The Duchess of York will be invited to Prince Harry’s wedding – but questions over her presence have caused a ‘massive headache’ behind the scenes.
Stories claiming that Prince Andrew’s former wife had been left off the guestlist have been shot down by well placed sources.
But the Mail understands that Sarah Ferguson – mother to Harry’s cousins Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie – is only going after Harry fought for her to attend.
The Mail understands that Sarah Ferguson (centre) – mother to Harry’s cousins Princesses Beatrice (left) and Eugenie (right) – is only going to Harry’s wedding after he fought for her to attend
One option being discussed is to invite the duchess to the evening reception only, however a source insisted that Harry wants her present at the ceremony too.
The royal aide said: ‘Harry has nailed his colours to the mast on this. He wants his aunt there – and she will be.’
Another added: ‘Any suggestion she will not be there [at the wedding] is a complete fabrication.’
Senior royals, led by Prince Charles and Prince Philip, have made no bones about the fact that they don’t want the duchess at Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on May 19.
Their stance follows a string of embarrassing incidents since the duchess, 58, and Prince Andrew split in 1996.
Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle will take place at Windsor Castle on May 19 this year
A source said: ‘It has been made very clear by Buckingham Palace that they don’t want the Duchess of York to attend.
Although it is not a state occasion, Prince Harry’s wedding is still a very high profile event which will be attended by all senior royals, led by the Queen.
Courtiers have been adamant that the duchess should not be invited to join them and there have been lengthy conversations about the issue.
‘With every wedding there is an issue over who to invite, and this time it’s very much been the “awkward aunt” problem.
‘It has thrown up a massive headache for the two palaces [Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, where Harry is based].’
When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married in 2011, Sarah was very noticeably absent and spent the ceremony at a spa in Thailand.
Princess Eugenie is set to marry former barman Jack Brooksbank on October 12, also at Windsor Castle
But according to the source, Harry, who is close to his cousins – particularly Eugenie, who will herself marry at Windsor in October – has dug in his heels and made clear he wants her there when he walks down the aisle.
The fifth in line to the throne has kept in touch with Sarah, known as Fergie, over the years, and has previously holidayed at the Swiss ski chalet she bought for an estimated £13million with her former husband.
‘He absolutely, 100 per cent wants her there and has told palace officials that in no uncertain terms,’ the source said.
Inviting her only to the evening event – which may be held at Frogmore House in the grounds of Windsor Great Park – is seen as an possible option.
This is partly being used to cater for guests whose presence at the wedding ceremony would be more difficult, as well as the couple’s wider circle of friends.
‘There will be an informal dinner followed by party in the evening for up 600 guests, mostly comprised of Harry and Meghan’s huge circle of friends, which many of the senior royals won’t be at,’ the source explained.
‘It’s going to be a much more relaxed and fun event, but there will still be speeches given at the dinner, so the guests will very much feel like they are part of the big day.
‘This could be a compromise between the two camps.’
A string of embarrassing incidents followed the split of the duchess, 58, (pictured) and Prince Andrew in 1996
Andrew and Sarah divorced in 1996 after photographs of her cavorting in the South of France with her ‘financial advisor’, John Bryan, were published.
The duchess has since recalled her humiliation when the story broke as she was holidaying with the Queen at Balmoral in Scotland and ‘advised’ that she should return to London.
It later emerged that her profligate spending had also left her owing £5million to the royal bank, Coutts. After her divorce she worked hard to recoup the money, representing firms such as Weight Watchers in the US.
For several years she was on an even keel, but a series of bad investments and the collapse of a fledging ‘lifestyle’ company saw her on the brink of bankruptcy again in 2010.
Her desperation was such that she found herself at the heart of a ‘sting’ by the now disgraced News Of The World investigator, Mazher Mahmood, known as the Fake Sheik, offering to sell access to her former husband for £500,000.
Despite all the trials and tribulations over the years, Sarah has remained extremely close to her ex-husband – indeed the couple continue to live at Royal Lodge, his Windsor home.
The Queen has recently begun to allow her into the royal enclosure at Ascot after years in royal purdah, and even allowed her to accompany her daughters to Balmoral – but only when Prince Philip isn’t there.
He once vowed never to be in the same room as her again, which has already caused much speculation about how he will react at the wedding of his grand-daughter Eugenie.
The Princess is set to marry former barman Jack Brooksbank on October 12.