Sarah Ferguson Is Poised for a Royal Comeback—Whether Prince Philip Likes It or Not
The Duchess of York and Prince Andrew are deeply involved planning the October 12 wedding of their daughter, Princess Eugenie.
By Katie Nicholl
Sarah Ferguson at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018.By Gareth Fuller/WPA Pool/Getty Images
When Princess Eugenie marries her longtime boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, on October 12, there will be a prominent figure in the front pew of St. George's Chapel. Very much a part of the royal family, for one day at least, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, will have a prize seat alongside her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, as they watch their daughter get married.
And it will be a stark contrast to the last royal wedding, where Sarah arrived alone to Prince Harry's May 19 wedding to Meghan Markle. Ostracized for so long by the royal family in the wake of her 1996 divorce, Sarah was gallantly met by Brooksbank outside the church and shown to her to her seat. While Andrew and the couple's daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, were at the front of the church in reserved family pews just behind the Queen, Sarah was relegated to a seat further back in the church, presumably so that she was not in sight of Prince Philip. There is no love lost between the Duke of Edinburgh and his former daughter-in-law; sources close to the duke say he can't bear to be in the same room as Fergie, which poses a tricky family dilemma. If the 97-year-old duke is fit enough to attend Princess Eugenie's wedding—and he is close to his granddaughter—he will be forced to put on his best poker face.
For make no mistake, this mother of the bride plans to have a central role on her daughter's big day. According to friends, she has already had meetings with several dress designers as she searches for the perfect outfit for the wedding and evening party, which she and Prince Andrew plan to host. While the Queen will host a reception after the wedding at Windsor Castle, just as she did for Meghan and Harry, the wedding party will be held on the grounds of Royal Lodge, the Yorks' family home in Windsor.
"Sarah and Andrew are helping to organize the evening party. The plan is for a marquee to be set up in the grounds and dancing late into the night," said a source helping with the event. "Eugenie and Jack are planning the whole thing but Sarah and Andrew are very involved. Sarah is bringing a very eclectic and exciting guest list to Windsor."
A ferocious networker, Sarah—who lives between London and the United States—will be bringing her own smattering of stardust. Celebrities and V.I.P.s expected to attend include Robbie Williams (whose daughter, Theodora Rose, is a flower girl) and David and Victoria Beckham. A source close to Eugenie said that invites have yet to go out, but after Meghan and Harry's wedding, this is being seen as the golden invite of the year. "There's a lot of excitement about the day. Sarah and Andrew are just thrilled Euge is getting married and they are all very much in the planning stages at the moment. Sarah is being very hands-on, but in a great way, and Eugenie wants her mum to be a big part of it all and will make sure Sarah is included in every aspect. Her feeling is the other royals will have to get on with it."
There has long been friction between Fergie and some of the royal family—the Duchess endured decades of vicious tabloid headlines, and an alleged letter from Princess Margaret claiming "you have done more to bring shame on the royal family than could have ever been imagined." But the Queen has always shown kindness to her former daughter-in-law, inviting her to Balmoral in recent years (not while the duke is in residence) and into the royal box at Royal Ascot.
The Queen is said to respect the fact that Sarah and Andrew have remained friends since their divorce in 1996. They are so close that many in their circle have openly wondered if they might remarry, "but that will never happen while the duke is alive," according to a friend. Having raised their daughters together, they still vacation together (they co-own a chalet in Verbier) and when she's in the U.K. Sarah stays at Andrew's home Royal Lodge in Windsor, where she has her own designated bedroom.
While all eyes will, of course, be on the bride on October 12, watching Sarah in the company of the royals after so many years in exile will be fascinating to observe if the cameras are allowed in the chapel at Eugenie's wedding.