It’s the moment royal watchers have been waiting for!
And today, after decades of a somewhat tense relationship with her former in-laws, Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York has been welcomed back into the royal fold at her youngest daughter Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
Fergie looked the picture of poised perfection as she made her royal wedding debut, stepping out in a glamorous green suit dress, the mother of the bride cut a truly resplendent figure.
The 58-year-old arrived in a vintage Rolls Royce with her oldest daughter and maid of honour, Princess Beatrice, who stunned in blue.
Behind the mother-of-two’s beaming smile no doubt lies some understandable angst and trepidation over the monumental day ahead.
On top of the normal stress of watching your child get married, Sarah Ferguson also has to contend with some very complex family politics.
According to royal experts, Sarah and Prince Philip’s long-running feud will have to be expertly managed throughout today’s proceedings at Windsor Castle.
It’s well-known in royal circles that Prince Philip isn’t a fan of his son Prince Andrew’s ex-wife but despite the beef, Andrew and Fergie remain the friendliest of exes.
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That’s one proud mother-of-the-bride.
Fergie arrived with Princess Beatrice.
She’s positively beaming.
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.
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.”
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Fergie and Bea greet the crowds.
A royal wave from the mother and daughter.
Sarah and Bea rally around the bridal party.
On her best behaviour: Sarah knows she’ll be watched very closely today.
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.
Despite her scandal-prone past, in May 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.
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.
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.
Today officially signals the mark of a new and exciting chapter for Fergie, and while we can’t expect her to be doing a wedding waltz with Prince Philip, the two will pose together for the first time in 26 years for Princess Eugenie’s official family wedding portrait.
How’s that for a progressive leap forward?
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How low can you go? Fergie curtsies to The Queen at Royal Ascot this year.
Philip may not be a Fergie fan, but the royals have gradually welcomed her back into the fold. (Images: Getty and Rex)
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