The things a man will do for his granddaughter. Reports surfaced earlier this week that Prince Philip, 97, likely would not be well enough to attend the wedding ceremony of Princess Eugenie on Friday. But come the big day, the Duke of Edinburgh was all smiles as he donned a dapper suit and joined his wife, Queen Elizabeth, at St. George's Chapel. The near-centenarian underwent a hip replacement surgery in April of this year, leading many to assume he wouldn't be able to show up for Prince Harry and Meghan's wedding. And yet in mid-May, there he was. Just days before the ceremony a royal insider told People that the decision hadn't yet been made, but it would be quite unexpected if Philip ultimately chose to attend. "He does what he wants," the source told the outlet. "He made a supreme effort for Harry. I would be very surprised if he did go, because he is so estranged from Fergie. I think he will decide at the 99th hour." Philip's attendance is also notable given mom of the bride Sarah Ferguson's controversial history with the royal family. But it certainly appears that today, bygones are bygones. See Prince Philip and the Queen arriving at Prince Harry's wedding:<doc-sep>Despite the speculation and rumours around whether or not Prince Philip would attend the royal wedding of Princess Eugenie, the 97-year-old was there sitting next to the Queen and directly behind Eugenie’s mother Sarah Ferguson. Fergie and the Duke of Edinburgh are believed to have had a long-standing feud, dating back to 1992, according to reports, and many speculated he would chose not to attend the wedding because of it. She and Andrew may have remained on good terms after their divorce in 1996 – and even continue to live together – but her relationships with other members of the royal family are said to be fraught. Fergie sits in front of Prince Philip at Eugenie’s wedding. Photo: Getty It was unclear if Prince Philip would attend the wedding. Photo: Getty However it appeared she had been welcomed back into the fold of the royal family as she sat pride of place between Princess Beatrice and Prince Andrew in the front row of St George’s Chapel. Prince Philip’s presence and acknowledgement of Fergie, despite the fact that it would have been easy for him to plead illness and skip the wedding, was a huge step according to a behaviour expert. Judi James, who specialises in social behaviour, said Prince Philip showed a warm welcome to his former daughter-in-law, approaching her with a smile, The Express reports. Beatrice was by Fergie’s side for support all day. Photo: Getty Although the Duchess’s older daughter, Princess Beatrice, may have tried to distract her mother when Prince Philip arrived. “She made very strong eye contact with her mother and kept her chatting as Philip arrived, almost as if to say ‘don’t look round now’,” Judi told the Press Association. “It was almost like the sort of behaviour you see at the party when somebody you don’t want to see walks in. She got quite the look from Philip. “He smiled at her at least twice, almost as if he had planned to greet her warmly.” Others however said there was still a a clear tension between the two. Prince Philip attended the wedding of Princess Eugenie. Photo: Getty Royal expert Duncan Larcombe, who spent over a decade working as the royal editor at The Sun, admitted that Philip turning up at the wedding as a “big deal”. Duncan confirmed that this is the closest proximity we’ve seen the pair in years Story continues “There was an issue over whether he was going to turn up. He did turn up, and he sat behind her,” he told Kate Thornton during episode nine of Yahoo UK’s The Royal Box. “But, from what I watched, I didn’t see any eye contact between the two of them or anything at all.” According to insider reports, Prince Philip, 97, was only going to make a last minute decision about whether to attend his granddaughter’s wedding to wine merchant Jack Brooksbank. Prince Philip is said to be on the fence about attending his granddaughter, Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank in October — and the reason may shock you. Source: Getty Princess Eugenie is set to marry Jack on October 12, but a long-running feud between her mum and granddad could cause her stress. Source: Getty “The Duke of Edinburgh may not go to the wedding, just as he and the Queen did not attend Prince Louis christening in July,” a source told the Telegraph. “Not unreasonably, when you consider his age, the Duke of Edinburgh will decide on the morning of the wedding if he’s going to be there,” they continued. “He now very much operates on a ‘wake up and see how I feel’ basis.” Interestingly, another unnamed source had previously claimed that the reason behind the Duke’s indecisiveness is his historic beef with the mother of the bride, Sarah Ferguson. Sarah Ferguson was married to the Duke of Edinburgh’s middle child, Prince Andrew for ten years, and he’s said to be still angry about scandals surrounding their divorce. Source: Getty Prince Philip and Fergie back in the early 90s, before their rift began. Source: Getty “It won’t be easy. Philip and Sarah will be in relatively close proximity to each other and Sarah’s very nervous about it,” a source told the Mail On Sunday. “People have been giving her some friendly advice. As long as she doesn’t go over the top on the day, it should all be fine.” Sarah — who’s widely referred to as ‘Fergie’ — and Philip’s feud began when she split from his son, Prince Andrew in 1992 after topless photos of her emerged in the press with another man. It’s claimed that while the rest of the royal family have moved on from the debacle, Philip still holds a grudge. Interestingly, Duke of Edinburgh’s attendance was also in doubt in the lead up to Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in May after he had hip surgery, however was there to see them say ‘I do’. Back in 2011, Fergie was missed off the guest list for Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton, following a scandal the year before where she accepted money to introduce her ex to a reporter. Got a story tip? Send it to tips@oath.com Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.