Why 'extremely loyal' Duchess of York is being welcomed back to royal family after decades of exile

After decades of being on the outside looking in, it appears the Duchess of York has been officially welcomed back into the inner circle of the royal family. 

The 2024 Easter Sunday service was a huge moment for Sarah Ferguson. The 64-year-old, who divorced Prince Andrew in 1996, joined senior royals for the traditional church service at St George's Chapel.

It marked the second time in less than six months Fergie has been platformed alongside important members of the British monarchy, after she joined them in Sandringham on Christmas Day in 2023.

Though she split from Andrew over three decades ago, the duchess – who is mother to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie – is a strong representation of unity and family, something the royal family is craving right now, experts say.

READ MORE: Why Lady Louise Windsor missed royal Easter service for second year in a row

Fergie and Andrew's amicable relationship has long been the subject of speculation for royal watchers. But it's only now that their strong bond and values will benefit the royals as they battle crisis after crisis.

Expert and royal author Victoria Arbiter told The Mirror in January the divorced pair are more than happy to remain friends and pursue the idea of family unity.

"There's long been speculation regarding whether or not Andrew and Fergie will remarry. But their current situation seems to suit them both well, so why complicate things?" Arbiter said.

"Fergie's previously said they're the happiest divorced couple she knows so there's little to be gained by remarrying. They've always shown immense loyalty towards each other and clearly their relationship works exactly as it is."

READ MORE: 'Disheartening' act women tradies forced to resort to

The Duchess of York also stood by her disgraced ex-husband throughout the sexual assault scandal and after he was stripped of his military titles, charitable patronages and asked to step down as a working royal.

In 2023, it was also speculated that Fergie's stronger presence in the monarchy was a bid to ease Andrew's return to public life.

Insiders have claimed Fergie is being ushered back into the inner circle as a way to help Andrew's image. One Balmoral source told The Mirror in 2023 the duchess has been used as a "broker" of sorts.

Andrew's reputation rehabilitation will hit a snag when the movie Scoop, which is based on his disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview, is released worldwide.

After Fergie made her public return to the royal fold on Christmas Day in 2023, reports claimed King Charles had been instrumental in welcoming her back to the family.

A source told Page Six at the time: "Sarah has always been close to the king [Charles] and is fond of him, and she has increasingly grown closer to the queen [Camilla]."

"She's always been loyal to the family and has really not put a foot wrong in recent years. She's never said a critical word and is always extremely loyal to the institution."

READ MORE: Diners hit with bizarre fee at US tourist spot

READ MORE: Tori Spelling has 'never felt more alone' amid divorce

Fergie and Charles have also been battling cancer at the same time.

The duchess issued a message for the king when it was revealed he was receiving out-patient treatment for cancer that was found following a routine prostate surgery.

"I want to thank you all for your kindness in supporting my family members who are going through a hard time, and we wish everyone well, every family in the world, that has been diagnosed or who is going through a difficult time we wish them well," she said in a statement .

"And of course, my brother-in-law, we wish you well, keep fighting on."

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.