Why Sarah Ferguson was NOT invited to Prince Philip’s funeral

Sarah, Duchess of York, will not be among the royals present at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on Saturday, April 17 at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

Following the tragic death of Prince Philip on April 9, the author, who has stayed friendly with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, has no doubt been supporting the Queen, the Duke of York, and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

According to royal sources, Fergie, 61, will not be attending the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral on Saturday.

Because of her close relationship with Prince Andrew and her position as Beatrice and Eugenie's mother, some may have thought Sarah would be invited.

While it is unclear why Sarah was not invited to Prince Philip's funeral, Buckingham Palace has stated that the Queen had to make “some very difficult” choices while confirming the funeral guest list.

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “At its heart it is still a family event.

“We are following the Covid guidelines. There was a limit on who could be invited as a guest and Her Majesty wanted to ensure that all branches of the Duke's family were there, and had to make some very difficult decisions about who would be there .

“For those that unfortunately can't be there, I'm sure they will be making their own private arrangements about how they commemorate the Duke, and indeed celebrate the Duke.”

Sarah may have been left off the guest list because she was said to have had a strained relationship with Prince Philip after her divorce from Prince Andrew.

The Queen could have welcomed Sarah if she had been able to invite more than 30 people, since it is believed that the Queen and her ex-daughter-in-law have a strong friendship.

Sarah and Andrew have recently been accompanying the Queen on her frequent walks, according to The Sun.

Shortly after the palace's sad declaration, the Duchess also canceled an appearance at Waterstones last weekend.

On the 11th of April, Sarah was scheduled to talk at a virtual event for the bookstore with award-winning author Beatrice Blue.

Fergie has been seen driving to Windsor Castle on a regular basis to join the Queen on walks around the gardens.

The Duchess's friendship with the Duke of Edinburgh never improved following a weekend she spent at Balmoral in 1992, which culminated with the release of images showing her topless by a pool in France while her toes were sucked by ‘financial advisor' John Bryan.

Fergie, on the other hand, has given a touching homage to the late Duke by dedicating a magnolia tree to him at Royal Lodge, the Windsor home she shares with Prince Andrew.

The Queen's four children, Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward, as well as Fergie and Andrew's daughters Eugenie and Beatrice, and the queen's other grandchildren, will attend the ceremony at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

In 2011, the Duchess was not invited to Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding, but she was present at Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding in 2018.

On Sunday, Prince Andrew gave his first interview after resigning from public life in 2019 during a storm of speculation around his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

“She [ The Queen ] described it as having left a huge void in her life,” he said of his father's passing. “But we – her family – are rallying around to make sure we are there to support her and I know that there is a huge amount of support not just for her, but for everybody as we go through this enormous change.”

RELATED : Fergie and Prince Philip feud 

Fergie was considered “beyond the pale” by Prince Philip.

According to a royal biographer, the late Prince Philip felt Sarah Ferguson was “beyond the pale” and gave her a broad berth after toe-sucking snaps surfaced.

The Duke of Edinburgh, according to Gyles Brandreth, concluded that ‘it was enough' and that he didn't want anything to do with her any more.

The Duke and Duchess of York married in 1986, but their union ended in disgrace only six years later.

In March 1992, Sarah Ferguson, also identified as “Fergie,” and Prince Andrew declared their split.

Five months later, the Duchess was engulfed in a storm after provocative photos of her with her ‘financial advisor' were revealed in the Daily Mirror, taken at her holiday villa in St Tropez.

The images, taken with a telephoto lens while the pair lounged by the lake, show Texan millionaire John Bryan kissing and sucking the Duchess' toes and arch.

The pair was also seen laughing, hugging, and frolicking in the water.

“That Andrew and Sarah appeared to remain friends after their separation — and that they shared a home even after their divorce — seemed to him ‘truly bizarre',” Gyles claims.