While it’s safe to say that Westminster Abbey will be bustling with well-dressed attendees of royal lineage and British nobility, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, will not be one of them.
Charles’ former sister-in-law has confirmed The Independent’s report that she was not invited to the official coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
She will, however, join the celebration of the coronation taking place at Windsor Castle, where she currently lives, including the coronation concert where the likes of Lionel Richie and Katy Perry will be performing.
It is a surprise for the British public, who would have likely assumed the duchess, previously married to Prince Andrew, would be sitting with her children Beatrice and Eugenie. While their RSVP is not confirmed, as 10th and 11th in line to the throne, it is expected that the sisters will attend their uncle’s coronation.
Despite the perceived snub, Fergie, as she is commonly known, has not let the lack of invitation get in the way of her message of family unity.
She told Loose Women, “I personally will be having a little tearoom and coronation chicken sandwich and putting out the bunting. That’s what I’m going to be doing, because that would make me very happy.”
It’s a sentiment many royal fans echo, as they plan gatherings to celebrate the incoming king.
She also told People, “I’m very supportive of the King and the Queen Consort, and I really am glad to do whatever it takes to support them on their road ahead.”
The Duchess, who has recently been on a press tour to promote her new novel A Most Intriguing Lady, also made an appearance on Good Morning Britain, explaining why she was not invited.
“It’s a state occasion, and being divorced, I don’t think you can have it both ways,” she said. “I am divorced and I’m really loving being divorced to my ex-husband, not from him but to him, it’s important to differentiate.
“That’s a lovely feeling to be part of, it really is. As I said you can’t have it both ways. You mustn’t sit on the fence. You’re either in or out, don’t muck around… The great thing about this moment in time is the unity of family, and I think that Charles and Camilla are doing an exceptional job at unifying the family.”
Naturally, this so-called unity has been challenged in recent months, with the headline making moves of Charles’ second-born son Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle.
Like Sarah Ferguson, Meghan will not be in attendance at the coronation, although she did receive the honour of an invite. She will instead stay home with the children and celebrate her son Prince Archie’s 4th birthday, which falls on the same day as the coronation.
While Sarah Ferguson may not have been invited, it is unsure yet if her husband, who was dismissed from royal duties following the revelation of his connections with convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein, will attend.
His RSVP has not been confirmed, but given his presence at his mother Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, it is widely speculated that he will attend his brother’s coronation alongside siblings Princess Anne and Prince Edward.
