Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, Was Reportedly Not Invited to the Second Royal Wedding Reception
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and the original Fergie, is reportedly being “snubbed” once again at the royal wedding. This time, however, it’s not quite as embarrassing for the plucky ex-royal. On Sunday, the Daily Mail reported that Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, who was not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding, has received an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding on May 19. Fergie will also be going to the general reception afterwards. But she won’t be going to the private second reception, which Prince Charles is throwing for an intimate guest list of 250, and she’s not happy about it, the Daily Mail reported.
According to the Daily Mail, the Duchess of York has reportedly been “complaining about the ‘snub’ to anyone who will listen,” despite the fact that certain royal sources think she’s “lucky to be going at all.” The tabloid reported that Ferguson only made it on the general guest list due to some intervention on the part of Prince Harry, a strong supporter of Ferguson within the royal ranks. He reportedly personally made sure she got an invitation and has introduced her to Markle.
“Numbers are limited to the evening party, she is not a member of the Royal Family any more and Prince Charles simply doesn’t have time for her,” an insider told the Daily Mail. “He just can’t see why she is still such a big part of his brother’s life.”
The Duchess was [famously left off the 1,900-strong guest list to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding back in 2011. But since then, the Daily Mail reported, she’s been slowly invited to a few royal events, like the Royal Ascot and the royal family’s summer vacation at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Despite being divorce for 22 years, Ferguson and her husband still have a strong relationship of some sort that not even the British press can quite parse. Nevertheless, the Queen still tries to make sure Ferguson doesn’t end up in the same room as her husband Prince Philip, who reportedly holds a “deep-seated grudge” against Ferguson for incidents like the toe sucking scandal, according to the tabloid.
“It will be fascinating to see if the Duke of Edinburgh acknowledges her,” one Daily Mail source said about Prince Philip’s presence at the wedding. “He has held a grudge against her for a long, long time and normally refuses to even be in the same room as her.”
This might not be a huge problem for either royal, though, because Prince Philip might have to miss the royal wedding altogether. The 96-year-old prince is reportedly still recovering from his hip replacement surgery on April 4, a palace rep said at a press briefing, so he might have to skip his grandson’s nuptials.
Meanwhile, Duchess Fergie could be getting her revenge come October. In February, her daughter Princess Eugenie announced that she would be getting married to longtime boyfriend Jack Brooksbank on October 12, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle—the exact same location as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As the mother of the bride, she’ll probably have some input on the guest list, and this could be her chance to turn the tables.
The British Royal Family’s Best Easter Fashion: See Princess Diana, Kate Middleton, Queen Elizabeth II, and More
Diana, Princess of Wales, with her son Prince William and her nephew Peter Phillips on their way to Easter service in 1987. The princess is wearing a pale blue coat designed by Catherine Walker, who made a similar one for Prince William. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother attend the Easter service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, circa 1987. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
From left: Peter Phillips, Prince William, Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles attend the Easter service at Windsor, April 19, 1987. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)
The Duchess of York attending an Easter Service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in 1988. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)
Diana, Princess of Wales, with Prince William, and Prince Harry, during the Easter weekend, at Windsor Castle, on April 2, 1988 in Windsor, United Kingdom . Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Queen Elizabeth II attends the Easter service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, March 1988. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Charles, Prince of Wales, his son Prince William, and Diana, Princess of Wales, attend the Royal Easter Service at St George’s Chapel on March 26, 1989, in Windsor, England. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and Diana, the Princess of Wales, holding Easter eggs after attending morning service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle in 1991. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Princess Diana and her son Prince William leaving Windsor Chapel after the traditional Easter service, April 1992. They are both holding Easter eggs that had been given to them. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Zara Phillips, daughter of the Princess Royal, and Prince Edward’s then fiancée Sophie Rhys-Jones leaving St George’s Chapel in Windsor, following the Easter Sunday service in 1999. (Photo by John Stillwell – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II smiling at Windsor Castle for Easter service in 2003. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)
Children give flowers to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as she leaves the Easter Sunday church service in Windsor on April 4, 2010. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Members of the royal family arrive to attend the Easter Matins at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on April 24, 2011, in Windsor, England. The annual service attended by the Queen and members of the royal family was one of the last formal royal engagements before the marriage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. From left to right: Princess Eugenie; Sophie, Countess of Wessex; Princess Beatrice; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex; Princess Anne, Princess Royal. (Photo by Oli Scarff – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is escorted past awaiting fans following Easter Sunday service at St Andrews Cathedral on April 20, 2014, in Sydney, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were on a three-week tour of Australia and New Zealand, the first official trip overseas with their son, Prince George of Cambridge. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams – Pool/Getty Images)
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, attend the traditional Royal Maundy Service at Sheffield Cathedral on April 2, 2015, in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, with Lady Louise Windsor, attend the Easter Sunday Service at St George’s Chapel on March 27, 2016, in Windsor, England. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, leave after the Easter Sunday church service at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on March 27, 2016, in Windsor, England. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, attend Easterservice at St George’s Chapel on April 16, 2017 in Windsor, England. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
