Sarah Ferguson set to make a royal comeback

PRINCESS Eugenie’s wedding is promising more than A-list celebrities and a two-day party — it could be the event that propels her mother Sarah Ferguson back into the royal good books.

PRINCESS Eugenie’s wedding is promising more than A-list celebrities and a two-day party — it could be the event that propels her mother Sarah Ferguson back into the royal good books.

Her Royal Highness Eugenie the Princess of York, 28, will marry long-term boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, 32, on October 12 at Windsor Castle — the same venue chosen earlier this year by Eugenie’s cousin Prince Harry to wed Meghan Markle.

And while many people are largely indifferent to 2018’s second royal wedding, others are intrigued by what the nuptials might mean for Eugenie’s mother Sarah, the Duchess of York.

The Duchess, still known widely by her nickname Fergie, has been frozen out of the royal family for 20 years, since her divorce from Eugenie’s father Prince Andrew and a series of lurid tabloid scandals, including being photographed topless and having her toes sucked by her “financial adviser.’’

Sarah, Duchess of York, attended the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle. Picture: Getty Images

But in May, she attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding — albeit not sitting in the royal pews.

And in June, she attended the Royal Ascot horse races, and sat in the royal box with Queen Elizabeth.

The apparent rapprochement comes ahead of next month’s wedding, where she will have a central role as mother of the bride.

Royal Central editor Charlie Proctor told News Corp Australia Fergie was in her element as the wedding approached.

“For far too long she has been an outcast in the royal family, often having to be seated away from the royals at events such as Harry and Meghan’s wedding,” he said.

“But now she is back, front and centre, something she will no doubt be delighted at.”

Managing editor at Majesty Magazine Joe Little also said Sarah was being “hands-on’’ with the wedding arrangements.

“It is bringing her back a little bit more into the royal circle, albeit temporarily,” he told News Corp Australia.

“You could argue that she’s not really left the royal circle because she still lives part of the time at Royal Lodge.”

Royal Lodge, former home of the Queen Mum, is part of the estate at Windsor.

Prince Andrew moved in there in 2003, and five years later, the Duchess moved back in with her ex-husband after a decade living apart.

Princess Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank and Sarah Ferguson. Picture: Getty Images

The couple remains close friends and confidantes, despite their headline-making divorce in the mid-1990s.

“He is the finest man in my life — he is a nugget of goodness,’’ the Duchess told Australian radio host Kyle Sandilands in 2016, adding their relationship was “a love affair for life.’’

“No, we’re not married — we are very happy the way things are.’’

The pair married in 1986 after a whirlwind courtship, had two daughters in Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, but divorced in 1996.

As well as the topless photographs, Fergie brought embarrassment to the royal family in 2010 when a newspaper sting saw her agreeing to accept almost $1 million from a bogus businessman to facilitate access to her ex-husband.

By 2011, she was on the verge of going broke, but Prince Andrew bailed her out and paid off her debts of almost $3.5 million.

Now, after several scandal-free years, Fergie is in the perfect position to return to the bosom of the royal family, and Eugenie’s wedding may provide the platform.

While their relaxed interactions at Ascot showed no hard feelings between the Queen and Sarah, it’s been widely reported that the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, remains implacably opposed to any move to welcome Fergie back into the royal fold.

Despite being one of the Queen’s granddaughters, Eugenie has a marginal royal status as ninth-in-line to the throne, preceded by her older sister Princess Beatrice, the three children of Prince William and his wife Catherine, as well as by Prince Charles, Prince William, and her own father, Prince Andrew.

Newlyweds Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986. Picture: AFP

While she has a title, she doesn’t have a royal role, and Mr Proctor conceded many people can’t even pronounce Eugenie’s (yoo-genny’s) name, let alone get excited for her wedding.

The ambivalence in the UK about the wedding has been highlighted by the BBC’s refusal to broadcast the event, fearing it would be a ratings flop and not worth the huge expense of a live broadcast.

Sky is also planning on covering it as part of its all-day news, while Prince Andrew was reported to be lobbying ITV to step up as official broadcaster.

There are howls of protest in the British press that the taxpayer will fund the security bill, even though the Queen and Prince Andrew are paying for everything else.

The happy couple has organised a two-day extravaganza, which will include a short carriage-ride through the streets of Windsor — along a different route to Harry and Meghan’s, which was watched by hundreds of thousands of people, and billions more on TV.

“The royal household must be expecting a fair amount of people to line that procession — it will look rather embarrassing if there are gaping big gaps,” Mr Proctor said of Eugenie and Jack’s plans.

