In the '80s and '90s, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York (a.ka. Fergie) seemed trapped in a whirlwind of scandal and public criticism. As the wife of Prince Andrew, her every move seemed to be under a magnifying glass. From the Duchess of York's fairytale royal wedding in 1986 to her turbulent 1996 divorce, Ferguson’s time in the royal spotlight was fraught with challenges. However, these days Fergie seems to be experiencing a bit of a renaissance.
Once seen as the most controversial member of the Royal Family (who can forget her 1992 toe sucking scandal?) Ferguson has managed to reinvent herself, earning the trust and admiration of none other than King Charles and Queen Camilla.
Multiple royal sources have reported that The King and Queen counted on Ferguson, who still lives at Royal Lodge with her amicable ex-husband, to convince the Duke of York to stay home from this year's royal Christmas festivities. It seems that Prince Andrew, who recently found himself under fire for being friends with suspected "Chinese spy" Yang Tengbo, took Ferguson's advice to heart.
While their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were photographed arriving at The King's pre-Christmas lunch on Dec. 19, Prince Andrew and Fergie stayed home. The duke and duchess are also skipping the Royal Family's festivities at Sandringham next week.
A source told the Telegraph that The King was "very grateful" for the "deft family diplomacy" shown by the Duchess of York in the matter. And as the BBC pointed out, King Charles "welcomed" Ferguson's assistance in getting her ex-husband to realize "it was not the time or place for them to attend."
One would think that Prince Andrew ending up in yet another scandal would damage the Duchess of York's reputation, but it seems to have done exactly the opposite. Numerous media outlets praised Ferguson for doing the impossible and talking some reason into Prince Andrew, with the Daily Mail noting that the duchess was "one of the few people to still have his ear."
And before this Christmas's spy scandal, Fergie—who was famously disliked by Prince Philip—had been welcomed back into the royal fold. She was invited to Christmas at Sandringham by The King both years since he's taken the throne, and even walked along with the rest of the Royal Family to church on Christmas Day in 2023—a situation that would have been unfathomable even a few years ago.
As the Telegraph reported, Ferguson's "intervention" is a clear sign that she's "become a valuable ally for The King." The outlet added that Charles and Camilla's reliance on the duchess "is also a further example of how the tide has turned for a woman who was once very much an outsider herself."
Ferguson has a long history with King Charles, recently telling the Sunday Times, "I’ve known The King all my life and I absolutely adore him. He’s kind and makes me laugh, and I love that he still calls me Fergie."
Fergie is also friends with Queen Camilla, revealing to the outlet that The Queen "was close friends" with her mother, Susan Barrantes. The Duchess of York, who was famously tight with Princess Diana, continued that it was "so big that The Queen and I get on now" due to her friendship with the late princess.
"It’s rather nice, and she reminds me of Mum," Ferguson said of Queen Camilla. "I admire the extraordinary support she’s giving this country. I want to do as much for The Queen as possible. I wish they’d ask me to do more."
It seems like Fergie is getting her wish.
