to widespread public ridicule and further estranged Fergie from the royal family.
In March 1992, Fergie and Prince Andrew announced their separation, and Buckingham Palace confirmed that Fergie would no longer carry out royal duties on behalf of the Queen. Despite months of reconciliation speculation, the couple finalised their divorce in April 1996, agreeing to joint custody of their daughters.
In the years following her divorce, Fergie faced financial troubles and was involved in various scandals, including a 2010 incident where she was filmed offering access to Prince Andrew in exchange for money. Despite this, she has maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband and has even hinted at the possibility of remarrying him.
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Sarah Ferguson's relationship with Princess Diana
Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana were close friends for decades until Princess Diana's death in 1997. They were fourth cousins and had known each other since adolescence, though they only became close after reconnecting in 1980. Diana invited Sarah to her wedding, and the two would often have lunch together. Diana would also call Sarah, who would visit her at Buckingham Palace to cheer her up, and Diana even recommended her astrologer to Diana.
Sarah and Diana's relationship was not without its complexities. They were rivals as well as friends, and Sarah impressed the royal family in ways that Diana couldn't, excelling at sports and winning over the Queen and Prince Philip. Diana revealed to her biographer that she felt that Sarah "wooed everybody in this family and did it so well. She left me looking like dirt."
Sarah and Diana increasingly leaned on each other for support as their marriages became more troubled, and they both separated from their husbands in 1992. However, they had a falling out in 1996, reportedly due to the way Sarah wrote about Diana in her autobiography. At the time of Diana's death in 1997, the pair had not reconciled, though Sarah attended her funeral.
In recent years, Sarah has had a more distant relationship with Diana's sons, William and Harry. She was not invited to William's wedding but was invited to Harry's wedding with Meghan Markle in 2018.
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Sarah Ferguson's absence from Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding
Sarah Ferguson, also known as the Duchess of York, was not invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011. Instead, she spent the weekend at a spa in Thailand. Ferguson later told Oprah Winfrey that she had not been invited to the wedding and chose to go abroad.
Ferguson's absence from the wedding was not surprising given her strained relationship with the royal family. Ferguson and Prince Andrew divorced in 1996, and she had been involved in several scandals that fractured her relationship with the family, especially Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Philip reportedly vowed never to be in the same room as Ferguson and avoided her for years, even asking her to leave Balmoral before he arrived for holidays.
Despite her exclusion from royal celebrations, Ferguson maintained a positive relationship with her ex-husband, and the two continued to live together at his home, Royal Lodge, in Windsor. In recent years, the Queen allowed Ferguson to return to the royal enclosure at Royal Ascot.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Sarah Ferguson was invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding.
Sarah Ferguson, also known as Fergie, was not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011. Fergie has not been an official member of the royal family for over 20 years following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996.
Sarah Ferguson revealed that she did not feel "worthy" of attending their wedding and chose to go to Thailand instead.