IT'S FERGIE TIME
Sarah Ferguson’s royal return ‘shows Charles appreciates her looking after disgraced Prince Andrew… but it’s a big risk’
Fergie has worked her way back into the family following a string of controversies
FOR three decades she was cast out into the cold – but Sarah Ferguson’s triumphant return to Sandringham signifies a “show of support and appreciation” from King Charles for looking after his disgraced brother.
The Duchess of York, 64, was all smiles as she joined the royals, including ex-husband Prince Andrew, in church on Christmas Day for the first time in 32 years.
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It’s a remarkable comeback, but royal biographer Ingrid Seward says Charles admires the way she has looked after his brother.
“He always liked Fergie,” she says. “I think being ‘included’ this year is a public show of support and appreciation from the King for dealing with Andrew.”
Despite being divorced since 1996, Fergie has remained loyal to Andrew, 63, who is bracing himself for yet further scrutiny in the new year over his alleged links to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Last week, a US judge ruled that documents relating to more than 170 people who were either associates, friends or victims of the disgraced financier should be made public.
Sarah and Andrew — parents to daughters Princess Beatrice, 35, and Princess Eugenie, 33 — have remained amicable and still live together in separate wings of the Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Despite their divorce and Andrew’s problems, the pair and their daughters have remained close, as shown in a family snap that Fergie posted on Instagram in 2020.
‘Made herself scarce’
But the Prince and Fergie may not be in the Royal Lodge for much longer.
Ingrid says: “Charles thinks it is far too expensive and a ridiculously large property for one man.
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“The grounds are 98 acres and there are 30 rooms. It costs a fortune to run so, to the green King, it doesn’t make sense. But I don’t think he would throw Andrew out.
“I am certain Charles feels very sorry indeed for his brother, but he must also know Andrew has brought most of his problems on himself.”
Royal author Norman Baker adds that Charles’s goodwill gesture to Sarah could even be a trial run.
He says: “Fergie could be being used as a test to soften up the public for the rehabilitation of Andrew, which the Prince of Sleaze is desperate to achieve.
“It is standard practice for the royals to seek to wait for a public controversy to die down before rehabilitating whoever has been forced to absent themselves from the limelight.
“We saw it with Camilla, who was regarded hugely unfavourably by the public after the details of her affair with Charles emerged.
“It took almost 20 years of grindingly slow royal spin before she could be accepted as Queen, as Charles had always intended.
“We saw it with Charles’s close associate Michael Fawcett, who has been forced to resign on three occasions and is always brought back into service when the heat is off.
“And we are now seeing it with Fergie, whose colourful past is one that can only damage the Royal Family by association.”
Sarah, who was invited to Christmas dinner for the first time in three decades last year, was banished in 1992 after photos surfaced of her reported affair with her American financial adviser, Steve Wyatt.
She was then embroiled in another embarrassing scandal that year when Texan millionaire John Bryan was pictured sucking her toes as she sunbathed topless while on holiday.
After her divorce from Andrew, she managed to retain her Duchess of York title, but became persona non grata with the senior royals.
Norman says: “Her absence since was partly down to Prince Philip, for whom she was beyond the pale.
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“He barred her from such events. His death means that particular obstacle has been removed.”
Ingrid, Editor-in-Chief of Majesty magazine and author of the biography Sarah, Duchess of York, said: “Fergie has almost always been at Sandringham over Christmas, but she made herself scarce.
“Andrew would pick up the girls for lunch and tea with Granny and then deliver them back later.
“As a divorcee she was treated better than the others, as the Queen was fond of her. But as Prince Philip couldn’t stand her, she wasn’t invited to the big house.
“King Charles changed all that, but Fergie still missed the royal churchgoing last year.”
Sarah clearly enjoyed the Christmas Day walkabout — she was said to be the last member of the Royal Family to return to Sandringham after the service because she spent so long speaking to members of the public.
Ingrid says: “I don’t think Fergie wants to be back in the royal fold.
But she wants to be appreciated and liked.
“King Charles won’t have her doing royal duties or being a member of the slimmed-down monarchy. But he wants her to be included in the private part of the family.”
But Norman warns his majesty is “taking a big risk with the reputation of the Royal Family” welcoming back scandal-prone Sarah.
Despite her reported £3milllion divorce settlement, which included £500,000 in cash provided by the now late Queen, the Duchess got herself into financial trouble in 2010 following a string of ill-fated business deals.
As well as becoming a Weight Watchers representative in the US, she signed up as an after-dinner speaker, making more than £40,000 a gig.
She was also a spokesman for Waterford Wedgwood in the US, reportedly getting £500,000 for a 12-month contract with the luxury tableware brand.
But in 2009 Hartmoor, her US lifestyle and wellness firm, folded with debts of more than £600,000.
The following year, she heaped more shame on the Royal Family after she was exposed by a News of the World sting operation in which she promised to obtain access to her ex-husband in return for £500,000.
She then apologised for a “serious lapse in judgment”.
In 2011, it was reported she had accepted £15,000 from Epstein to cover her debts, and that Prince Andrew arranged the payment.
She called the arrangement a “gigantic error of judgment”.
Ingrid says: “Fergie appreciates the high life and all it brings. She is also super-generous, but seemingly unaware how much her generosity costs her.”
But for the past few years the Duchess has been working hard on reinventing herself as a bestselling author of children’s books.
‘Complete nonsense’
Speaking earlier this year, she said: “I feel very proud to have embarked on a new career in my sixties. Not many people get that opportunity.
“Now having married into the Royal Family isn’t my only claim to fame — I’m an author who has made The Sunday Times Bestsellers List.”
In recent months, Sarah has boosted her profile with a stint guest-editing TV’s This Morning, where she talked about the “honour” of inheriting two of the late Queen’s Corgis and sharing her breast cancer battle.
She won plaudits for speaking openly about her diagnosis and treatment, as well as encouraging women to attend screenings.
Sarah, who was diagnosed with an early form of cancer in June after it was picked up on a routine mammogram, dubbed her single mastectomy a “badge of office” during an appearance on Good Morning Britain.
GMB host Susanna Reid praised her for raising awareness, saying: “I think the reason that she’s open about this is she wants this to be a wake-up call to people.”
Despite offers, Sarah has refused to spill the beans by taking part in reality TV shows. She recently denied claims she is set to appear on the ITV revival of Celebrity Big Brother when it returns next year.
A spokesman called the suggestion “complete nonsense”, adding: “As is widely known, she does not consider reality TV formats.”
Sarah has shown much loyalty to the Royal Family over the years, including supporting her former husband during the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.
She described the late Queen as a “great mentor”, saying in 2021: “Honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother.”
Robert Jobson, author of the bestselling book Our King: Charles III: The Man And The Monarch Revealed, says he wasn’t surprised to see Fergie at Sandringham.
The royal expert explains: “This is part of the new way of the King. He’s very accepting of her. It’s an acknowledgement of her support.
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“She’s not done anything badly wrong in recent years.
“It shows Charles is quite relaxed about it.”
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