Is Fergie back in the royal fold?
The resurrection of Sarah, Duchess of York
Hi Royal Clubbers,
You would normally be hearing from my fellow author Emily Nash today, but as she's on holiday, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me!
The royal family's Easter gathering at the weekend was the chance for King Charles to make his big comeback. The monarch hadn't taken part in a large-scale, public-facing event since his diagnosis for cancer was announced in February, so this really was Charles' time to shine and show that the road ahead is "looking very positive," as one palace spokesperson put it.
The fact that he took part in a surprise walkabout outside Windsor Castle, stopping to chat with members of the public and to shake hands, was a reminder of his pre-diagnosis days when Charles appeared in his element. I wrote more about it in my newsletter on Monday, which you can read here.
But another member of his family who also made an Easter comeback was his ex-sister-in-law, Sarah, Duchess of York – who hasn't joined the royals at an Easter church service since 1991. I was therefore very surprised to see Fergie, as she is dubbed by the public and the press, walk into St George's Chapel with her ex-husband Prince Andrew, and also walk back up to the big house with Princess Anne and Timothy Laurence.
We know just how friendly Sarah is with her ex (they still live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor), but it was still a surprise to see her make up what was a very small royal gathering. The palace had previously warned that this year's Easter service would see Charles and Camilla joined by only a handful of family members, so for Sarah to make the cut was a very telling sign.