“It is estimated that the British taxpayers will be forking out a £2m ($A3.4 million) wedding bill for the occasion.

“This money will be used for security purposes.

“Understandably, this has provoked outrage among some, but it is important to understand that is money to protect the Queen and other members of the royal family.

“Taxpayers are not funding the champagne wedding reception.”

Princess Eugenie met her fiance eight years ago while skiing in Switzerland.

Jack Brooksbank is an ambassador for George Clooney’s tequila brand. Picture: Getty Images

A brand manager for the tequila company launched by the actor George Clooney, he proposed to Eugenie in January while they were holidaying in Nicaragua.

Their wedding is expected to attract celebrity guests including Clooney and his wife Amal, the singer Ellie Goulding and model Cara Delevingne, who are friends of Princess Eugenie’s, and pop legend Sir Elton John, a regular at royal events.

Other guests could include David and Victoria Beckham, and models Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss.

At least 500 people have been invited to the wedding, with some reports putting the guest list at 850, larger than for Harry and Meghan’s extravaganza.

Another 1200 members of the public were invited inside the castle grounds to watch the events outside the chapel door.

According to The Times, the Queen will host a post-wedding lunch that will be followed by a black-tie evening reception at Royal Lodge.

Then, the following day, a “festival and funfair” in the Royal Lodge grounds has been organised by Bentleys Entertainment, a firm often used by the royals for party planning.

Bentley’s Entertainment’s impressive portfolio includes the wedding of Posh and Becks - pop star Victoria Adams and soccer hero David Beckham - in 1999, the civil partnership ceremony of Sir Elton John and David Furnish in 2005, and the royal wedding of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall in 2011.

“Although Eugenie is a minor royal, she is still a princess in her own right,” Mr Proctor said.

“People have always loved princes, princesses and palaces and I think when the day comes this will be no different.

“When a princess gets married, it is the perfect excuse for everybody to get merry and eat cake.”

Eugenie’s wedding could put her mother Sarah back into the royal good books. Picture: Getty Images

Mr Little said the wedding would be a “very different ballgame” to Harry and Meghan’s.

“There are going to be security and policing costs — people, me included — were surprised when it was announced that there was going to be a carriage procession,” he said.

“They (the couple) are keen for the public to see them on their wedding day.”

Despite the lavish event being held just five months after Harry and Meghan’s fairytale day, Mr Little denied there was any competition between the two royal couples, who are friendly, and live close to each other in the Kensington Palace grounds in London.

“This is just the couple’s way of doing it and how they want to have their wedding,” he said.

“Inevitably they are first cousins and they are getting married within six months of each other, and inevitably there will be comparisons and suggestions one is trying to outdo the other.”

He said many people had undersold the event.

“Until now we were expecting it to be a pretty low key affair but the bride’s mother is a larger than life character, I suppose we might have been underselling her there,” Mr Little said.

Details of Eugenie’s dress have been kept private.

The Times has reported the flower arrangements at St George’s Chapel will be created by celebrity florist Rob Van Helden, who has previously worked for actor Pierce Brosnan and Sir Elton.

The medieval Windsor Castle where Eugenie and Jack will wed.

The couple’s wedding party will spread out over three of Windsor Castle’s state apartments — St George’s Hall, the Grand Reception Room and the Waterloo Chamber.

Lady Elizabeth Anson — the Queen’s cousin and party planner — is reportedly planning the first wedding reception.

Royal commentator Claudia Joseph said while there would be comparisons between Harry and Meghan’s wedding, Eugenie and Jack’s would not rival it.

“They (Eugenie and Jack) have followed Harry and Meghan’s lead in a certain way but I think that’s as far as the comparisons go really,” she said.

“I don’t think really it’s going to be a wedding to rival Harry and Meghan’s.”

Ms Joseph, who doesn’t subscribe to the theory that the nuptials will push Fergie back into the royal fold, said the guest list would “definitely” include celebrities.

“Eugenie has a huge circle of friends, we will see them (celebrities) out in force on the big day,” she said.

“I think it’s very hard to gauge how the (carriage) procession will play out.

“Windsor is the perfect location for a royal procession.

“I’m not sure that there will be the same level of interest in Jack and Eugenie but on the other hand I do think that it’s a nice thing for them to do.

“If there are a lot of people out there, I think they (Jack and Eugenie) will be delighted that they can be the newlyweds up close so to speak.”

Representatives of charities that the couple supports will also be in the castle grounds, along with members of the Windsor community and children from local schools that Eugenie has visited.