King Charles III is shaking things up this holiday season!
As the new man in charge, His Majesty is already doing things very differently than his mother Queen Elizabeth II. According to royal biographer Phil Dampier, who spoke with DailyMail.com on Tuesday, the new king has delivered an “invitation for Fergie [Sarah Ferguson] to spend Christmas with the family.” It’s poignant as experts are viewing as an “olive branch” from the monarch to his brother Prince Andrew.
While it might not seem like it at first glance, this invite is actually a HUGE deal! It’s reportedly the first time Sarah’s been invited to spend the holiday with the family since her split in 1992. That’s 30 years! Whoa!
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According to the outlet, it is believed the 63-year-old was invited to join the royals for a festive celebration at the Sandringham Estate in England. She might also make a public appearance with her disgraced ex-husband during the traditional Christmas morning walk to St. Mary Magdalene Church. To the royal expert, this is Charles being “forgiving and kind” to both his younger brother and former sister-in-law. Phil explained:
“This looks like an olive branch from King Charles to his brother, who is otherwise out in the cold.”
Ever since Charles took the throne, he’s shown no interest in letting the Duke of York back into the fold following his Jeffrey Epstein scandal, which saw him lose his military titles and face sexual assault allegations by Virginia Giuffre. So, it’s definitely a significant show of support for the King to invite Fergie to spend the holiday with the family! It’s also something that never would have happened during the Queen’s reign — because of her husband Prince Philip! The source continued:
“He is still a member of the family and by inviting ex wife Fergie it looks as though Charles is being forgiving and kind. It would never have happened while Prince Philip was alive and Fergie spent many Christmases on her own at Wood Farm while the rest of the royals were in the big house. Andy and Fergie’s daughters [Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie] are grown up with kids of their own so it makes sense for them all to be invited, including the Duchess of York.”
And while it’s likely to be great news for the Yorks, don’t expect this to mean rekindled romance for the exes:
“This will please Andrew but I still don’t think he and Sarah will ever remarry.”
According to a Sandringham source via The Sun, preparations are already underway at Wood Farm for the arrival of Andrew, Fergie, and their daughters. They dished on Tuesday:
“Andrew is banned from public life but you can’t ban him from family Christmas. Staff at Sandringham have been tasked with getting Wood Farm ready for the whole York family. When she split with Andrew, Sarah was never allowed at the family Christmas Eve and Christmas Day while Philip and the Queen were alive. For 30 years she used to have Christmas dinner on her own. But things are being done differently now.”
Well, it’ll certainly be a less lonely holiday for the momma! If she chooses to accept the noteworthy invite, she’ll join the royals in a swapping of gifts in Sandringham’s White Room followed by a sit-down evening meal in black tie. Fancy AF!
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Zara Tindall’s husband Mike Tindall is also expected to receive an invite following a recent stint on I’m A Celebrity, and we’d imagine Prince William and Princess Catherine AKA Kate Middleton will have no problems snagging a spot at the party. But don’t expect a total royal reunion since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not expected to receive an invite, per Daily Mail. Oof! Guess you can ban some people from the family Christmas!
Of course, this comes amid Andrew’s ongoing controversies. Ever since his relationship with Epstein made headlines, he’s been facing the fallout of his past, such as being stripped of his official duties by his mother in January. On Monday, he was spotted looking furious after government officials informed him that his £3 million-a-year armed security detail would be axed beginning in December. He has tried to convince Charles to reverse the decision but to no avail. A source told The Sun on Sunday:
“He is going to write to the Home Office and the Met Police to complain about losing his taxpayer-funded security.”
Let’s just say his actions haven’t been met with much sympathy from those in the UK, so we don’t expect a letter to do much now! Dai Davies, a former head of the royal protection, slammed the Duke, calling him an “over-inflated egotist,” per DailyMail. Damn! Davies also argued the money could be better spent on solving crimes in London. Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Why do you think Charles is offering this olive branch his brother’s way if he has no problems being so standoffish in other aspects of their relationship?! Let us know (below)!
