Princess Eugenie stuns in official royal wedding photos as Fergie welcomed back into fold next to Queen and Prince Philip
SARAH Ferguson beams in an official photo that shows her welcomed back into the royal fold after the wedding of her daughter Princess Eugenie.
The Duchess of York, 58, stood smiling next to her old foe Prince Philip for the happy family snap.
Eugenie, 28, her husband Jack Brooksbank, 32, and other senior members of The Firm, including The Queen, joined the line-up.
Last night royal watchers said the image appeared to be a significant step to ending a feud that has raged for almost three decades since Fergie separated from Prince Andrew.
Prince Philip, 97, has never forgiven his former daughter-in-law for the toe-sucking pictures of her and Texan financial adviser John Bryan in 1992.
They were taken months after she and Andrew announced they were splitting.
The group photograph was released last night by Buckingham Palace.
It was taken in the White Drawing Room of Windsor Castle following Friday’s wedding.
Royal author and commentator Phil Dampier said: “It is highly significant — and could be a step to ending the feud.
“It shows Sarah Ferguson right at the centre of the Royal Family once again and will only fuel rumours that she and Prince Andrew might one day remarry.
“Most significantly, she is standing right next to Prince Philip, who hasn’t spoken to her in more than 20 years.
“He once called her ‘odd’ and ‘pointless’ and would not be in the same room as her. In recent years, Sarah has been invited to stay with the Queen at Balmoral.
Each time, she has had to leave the day before Prince Philip arrives.
“He blamed her for bringing shame on the Royal Family and could not understand why Andrew let her move back in with him at Royal Lodge, his home at Windsor, when they had been divorced for so many years.
“I understand that Prince Philip and Fergie did have a brief conversation at the reception in Windsor Castle after the wedding.
“Philip would not have wanted to cause bad feeling at the wedding and upset his granddaughter Eugenie.
“But maybe, at 97, he has decided that life is too short to continue bearing Fergie ill will.
“Fergie will be relieved that she is no longer a figure of ridicule and has been shown compassion and respect by Philip in posing up with her.”
Prince Andrew poked fun at groom Jack during his wedding speech, cheekily declaring that he had MI5 spooks check out his new son-in-law.
The Duke of York, 58, also left guests in stitches when he took aim at ex-wife Fergie’s punctuality.
On its front page yesterday, The Sun told how the Duchess was six minutes late for the wedding in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Andrew playfully told guests while looking at Fergie: “It’s great having the whole family together — even if some of us nearly didn’t make it.”
Fergie was snap-happy with her camera, keen to document every last detail of Eugenie’s special day.
She and Andrew — parents to Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, 30 — divorced in 1996. But they have remained good friends and were both closely involved with planning the wedding.
The official photo shows groom Jack’s brother and best man Tom, and their parents, Nicola and George.
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Princess Beatrice stands behind the Queen and Prince Philip.
Children on the front row include the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s eldest children Prince George, five, and Princess Charlotte, three; Robbie Williams’ daughter Teddy, six; and Zara and Mike Tindall’s daughter Mia, four.
Also pictured are Maud, the five-year-old daughter of Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor; page boy Louis de Givenchy, six; and the daughters of Peter and Autumn Phillips, six-year-old Isla and Savannah, seven.
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