A public divorce, a toe-sucking scandal, and a strange relationship between exes.
Not everyone was invited to the queen's funeral, but Fergie managed to score a seat.
In the days leading up to Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, Prince Andrew's multiple
appearances at royal engagements generated a great deal of drama. Andrew was forced to
step back from official royal duties in 2020 due to Virginia Giuffre's allegations that
he sexually abused her when she was underage. Giuffre subsequently filed a civil suit against
the royal that was settled out of court. However, Prince Andrew was allowed to wear
his military garb when he stood vigil beside his mother's coffin. According to The Times,
this was reportedly a compassionate allowance by his older brother King Charles III.
Andrew's high level of visibility at the vigil and other funeral events had some royal watchers
curious about whether his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, would be invited to the queen's
funeral. Of course, the Duke and Duchess of York made their divorce official in 1996,
but they have continued to live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor. They've also remained
on friendly terms despite Andrew's very public scandal, and the couple's daughters,
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were especially close with the queen.
"We are such a family unit."
Although Ferguson has maintained many strong ties to the royal family, her presence at
Her Majesty's funeral was in no way a sure thing. In fact, it was rather exceptional.
In the modern age, it's not uncommon for royals to get divorced. But once you're no longer married
to a member of the royal family, you generally shouldn't expect to receive invites to family
affairs like Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. In fact, a number of ex-royals weren't in
attendance at the event, such as Princess Anne's ex-husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and Peter
Phillips' ex-wife, Autumn. Royal expert Ingrid Seward explained their absence, telling Femail,
"Because it was a state funeral, protocol had to be enforced. All the Heads of State,
Commonwealth leaders and foreign Kings and Queens had priority over friends."
However, a special exception was seemingly made for Sarah Ferguson.
This was apparently down to the special relationship she maintained with Elizabeth,
even after divorcing Prince Andrew. At the funeral, Ferguson appeared to pay tribute
to her friend by wearing a silver brooch shaped like a swallow in flight, which is
often a symbol of mourning. Paying tribute to the late monarch, Ferguson wrote on Instagram,
"To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend. I will always
be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me
even after my divorce. I will miss her more than words can express."
It was also announced that Queen Elizabeth II's famous corgis will spend the rest of
their days with Sarah and Andrew at Royal Lodge in Windsor. As for
why the queen chose the Yorks to care for her dogs, an insider told People,
"It was the Duchess who found the puppies, which were gifted to Her Majesty by the Duke."
During the queen's funeral, Ferguson was sat in the second row with daughter Princess Eugenie and
son-in-law Jack Brooksbank. Princess Beatrice sat on the opposite side of the aisle with husband,
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, while Prince Andrew sat in the front row with his siblings.
When Sarah Ferguson was photographed with her toes
in another man's mouth while she was still married to Prince Andrew,
Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly greatly displeased. In fact, the Express reported
that the monarch ordered the duchess to make a hasty exit from her Balmoral residence.
However, Ferguson and the queen managed to forge an unexpected friendship,
despite all of the drama. According to The Sydney Morning Herald,
Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie likely helped restore their mother's
status within the royal family. In 2021, Ferguson spoke about just how close she
and Elizabeth had become in an appearance on the "Tea with Twiggy" podcast, explaining,
"I think to myself that honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of
a mother to me than my mother. [...] I admire the incredible way that Her Majesty is so modern. And
how flexible, and how understanding, and how forgiving and how generous."