Sarah Ferguson’s Connection with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

The following article mentions suicidal ideation and sexual assault allegations.

Ever since they left royal duties behind in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been at odds with senior members of the royal family. From Harry’s feud with King Charles III, which shows no sign of subsiding, to all the ways the royal family has snubbed Harry and Meghan, the royals have hardly been clamoring to defend the Sussexes in a post-Megxit climate. But one person who has appeared to have Harry and Meghan’s backs is Sarah Ferguson.

Much like Harry and Meghan, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife was, for many years, something of an outcast in the eyes of senior royals. Sarah Ferguson has had her share of awkward moments captured by millions, such as the toe-sucking scandal of 1992 and the time she was left mortified after being caught offering a tabloid journalist access to Prince Andrew for £500,000 (over $700,000). While Harry and Meghan’s post-royal antics aren’t quite comparable to Ferguson’s myriad transgressions, the Duchess of York has made it clear that she sees herself in the ostracized couple. But with Sarah Ferguson slowly working her way back into the royal family, that once close bond might be showing signs of waning.

When Prince Harry first announced his engagement to Meghan Markle in 2017, the former “Suits” star was met with considerable abuse from the British public. The toxicity continued once the couple wed, as Meghan had to contend with the media comparing her to her sister-in-law, Princess Catherine. One person who turned out to be a loyal ally to Harry and Meghan amid the abuse was Sarah Ferguson. “She always had a soft spot for Meghan,” a source told Closer Weekly.

In an interview with Vogue in 2019, Ferguson discussed Meghan with incredible warmth and sympathy. The duchess drew comparisons between Meghan and her own treatment at the hands of the press. “It must be hard for Meghan, and I can relate to her,” she said. “I believe she is modern and fabulous. She was famous before. She is great. Why can’t Meghan be great? Why can’t she be celebrated?”

While she declined to offer the Duchess of Sussex any advice to deal with the negativity, she conceded that she was still in Meghan’s shoes, struggling with being bullied by the public and press. Also that year, Ferguson penned an open letter via Hello! magazine’s #HelloToKindness initiative. In it, she lambasted the media for pitting women against each other, such as she was with Princess Diana, which may have been an allusion to the treatment of Meghan vs. Catherine in British outlets.

Royal events have long served as a reminder of Sarah Ferguson’s pariah status within The Firm. When Prince William and Princess Catherine tied the knot in 2011, Ferguson did not receive an invite in the mail. This snub deeply hurt the duchess, who had caused embarrassment the previous year by offering access to her husband for over $700,000.

But when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wed in 2018, they ensured that there was no repeat of the drama that went down seven years earlier. In fact, Harry was reportedly insistent that his divisive aunt be there. “Harry always planned to invite [her],” a source told E! News. “She is the mother of [Princess] Eugenie and [Princess] Beatrice, both of whom he is close to. Harry has always been fond of Ms. Ferguson and he would never want to exclude a family member.” The source added that there were a number of royals who didn’t want Ferguson at the ceremony, with Harry and Meghan apparently curating their wedding guest list on their own.

It was a life-changing moment for Ferguson, who had for so long been persona non grata in the eyes of the royals. Accordingly, she was grateful to Harry and Meghan for allowing her to make a comeback of sorts to royal life. “I felt very, very honored and grateful for Harry and Meghan to invite me,” she revealed on “Good Morning Britain.” “That is a big, big point.”

As an American, Meghan Markle found settling into royal customs a daunting task. It was an overwhelming experience that Sarah Ferguson could relate to; decades earlier, she reportedly had a nightmare first encounter with the royals, tripping over Queen Elizabeth II’s Corgi and spilling her drink before curtseying to remedy her faux pas.

Before meeting her beau’s grandmother, Meghan met with Ferguson, who helped initiate her into royal life. Namely, the Duchess of York taught Meghan how to greet the queen. “Fergie came outside, somewhat aflutter, and said: Do you know how to curtsy?” Prince Harry wrote in his memoir, “Spare.” “Meg shook her head. Fergie demonstrated once. Meg imitated her.”

During the Sussexes’ revelatory “Oprah” interview in 2021, Meghan spoke fondly of Ferguson as she recalled how she helped her settle into the royal family. “Right in front of the house we practiced and ran in … Apparently I did a very deep curtsy, I don’t remember it, and then we sat there and we chatted,” she said, per Tatler. This positive experience was a welcome contrast to the rest of the interview, which covered the racism experienced by Meghan at the hands of both the press and certain royals.

When Princess Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank in 2018, Sarah Ferguson was looking forward to having her mother-of-the-bride moment. But jealousy allegedly loomed following Eugenie’s special day, with Ferguson accusing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of trying to steal her thunder.

According to Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett’s 2020 book “Royals At War,” Ferguson was angry when Meghan announced that she and Harry were expecting their first child, Prince Archie, as the news came just days after Eugenie’s wedding. “This was a huge social gaffe, even if you were not a royal — stealing the limelight from Eugenie, who was furious, as was her mother, Sarah,” the authors claimed. However, sources told Harper’s Bazaar that Ferguson already knew about the pregnancy prior to Eugenie’s wedding.

Unfortunately, it’s not just adults who have suffered in the aftermath of Megxit, with the royal family snubbing Harry and Meghan’s kids on multiple occasions. By apparently taking a stance against the Sussexes, and in turn their joyful pregnancy news, Ferguson was essentially contributing to rhetoric against the couple. However, Eugenie didn’t appear to take the issue to heart. According to sources who spoke to Us Weekly in 2021, Eugenie was maintaining a close relationship with Meghan following her and Harry’s relocation to the U.S. “They are sort of an unlikely pair, but remain in contact,” an insider explained. “They bond over their pregnancies.”

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their departure from royal life in 2020, members of the royal family were aghast. Queen Elizabeth II, for instance, was reportedly upset by her grandson’s decision to step back, while King Charles was said to be furious. However, Sarah Ferguson could see Harry and Meghan’s point of view.

Appearing on Italian talk show “Porta a Porta” (via People) in 2021, Ferguson defended the Sussexes, arguing that Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, would share her stance. “The most important thing—and I know Diana, if she were here, would say that—is they are happy,” she said. “And she makes him happy. And I love to see that little boy that cried at the funeral to have happiness now.”

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