Ahead of Princess Eugenie’s wedding, we were primed for “the return of the Duchess of York.” Sarah Ferguson has been largely left out in the cold from the royal family, although she still enjoys a very warm relationship with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew. They live together, they vacation together, they spend a lot of time together, and Andrew has taken it upon himself to “save” Fergie and bring her back into the royal fold. Eugenie’s wedding was partly about that – getting Fergie in the room with all of the Windsors. Reportedly, Prince Philip even said some vaguely kind words to Fergie throughout the day too, so that’s some kind of success.
So what’s the problem? I tend to think they were way too obvious about everything, and what the Yorks ended up doing was reminding everyone that Fergie is really a tacky famewhore. The moment she got out of the car in front of the chapel, it became The Fergie Show. Even now, when we should still be talking about Eugenie, we’re talking about whether Fergie and Andrew will eventually remarry:
The manner in which Andrew and Fergie have lived virtually together almost as man and wife for many years is proof enough for most of their circle that one factor, and one factor alone, has stood between them remarrying — Prince Philip. He has never forgiven the Duchess for humiliating his second son and embarrassing the family when pictures were published of her ‘financial adviser’ John Bryan kissing her toes by a swimming pool in the South of France.
The Queen, it must be said, likes the Duchess. Despite her errors, extravagance and extraordinary ability to put her foot in it, she sees in Fergie a lively woman who has never lost her ability to make her favourite son happy. And she is proud of the way Sarah has raised her daughters. Indeed, of all the royals, the Queen is the most relaxed about Andrew sharing Royal Lodge — the Queen Mother’s old home in Windsor Great Park — with his former wife. More significantly, she is unlikely to raise any serious objections should they decide to remarry.
In the past, Andrew disdained the idea, saying that their untypical domestic arrangements for a divorced couple were intended to make life easier for their two daughters. No doubt that is true. But their lives under the same roof over the past 12 years have drawn them closer than either expected, and if Andrew or Sarah did — separately or together — harbour thoughts of remarriage, it is hardly something that would be talked about in front of Prince Philip. In fact, with the birth in April of William and Kate’s third child, Prince Louis, Prince Andrew dropped to seventh in line to the throne, freeing him from requiring the Queen’s permission to marry.
As a senior courtier observes: ‘It isn’t as though they are young people jumping from one mistake to another. Prince Andrew and the Duchess are moving into their 60s, mature and experienced. But, of course, they seem very happy as they are and no one can say that they ever will want to remarry.’ It is generally accepted, however — despite their proximity in the wedding photographs — that if they did, no such decision could be taken while Philip is alive.
This isn’t new speculation – I’ve read gossip going back years and years that Andrew and Fergie would eventually remarry when the Duke of Edinburgh passes away. After Fergie’s performance at her daughter’s wedding, I think that’s what Andrew wants too – he’s trying to gradually make Fergie more and more palatable to the public at large, and get people used to the idea that they will eventually remarry. And if it happens, so be it. I think they’ll still be disastrous.
Meanwhile, Fergie was posting photos from the wedding on her social media accounts just after Harry & Meghan announced they were expecting:
So proud of Eugenie #wedding @TheDukeOfYork pic.twitter.com/K9BD9NJQcu
— Sarah Ferguson (@SarahTheDuchess) October 15, 2018
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, WENN.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmbnFmZYJye8itqpiooprBtcW%2BpqycoI%2BcwqK%2BwKernp2UlMGprdOYp6uhnpiyoK3Nnamer4%2BorrOtx5idnqqXqsCwur6woKWkj6eyrq3Rq7Bo