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The full, 30-person guest list for Prince Philip’s funeral this weekend has been officially confirmed by Buckingham Palace.
And while there are many familiar and expected names on there, royal watchers have been quick to point out one person who’s notably absent from the guest list: Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York.
Sarah’s ex-husband Prince Andrew and their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, as well as their respective husbands, will all be in attendance, but sadly for Sarah she will have to watch the day’s proceedings from home.
Due to the current COVID guidelines, only 30 select family members can attend the funeral but when it comes to Prince Philip and Fergie, the pair’s fraught history runs deep.
Despite the snub, the 61-year-old has remained a pillar of strength and support for the grieving family with UK paper The Sun reporting Fergie and Prince Andrew have been “by Her Majesty’s side this week.”
The pair, who both live together at the Royal Lodge, have reportedly been visiting the Queen around the corner at Windsor Castle several times a day to go walking with her and her corgis.
It’s well-known in royal circles that Prince Philip wasn’t a fan of his son Prince Andrew’s ex-wife but despite the beef, Andrew and Fergie remain the friendliest of exes.
Following Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s separation, the tabloids had a field day when paparazzi shots of Fergie sunbathing topless emerged.
In 1992 Fergie’s reputation took another battering when pictures showing her getting her toes sucked by oil tycoon John Bryan were published.
In 2010, she was caught on camera accepting money from an undercover reporter in exchange for promising access to Prince Andrew in a News Of The World sting.
Prince Philip and Fergie shared a robust relationship.
(Image: Getty)And while the Duke of York forgave her for her indiscretions, the rest of the royals weren’t so sympathetic.
Princess Anne and Prince Charles cut ties with their former sister-in-law long ago, with a source telling the Daily Mail the future King “doesn’t have time for her.”
Royal correspondent James Whitaker said Prince Philip once described the Duchess of York as “having no point” and she was not invited to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding day in 2011.
Speaking to talk show queen Oprah Winfrey, Sarah said the 2011 royal wedding snub hurt her deeply.
“It was so difficult. Because I wanted to be there with my girls and to be getting them dressed and to go as a family. And it was also hard because the last bride up that aisle was me,” she reflected.
Sarah has previously spoken about her hurt at not being invited to Prince William and Duchess Catherine’s wedding.
(Image: Getty)Despite her scandal-prone past, in May 2018 she was welcomed back into the royal fold after landing an invite to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle and the lunchtime reception. However, she was not invited to the third and final act – the evening reception at Frogmore House.
In 2019, Prince Philip and Sarah were pictured together for the first time in 26 as they posed for official family portraits at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank.
Thankfully one royal Sarah has on her side is The Queen. During her marriage to Prince Andrew, Sarah opened up about their close bond in her autobiography My Story.
“In private I called her mama. When she waved me to sit next to her in the car or at church, I felt favoured and blessed,” she shared.
History in the making: Prince Philip and Fergie were pictured for the first time in over two decades when they posed together for Princess Eugenie’s wedding portrait in 2018.
(Image: Alex Bramall / Instagram @hrhdukeofyork)When Sarah and Andrew decided to separate in 1992, The Queen reportedly asked them not to.
“She asked me to reconsider, to be strong and go forward,” Sarah claimed.
Since her 1996 divorce and despite her many headline-making gaffes, The Queen has gradually welcomed Sarah back – letting her stay at Balmoral every year with her daughters and also inviting her to join the family at Royal Ascot.
Most recently, Fergie has stood by Prince Andrew’s side after he stepped back from royal duties following his disastrous interview on the BBC, which shone a light on his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and his ties with Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked to the Duke for sex when she was underage. Prince Andrew vehemently denies Giuffre’s claims.
Remembering Prince Philip: Check out our full coverage below
Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, has died aged 99
Prince Philip’s funeral – here’s everything you need to know
A gun-salute and an online book of condolence: Australia reacts to the death of Prince Philip
Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip shared a beautiful love story
The royals gather together for a quiet service in honour of their beloved father and grandfather
The Duke of Hazard! A look back at Prince Philip’s naughtiest gaffes from over the years
