Fergie may have been used as 'broker' to bring Prince Andrew back into fold
Sarah Ferguson may have been used as a "broker" to help bring her ex-husband Prince Andrew back into the Royal Family fold.
The disgraced Duke of York had been pushed to the sidelines of the Firm after being forced to step down from duties and having his military titles stripped by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The 63-year-old dad of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie was dropped after a car crash BBC Newsnight interview in November 2019 in which he said he didn't regret his friendship with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Then last year he made an extraordinary £12million out-of-court settlement with sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, in order to stop a full trial in a US court. The settlement was made without any admission of liability and Prince Andrew has denied the allegation.
There was some criticism aimed at the Firm after Andrew was allowed to personally escort his late mum during the funeral of his father Prince Philip. And again when he was permitted to wear his garter robes during King Charles' coronation in May this year.
Now, the King is said to have overruled Prince William by ordering the family to fall in line in welcoming the disgraced Duke back into the family fold, it has been claimed.
Teachers, civil servants and train drivers walk out in biggest strike in decade
Andrew, Charles and William among other male royals at the funeral of Prince Philip (WireImage)The monarch has made it clear to the senior royals that Prince Andrew would not be shut out any longer and suggested the Prince of Wales would be the one to drive him to church in Scotland last Sunday, sources have revealed. His appearance alongside the future king and queen, while knowing they would all be photographed, has been seen as a major boost in the York camp towards the Duke’s rehabilitation.
One Balmoral insider suggested there had been some confusion over how Andrew would be travelling to church until he received a call on Sunday morning prior to going. After the public declaration of support from William and Kate, with Andrew riding in the car to and from the service in Balmoral where the royals are on holiday, one source said: “It’s more than he (Andrew) could have wished for.”
The Queen had stripped Andrew of his military titles (Getty Images)Meanwhile, well-placed sources have revealed how Andrew's ex-wife, 'Fergie', who is staying at Balmoral with the royals, alongside her former husband and their children has been the “life and soul” of family gatherings. One Balmoral insider said she had been seen talking to the King and Prince William on “several separate occasions”.
The recent developments have given rise to the theory that Fergie has been a “broker” of her former husband’s brief resurgence in the family. Insiders also suggested the Duke would be buoyed by the family's show of support after being forced to miss public events and stand aside from all royal duties in recent years.
Royal sources have deemed the support for Andrew a remarkable turn of events after both Charles and William last year lobbied the late Queen to strip him of his prized military titles and charity patronages after he was forced to pay his sex abuse accuser.
William also said he would boycott a major royal event with his wife Kate last June if his uncle was allowed to take part in the procession. The Queen had wished her disgraced son to join in the Garter Day parade at Windsor Castle but was blocked by her heirs who reacted furiously, suggesting there could be a “backlash” if he was seen in public.
One insider said that while William may have attended private functions with his uncle, namely last Christmas at Sandringham aside from the Queen’s funeral and King’s Coronation, he had absolutely no desire to be seen with the Duke in public. “It appears he may have had his wings clipped somewhat”, said another source.
The King has had several conversations with his brother and decided, while he will not return to public duties as would be the Duke’s preference, he should be welcomed back into the fold. A source said: “The King feels he has an awful lot on his in-tray and this is one issue he wants to draw a line under.” Neither Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace commented.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