<doc-sep>Royal Wedding: Sarah Ferguson breathes HUGE sigh of relief FREE now and never miss the top Royal stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top Royal stories again. When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The mother of the bride sat directly in front of the Duke of Edinburgh in St George’s Chapel during the ceremony on Friday. At the end of the emotional ceremony, the 58-year-old looked as if she let out a huge sigh of relief in a sign that their almost three decade feud was over. Sarah’s former father-in-law, is said to have never forgiven her after the infamous “toe-sucking” scandal, which caused the breakdown of her marriage to his son, Prince Andrew. The Duchess of York has been making an attempt to get back into the royal fold as the mother-of-the-bride after she was blacklisted from the firm when shocking pictures emerged of her with Texan billionaire, John Bryan. Sarah Ferguson sat directly in front of Prince Philip Ahead of the big day it was revealed that Sarah was a “bag of nerves” about her showdown with the Duke. A friend of the duchess told the Daily Telegraph: “Sarah is already a bag of nerves and Camilla’s decision won’t help. “She is worried about the reception she will get from Prince Philip and now there will be a bit of a frosty atmosphere with Prince Charles.” Camilla, 71, has decided to stay away from Princess Eugenie’s big day to instead attend a Scottish school event, while other sources claim the real reason for her no-show is because she is hosting a shooting party with her friends at her home. However, Other royal aides claim the duchess was keen to stay away due to strained relations with Eugenie’s parents, Fergie and Prince Andrew. The Duchess of York was anticipating a showdown with Prince Philip Camilla is understood to have “never forgotten” Prince Andrew’s lack of support for her and Prince Charles relationship, while Fergie was close friends with the future king’s ex-wife Princess Diana. However, it was revealed that the Prince Philip agreed to appear in the official wedding photos with the Royal Family and the Duchess of York for Princess Eugenie A royal insider told Richard Eden, Saturday Diary Editor at the Daily Mail: “Prince Philip has agreed to pose in the wedding snaps alongside Eugenie’s mother, Sarah, Duchess of York. “It will be the first time that the pair have been pictured together in 26 years.” The Queen with Philip and Prince Charles The royal insider added: “Her Majesty and the Duke will be in the official photographs, just as they were in those of their other grandchildren, Peter and Zara Phillips, Prince William and Prince Harry. “The Duke loves his granddaughter and wants her big day to be just as special as those of her cousins.” A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment at the time. Sarah, also known as Fergie, was quick to greet royal fans by jumping out of the car and pointing excitedly to well-wishers. Royal Wedding: Prince Andrew and Fergie reunited at service Sarah Ferguson used to be married to Prince Andrew<doc-sep>PRINCE Philip "took quite a big step" in mending his relationship with Sarah Ferguson at Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding today, signifying that he has no hard feelings towards Duchess of York. According to body language expert Judi James, the Duke of Edinburgh gave his former daughter-in-law a warm greeting as he arrived at St George's Chapel in Windsor. 7 The Duchess of York kept her head down as she walked through the chapel and stayed close to her eldest daughter Beatrice Credit: PA:Press Association Since her high-profile split from Prince Andrew in 1996, The Queen's husband is thought to have had a frosty relationship with Sarah Ferguson. And although the two made progress in mending their thorny relationship for Eugenie's special day, Judi James told the Press Association: "You could tell the tension as soon as the Duchess arrived in the church. "As soon as she walked in she pulled her arms into her side and put her head down." The Duchess of York, who was purposefully excluded from Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding back in 2011, kept close to her eldest daughter Beatrice in a bid to avoid an awkward encounter. 7 Judi James likened Fergie's behaviour to when 'somebody you don't want to' walks into a party Credit: Rex Features 7 Signifying her discomfort, the Duchess largely kept her head down during the ceremony Credit: Getty - Pool 7 Feeling protective of her mother, Beatrice maintained strong eye contact Zara Tindall stumbles on the street as royal family members leave St George's Chapel after Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding Walking closely next to each other as they approached the royal seating area, Beatrice "made very strong eye contact with her mother and kept her chatting as Philip arrived, almost as if to say 'don't look round now.'" She added: "It was almost like the sort of behaviour you see at a party when somebody you don't want to see walks in." However, Prince Philip was the first to greet his former daughter-in-law which suggests how his opinion of her has changed since the initial days of the painful divorce. 