‘Embarrassing’ and a lack of ‘dignified silence’; what has led Fergie to miss out on a coronation invite?

As she stepped out from the Royal Lodge, still being occupied by Prince Andrew despite King Charles III’s attempts to remove him for ‘cost-cutting’ measures, Fergie was said to look ‘glum’ as The Mirror snapped the pair leaving the residency - with good reason too, given that Fergie has been officially ‘snubbed’ from the regal event and not received an invite to next month’s coronation of King Charles III.

That has now led to Royal commentators suggesting that perhaps a litany of faux pas throughout Fergie’s royal life and beyond have left King Charles III with little choice but to avoid inviting his former sister-in-law, to avoid what one Royal report suggested could “provoke critical comment which Charles doesn't need.” It would indicate that perhaps time does not heal all wounds in the Windsor household. 

The snub this time around is especially tough given that as of late, Sarah Ferguson was a regular fixture when it came to royal engagements: the Duchess of York was seen alongside King Charles III such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. But perhaps with the added scrutiny that Prince Andrew has faced, from car-crash interviews to links to the late Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the combination of both attending the coronation might not provide the best optics for a Royal family that look to be modernising themselves further under Charles’ reign. 

Though Fergie and King Charles III were not ‘close’ by all accounts when she married into the Royal family in 1986, she was said to have initially shared a close friendship with Princess Diana, another member of the Royal family who perhaps was unsure just how entrenched in Royal doctrine the “establishment” were. Despite claims of a fall out between the pair over an alleged comment about a pair of shoes being loaned and getting a verruca from Princess Diana, there was never any official communication regarding this matter being a deal-breaker between the two. 

But it is the litany of other issues Fergie became embroiled in that perhaps has led King Charles III to avoid any dramas that she may, even unintentionally, bring to what is set to be one of the most historical days in world history. Be it that calls regarding her toes being sucked, comments about her still very close relationship with Prince Andrew and of course how she was stung trying to sell access to Prince Andrew in return for £500,000 in 2010.

One person that seems happy with the snub is royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, who praised the decision from the King, saying Sarah has been an "embarrassment for many years". Speaking to The Mirror, he stated “the decision not to invite Sarah Ferguson is extremely wise and to be welcomed. She has been an embarrassment to the royal family for many years. Time and again she gives embarrassing interviews, there seems no end to it. There are times when a dignified silence is required which she seems incapable of."

But maybe the snub also comes as collateral damage from the strained relationship Fergie had with the late Queen Elizabeth II? King Charles III has been known to be very close to Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen was reportedly not a fan of Fergie after bringing the royal family into disrepute with “those” toe-sucking photos. Though their relationship towards the end of Queen Elizabeth’s life was less frosty than the ‘90s, including private meals and attending Ascot together in 2018, Fergie was notably absent from the weddings of Prince William and Catherine, Princess of Wales and a number of other public Royal engagements. 

Maybe the snub comes not from the monarchs themselves, but those that are surrounding the Royal household; with such a hallowed affair set to take place, perhaps those in charge of organising the event aren’t tempting any “poor optics” as King Charles III is set to ascend to the throne on May 6?