Monarchy - "Fergie" appearance - Royals take in Duchess again
Some people will probably be happy if they got through the Christmas holidays without a big family row. And perhaps there were even gestures of reconciliation. In any case, the British royals invited a woman to their Christmas service who, believe it or not, had not been there for 32 years: Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, the ex-wife of Prince Andrew. The Duchess of York was readmitted, wrote the renowned Times newspaper. And the tabloid "Sun" ran the headline: "All Fergie." Her appearance in the green coat was a sign of goodwill from King Charles III, her ex-brother-in-law, said royals expert Phil Dampier.
In fact, the headlines that once appeared about the 64-year-old were a while ago. She was photographed having her toes sucked by a man (it was a financial adviser, not Andrew). And she once offered a reporter disguised as a businessman 500,000 pounds for business contacts with her ex-husband. She later apologized for the dubious behavior. However, as she was divorced from ex-husband Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II felt it was not appropriate for "Fergie" to appear with the family.
The Duchess is the mother of Princesses Eugenie (33) and Beatrice (35). With her daughters and their husbands, she walked alongside a line of Royal fans to the church in Sandringham. She recently spoke publicly about her breast cancer and encouraged other women to go for screening. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth, she has been caring for two of her corgis.
The royals are on all channels
The fact that she was not only invited to a private Christmas dinner at Sandringham in the East of England, but also to a church service, made headlines. On the other hand, the arrival of the royals at the church is enough for some British TV stations to run a news reel through the picture.
The Christmas days were carefully staged by the media anyway. On Christmas Eve, a TV station broadcast a carol service with Princess Kate (41) from Westminster Abbey. On Christmas Day, King Charles' speech was broadcast, calling for peace, understanding and environmental protection.
Opponents of the monarchy criticize coronation documentary
On Boxing Day, the BBC wanted to show a documentary about Charles' coronation. The organization Republic, which campaigns for the abolition of the monarchy, criticized the public broadcaster's project, saying it was a PR film, while Charles is a public figure and is paid for by the state. That is one side of the debate about the monarchy.
On the other side are people who are happy about the royals. Hundreds waited to catch a glimpse of the family outside the church of St. Mary Magdalene. Once again, Charles' second son Prince Harry, who has fallen out with the family and lives in California, was not among the guests. Instead, the scandal-ridden Prince Andrew was there. He is said to still have a good relationship with his ex-wife "Fergie" and lives on the same estate - albeit in separate wings.
Court orders publication in abuse scandal
Andrew rarely appears in public anymore due to his involvement in a sexual abuse scandal and had to give up honorary military titles. He was friends with businessman Jeffrey Epstein, who is alleged to have sexually abused numerous girls, including minors. Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and found dead in his cell around a month later.
There were also allegations against Andrew. US-American Virginia Giuffre accused him of abusing her when she was a minor. Before the case went to trial, Giuffre and Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement, allegedly in return for a payment of several million pounds. Andrew always denied the allegations.
A New York court has now ordered the publication of names linked to the deceased US multimillionaire Epstein. According to US media estimates, this involves 150 or more people who were named in court documents from a civil dispute between Giuffre and Epstein's long-time and now convicted partner Ghislaine Maxwell. Publication could take place in January.
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- Despite the challenges, Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson managed to spend a peaceful Christmas Day with the Royal Family, including her ex-husband Prince Andrew and King Charles III.
- The Duke and Duchess of York's daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, along with their husbands, joined Sarah for the festive church service in Sandringham, Great Britain.
- Phil Dampier, a renowned royals expert, praised Sarah's invitation to the service, attributing it to a gesture of goodwill from King Charles III.
- Despite her tumultuous past involving financial advisers and questionable behavior, Sarah has recently focused on philanthropy, such as breast cancer awareness campaigns and caring for the late Queen Elizabeth II's corgis.
- The British media went into frenzy over Sarah's appearance at the Christmas service, with tabloids like "Sun Microsystems" praising her return to the Royal Family.
- Sarah's presence marked a significant moment in the Monarchy, as she had not attended a Royal Family event for over three decades.
- Opponents of the Monarchy, like the organization "Republic," criticized the BBC's decision to air a documentary about Charles III's coronation, deeming it a PR film aimed at boosting the Monarchy's image.
- Meanwhile, happy supporters of the Monarchy flocked to Sandringham church on Boxing Day, eager to catch a glimpse of beloved members like Prince Charles and the future King, Charles III.
- Sarah's ex-husband, Prince Andrew, also made an appearance at the service, despite the ongoing scandal involving his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein and the numerous sexual abuse allegations against him.
- In a seemingly unrelated development, a New York court has ordered the publication of names linked to Jeffrey Epstein, potentially implicating more than 150 people in the disgraced financier's criminal activities.
Source: www.stern.de
