A touching tribute. Nationwide grief. Throughout it all, royal watchers are
always looking for palace intrigue, and in recent days some have been saying… “Where’s Fergie?”
Is Sarah Ferguson even considered a royal anymore? Keep watching to
find out why she’s been completely MIA during this public time of mourning.
The tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8th has brought out senior members
of the royal family en masse. On September 11th, People reported that Princess Anne and her husband
Timothy Lawrence accompanied the queen's coffin from Balmoral Castle, where she died, as it was
transported to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. The following day, according to Metro,
King Charles III, Prince Andrew, and Prince Edward joined Princess Anne in the procession
leading the coffin from Holyroodhouse to St. Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh.
In the days that followed, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Beatrice, and Princess Eugenie
welcomed their grandmother's coffin at Buckingham Palace and were later spotted viewing tributes
left in memory of the long-reigning monarch. And despite the never-ending drama that has
trailed her and Prince Harry's exit as senior members of the royal family, Meghan Markle also
joined the royals to receive the queen's coffin at the palace, as reported by Cosmopolitan.
However, one person who has been missing from the lineup of events is Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of
York. Ferguson, also fondly called Fergie, became a member of the British royal family in July 1986
when she married Prince Andrew. The marriage was short-lived, with the couple getting divorced
in 1996, per Mirror — the same year King Charles and Princess Diana's love story officially ended.
Despite the divorce, however, Fergie has continued to attend major royal events and
is still, in part, considered a member of the family. So, where has she been?
Sarah Ferguson is joining the rest of the UK and the world in mourning Queen Elizabeth II.
Ferguson wrote on Instagram following the announcement of the queen's death,
"I am heartbroken by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen.
She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: the most fantastic example of duty and service and
steadfastness, and a constant steadying presence as our head of state for more than 70 years."
Despite her touching tribute, Fergie has been absent from all royal events since the queen's
passing. On September 16th, however, Fergie was spotted with ex-husband Prince Andrew at
Windsor Castle as they viewed floral tributes left by members of the public in honor of the
late monarch. Per the Daily Mail, this marked her first public appearance since the queen's death.
Fergie, who shares two children, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice,
with Andrew, is believed to have received an invitation to the queen's state funeral,
set for September 19th. Shannon Felton Spence told Fox News,
"She'll be at the funeral, but where she will be sitting will be interesting."
…adding that we should not be expecting to see her seated next to Andrew because, quote,
"she's not an official member of the royal family anymore." Hilary Fordwich, another royal expert,
maintains that even if Ferguson was still married to Prince Andrew, she would not have
had a prominent role amid funeral plans for the queen. Fordwich told Fox News,
"I will just say that you're really only seeing those that are the current
spouses. Don't forget, she's not a current spouse of the Duke of York."
She might have stopped being an official member of the royal family in 1996, but Sarah Ferguson
remained friendly with ex-husband Prince Andrew and, most remarkably, Queen Elizabeth II.
Fergie wrote in her Instagram tribute to the late monarch,
"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."
The duchess had previously opened up about her relationship with Queen Elizabeth,
lauding the monarch for her support throughout the years.
She said on the "Tea with Twiggy" podcast in August 2021,
"I think to myself that honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother."
Fergie went on to describe the queen as her "mentor," adding that her consistency has
been a great honor. Fergie's close relationship with the queen could have been inspired by the
strained relationship with her own mother, Susan Barrantes, who left Fergie as a child to move to
Argentina with her new husband. Barrantes later died in a car crash in 1998, according to People.
Given her seemingly lovely relationship with the queen, it is barely a surprise
that Fergie also managed to be there for the late monarch in difficult times.
Per the Daily Mail, the duchess was one of the many shoulders of support the queen relied upon
following the death of her husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in April 2021.