Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, back in Royal fold with Camilla as an ally trends now
She's been persona non grata among the Royals for years – but the Duchess Of York has unexpectedly been welcomed back into the family fold.
The extraordinary reversal of fortune – which would have been unthinkable if Prince Philip, or indeed the Queen, were still alive – has come after Sarah found a powerful advocate in Camilla.
A source said: 'Camilla likes Sarah. They're both gentry. They share a love of horses and Fergie will be smart enough to play the game with Camilla and realise she is the power behind the King. That she must be nice to them and support them.'
The connection was reinforced over Christmas after Fergie was, surprisingly, welcomed to join the family for the traditional celebrations at Sandringham.
For years, her ex-husband Prince Andrew would take their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, to the celebrations, leaving Sarah out in the cold. This year, however, the Duchess was a guest not only for Christmas lunch, but also the following day's shoot.
She's been persona non grata among the Royals for years – but the Duchess Of York has unexpectedly been welcomed back into the family fold
It's notable that the Boxing Day event was traditionally organised by Prince Philip, who would have blanched at the idea of inviting the Duchess.
She was 'beyond the pale' as far as Philip was concerned, according to his biographer Gyles Brandreth, and 'vulgar, vulgar, vulgar' as one courtier memorably said.
But The Mail on Sunday understands that both the Duke and Duchess of York – divorced but still living together – were not only invited to all the Christmas celebrations, they were even given the use of Philip's former home, Wood Farm, during their stay. The cottage on the Sandringham Estate was where Philip spent his retirement, pottering about after fitting it out with a new kitchen and updating the heating.
For the Yorks to be granted the use of the property raised eyebrows in some quarters, but the move signals a considerable thawing of relations within the family.
A source said: 'Camilla likes Sarah. They're both gentry. They share a love of horses and Fergie will be smart enough to play the game with Camilla and realise she is the power behind the King. That she must be nice to them and support them'
'There was Fergie, in the thick of it, chatting away to the King and Queen Consort on the Boxing Day shoot,' the source said. 'Philip would never have allowed that.
'There's a feeling that, no matter what Sarah's personal faults – and she can be like Marmite in that respect – she has been a good mother to the girls and loyal to Andrew.'
The Royal Family has not forgotten the 'toe-sucking' pictures of Fergie, taken when she was on holiday with her Texan tycoon lover, nor the way in which she offered access to Andrew in exchange for cash and was caught in a newspaper sting. But while she may have been an embarrassment, Fergie has never sought to damage the Monarchy.
The thawing of relations with the 63-year-old Duchess,
