The relationship of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson is certainly one that has been seen as quite unconventional. Despite getting a divorce in 1996, the two still live together and seem to play an active role in eachother’s lives.
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Sarah Ferguson, especially, has always extended support for her ex-husband - even amid all the scandals and financial problems. And while she remains a core member of the Royal Family, there are certain traditions that she has been left out of in the past.
Christmas with the Royal Family
In 2022, Sarah Ferguson was invited to Sandringham to celebrate Christmas with the Royal Family after 30 long years. Why didn't she attend prior to this?
Well, according to several reports, she was actually banned from attending the festivities and it happened before she got divorced from Prince Andrew. Indeed, in 1992 it was Prince Philip that took the decision to remove her from the list of invitees after a certain toe-sucking scandal.
It is speculated that since photographs of her toes being sucked by her financial advisor John Bryan were exposed, Prince Philip could not stand being in the same room as her. The aftermath of which led to her getting banned from Christmas.
Last year, King Charles decided to put all this behind him—a move that has shown the monarch in a completely different light.
Why did King Charles invite Sarah Ferguson?
You can bet that any decision the King makes, especially when it comes to who is invited to which Royal Family events, has a specific purpose behind it.
Whether it was a deliberate move he made to be seen in a 'softer' light remains unknown. However, inviting Sarah Ferguson to Sandringham, and moreover, allowing her to join the Royal Family's iconic walkabout and attend Christmas service this year, has got people talking.
Royal expert Robert Hardman, who wrote Charles III: New King. New Court spoke to the BBC about why he thinks the King made this decision—and it's rather sweet.
He said:
Life moves on. I think it's a sort of readjustment. You had the king in his (Christmas Day) speech talking about compassion.
Fergie was out in the cold, if you like, really ever since the breakdown of her marriage back in the mid-90s. And there she was yesterday.
Apart from practicing what he preaches, Hardman also believes that it was a gesture to show his nieces, Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, that he cares about them. He added:
She's always been really close to her ex-husband, but particularly, I think, the king is very fond of his nieces, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. This is a way of showing that.
This comes as there has been much speculation about what King Charles' slimmed-down monarchy would look like for the two Princesses.
Read more:
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Sources used:
The Express: Key reason Sarah Ferguson joined royals at Sandringham laid bare
The Express: Sarah Ferguson joins royals for Christmas Day church service for first time in 30 years
Cosmopolitan: Duchess Fergie Is Invited to Christmas at Sandringham for the First Time Since Her Toe-Sucking Scandal
The Daily Beast: King Charles’ Christmas Invitation Shows Fergie Is Back in Royal Favor
