King Charles III snubs Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson from Christmas festivities
Sources indicate that King Charles III reportedly has no desire to spend the festive season with Prince Andrew and his former spouse, Sarah Ferguson.
It has been communicated to the Duke and Duchess of York that the monarch does not intend to extend an invitation for them to join the royal family's Christmas festivities this year, as reported by The Times of London.
The sovereign has reportedly expressed a clear preference for the estranged couple, whose divorce was finalized in 1996, to maintain a “low profile” at subsequent royal occasions.
“One cannot simply dismiss a sibling,” an insider close to Charles informed the publication. “However, this year, if the duke and duchess were to act with similar discretion [as they did last year], it would be highly beneficial, and the family would not be displeased, especially to spare the King from facing additional challenging choices.”
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Us Weekly has contacted representatives for King Charles and Ferguson seeking their statements.
At the start of this month, Ferguson faced criticism when a disputed email she sent to Jeffrey Epstein resurfaced.
A pair of newspapers released an email purportedly dispatched by Ferguson to Jeffrey Epstein in 2011. The Sun and the Mail on Sunday disclosed that the communication was sent mere weeks after the duchess had publicly separated herself from the discredited financier.
Within the email, Ferguson is said to have conveyed to Epstein that he had “consistently demonstrated himself to be a loyal, benevolent, and exceptional friend to me and my relatives.”
Ferguson's representative stated that the email was intended to counteract a threat from Epstein to pursue legal action against her for slander.
“The duchess expressed her remorse regarding her connection with Epstein many years prior, and as has always been the case, her primary concern lies with his victims,” the spokesperson conveyed in a declaration to the BBC. “Similar to numerous individuals, she was deceived by his falsehoods. The moment she became cognizant of the full scope of the accusations against him, she not only severed all communication but also publicly denounced him, prompting him to then threaten a defamation lawsuit against her for linking him to pedophilia.”
Consequently, several charitable organizations — such as the Teenage Cancer Trust, the British Heart Foundation, and the Children’s Literacy Charity — have dissociated themselves from Ferguson over the past few weeks.
Though Charles’ bond with the Duke and Duchess of York remains strained, the monarch is endeavoring to mend his relationship with Prince Harry.
Despite the pair having been separated since 2020, following the Duke of Sussex and his spouse, Meghan Markle, relinquishing their roles as senior working royals and relocating to California, Harry recently met with his father on September 10 during a visit to London.
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This meeting represented the first occasion the two had been face-to-face in almost two years.
Harry and Charles’ encounter was “extremely positive and remarkably calm,” an insider informed Us Weekly.
“They were exchanging personal updates about the children and discussing Charles's health situation,” the source elaborated, alluding to Harry and Meghan’s two offspring. “The meeting included embraces and emotional moments.”
