Sarah Ferguson Insists Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Can’t ‘Sit on the Fence’ With Royal Family: ‘You Chose to Leave’
Sarah Ferguson knows a thing or two about breaking away from the royal family. She famously exited the clan upon her divorce from Prince Andrew and has since made a new life for herself as a writer, spokesperson, and media personality. She navigated her own exit from the House of Windsor and shared advice for her nephew Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, as they try to figure out their place in the royal family moving forward.
Sarah Ferguson married into the royal family in 1986
The Duchess of York first met Prince Andrew, King Charles III’s younger brother, when they were children. However, they weren’t formally introduced until Princess Diana introduced them in 1985.
The couple sat next to one another at Ascot, and from then on, they were inseparable. Ferguson and Andrew wed in 1986. Their royal wedding came just three months after their engagement was announced in March 1986.
Ferguson and Andrew welcomed their first child, Princess Beatrice, in August 1988. Their second child, Princess Eugenie, followed 19 months later in March 1990.
After nearly six years of marriage, Fergie and Prince Andrew legally separated in March 1992. She cited that Andrew was never home due to his career in the Royal Navy. They divorced in 1996.
The pair remained close, co-parenting their daughters and sometimes living together in their family home, The Royal Lodge at Windsor. Ferguson also has a residence in the United States.
As a former royal who understands what it means to forge out on one’s own, Ferguson relates somewhat to Harry and Meghan’s issues. However, she has some practical advice for the couple, saying they can’t have it both ways.
‘You chose to leave’ says Sarah Ferguson to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Sarah Ferguson admits that leaving the royal family comes with its challenges. However, she stresses they must understand that they can’t be half in and half out.
The Duchess of York shared her views on the topic with the Independent. “Well, you can’t have it both ways,” she said of her experience leaving the royal family.
“You can’t sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. You’re either in or out. But then don’t cry about not being invited to weddings. You chose to leave, now go and live it and be it,” she concluded.
However, Ferguson had a more practical take on the situation regarding her nephew and his wife. When she divorced Andrew, she made a hard and fast decision. “It was my decision. If I’m going to go, then go.”
The Duchess of York has attended few royal events in the years since her split from Prince Andrew
Sarah Ferguson missed many events since she formally left the royal family. She was not invited to the nuptials of Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, in 1999. Edward is Andrew’s younger brother and the fourth of Queen Elizabeth II’s children, behind King Charles II, Princess Anne, and Andrew.
The Duchess of York was not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding. She reflected on not receiving an invite to the family affair during a July 2021 interview with Town & Country, noting, “I didn’t think I was probably worthy of going to their wedding.”
But, she did attend Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s nuptials in 2018. She told Good Morning Britain, “It was very kind of them” to include her in their special day.
Ferguson was in attendance to pay her respects at Queen Elizabeth’s funeral in September 2022 after her death. She attended the monarch’s funeral alongside Andrew and their daughters.
Sarah Ferguson recently published a book titled “A Most Intriguing Lady.” She has published 24 books thus far.
