Why Isn't Sarah Ferguson Invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Intimate Friends-and-Family Wedding Reception?

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published 19 May 2018

Update 5/19: Sarah Ferguson has arrived at St. George's Chapel for the royal wedding (opens in new tab). Earlier reports stated that the Duchess of York would attend Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding ceremony, but would not be present at the more exclusive evening festivities.

The Duchess of York has arrived - the Mail previously revealed she had been invited to the ceremony but not the evening event. She will be sitting in the Quire, on the opposite stall from her family, who are with the Queen.May 19, 2018

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According to a royal reporter, Sarah is seated in the Quire on the opposite side of the royal family who will be sitting with the Queen. The Duchess of York has a notoriously strained relationship with her former in-laws, and Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, is said to be responsible for the evening invite snub.

Original story 5/7:

Ah, royal wedding drama! Duchess Fergie, a.k.a. Sarah Ferguson, a.k.a. Prince Andrew's ex-wife (yes, ex—they split in 1996 but still remain super close (opens in new tab)), was reportedly snubbed an invite (opens in new tab) to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's second wedding reception on May 19. The evening reception, hosted by Prince Charles, will only include 200 of the royals' closest family and friends.

Prince Andrew is Prince Charles' younger brother, which makes him Prince Harry's uncle and Fergie his (ex) aunt. Fergie's two children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie (opens in new tab), have apparently been invited to the reception. So basically, Fergie's entire immediate family will be in attendance—minus herself. The Duchess of York was not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011 (opens in new tab), but she will reportedly be present at Harry and Meghan's wedding ceremony and luncheon hosted by the Queen.

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So what's the reason behind the snub? "Numbers are limited to the evening party. She is not a member of the royal family anymore and Prince Charles simply doesn’t have time for her," according to a source from the Daily Mail (opens in new tab). "He just can’t see why she is still such a big part of his brother’s life." Ouch.

The private ceremony is set to take place at Frogmore House, the place where Harry and Meghan took their engagement portraits (opens in new tab). According to MarieClaire.com's royal wedding expert Caroline Castigliano (opens in new tab), this is the part of the special day where Harry and Meghan will "create an atmosphere and style that is true to them."

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Rachel Epstein is a writer, editor, and content strategist based in New York City. Most recently, she was the Managing Editor at Coveteur, where she oversaw the site’s day-to-day editorial operations. Previously, she was an editor at Marie Claire, where she wrote and edited culture, politics, and lifestyle stories ranging from op-eds to profiles to ambitious packages. She also launched and managed the site’s virtual book club, #ReadWithMC. Offline, she’s likely watching a Heat game or finding a new coffee shop.