7 However, Philip's smile suggests there are no hard feelings between the pair Credit: supplied by Pixel8000 Signifying that there are no hard feelings on his part, Prince Phillip "smiled at her at least twice, almost as if he planned to greet her warmly." Judi added: "That was quite a big step for the Duke of Edinburgh." 7 Prince Charles also gave his former daughter-in-law a warm greeting Credit: AP:Associated Press Sadly, Fergie may not have even noticed Prince Philip's warm greeting as she barely looked around at The Queen's husband throughout the ceremony. Judi noted: "The Duchess of York was sat in front of Philip, so unless she had eyes in the back of her head, she wouldn't have known. "She probably didn't want to take the risk of turning round." 7 Prince Philip is believed to have been frosty towards his former daughter-in-law since she split from Prince Andrew in 1996 Credit: Getty - Contributor MOST READ IN FABULOUS ROYAL RAGE Meg dramatically FIRED Archie's nanny after mystery 'incident' in the night HAZ ENOUGH Harry 'will be a BROKEN man when breaking Queen's heart finally hits home' MYSTIC MEG May 27: Believe in yourself and people around you will take note Comment MERCY MUROKI Fake tan is not racist. But Meghan Markle, skin bleaching is Exclusive BELLE'S HELL I self-harmed at 13 after being called an ‘ugly s**g’, says Belle Hassan BUMBLE BLUNDER Singleton left mortified after dating app match sends her fat-shaming reply In even more Royal Wedding news, Sarah Ferguson is wearing a hat with wings to Princess Eugenie's wedding... and people think it looks like the Golden Snitch from Harry Potter. And Kate Middleton looks radiant as she arrives at the Royal Wedding wearing bright pink. Plus THIS is what Princess Eugenie's groom Jack Brooksbank whispered as she arrived at the wedding chapel.<doc-sep>
Prince Philip looked in good spirits as he attended Princess Eugenie's royal wedding to Jack Brooksbank today. The Duke of Edinburgh, 97, has officially retired from public duty but looked smart as always as he accompanied the Queen to their granddaughter's wedding ceremony in Windsor this morning. His appearance came after claims that a feud between him and Eugenie's mother, Sarah Ferguson, could have discouraged him from attending. The Duke of Edinburgh looked his usual ultra-smart self as he arrived at the royal wedding The Duke enjoyed a laugh with Prince Charles before taking his seat for the ceremony The Queen, with her husband by her side, beamed with joy as she emerged from the successful service into the Windsor sunshine this afternoon The Duke stood beside his wife as the Royal Family awaited the arrival of the open carriage It has been reported that Philip hasn't been able to forgive Fergie for being photographed having her feet kissed by financial adviser John Bryan in 1992, which ultimately led to her divorce from his son. The feud led to concerns Philip might not attend the ceremony and, as recently as yesterday it was claimed that he was leaving it until the last moment to decide whether or not to go. A royal source told The Daily Telegraph: 'When you consider his age, the Duke of Edinburgh will decide on the morning of the wedding if he's going to be there. He now very much operates on a 'wake up and see how I feel' basis.' But despite the concerns, the Duke looked happy as he arrived for the service at the Queen's side. The Prince has repeatedly bounced back from hospital treatment in the last couple of years It has been reported that the Duke and Sarah Ferguson have a frosty relationship But a body language expert said the Duke seemed smiley towards the Duchess of York The Queen and her consort sat next to their eldest son, Prince Charles, in the Chapel Body language expert Judi James said the Duke of Edinburgh appeared to take steps towards reconciliation with the Duchess of York after arriving at the Chapel. Ms James said: 'Sarah Ferguson got quite the look from Philip, he smiled at her at least twice, almost as if he had planned to greet her warmly. 'That was quite a big step for the Duke of Edinburgh.' However, Ms James said the duchess may not have even been aware of the interaction. She said: 'The Duchess of York was sat in front of Philip, so unless she had eyes in the back of her head, she wouldn't have known. She probably didn't want to take the risk of turning round.' The Prince smiled to crowds outside the church as he and Queen pulled up to the chapel The Queen's consort waved to members of the public from the couple's car as they arrived The Duke of Edinburgh was among the congregation at Prince Eugenie's wedding today Philip was, as always, dressed extremely smartly, in grey trousers, a dark jacket with tails, a beige waistcoat and light tie. Although he has retired from public duties, the Duke was pictured at Windsor yesterday. He received Brigadier Andrew Freeman, Head of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers at Windsor Castle. A picture of the Duke with the military chief on The Royal Family's official Twitter account. The Prince looked his usual smart self as he walked confidently up the steps into the church The 97-year-old royal took his seat in St George's Chapel, Windsor, next to his wife, The Queen Philip, who retired from public duties last year and spends much of his time at Sandringham, joined the Queen in Scotland for the summer. Despite his advancing years and recent periods of hospitalisation, he was seen driving himself around the Balmoral estate in August. He doesn't respond well to repeated questions about his health and normally answers enquiries about his well-being with a barked: 'Well do I look bloody ill?'. He was hospitalized in April 2018 and had to undergo surgery on his hip. In June 2017, he received treatment as a precaution after contracting an infection stemming from an unknown pre-existing condition.