Duchess of York says once you leave the royal family you 'can't have it both ways'

The Duchess of York says once you leave the royal family, you "can't sit on the fence".

In what could be interpreted as a subtle dig at Prince Harry and Meghan, Sarah Ferguson said those who leave then must decide if they want to be "in or out".

While she did not directly mention the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who famously quit their roles as working royals in 2020, her comments come amid speculation about whether Harry and Meghan will attend the coronation next month.

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In an interview with The Independent, the duchess said: "Well, you can't have it both ways. You can't sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. You're either in or out.

"But then don't cry about not being invited to weddings. You chose to leave, now go and live it – and be it."

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When Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back, they claimed they wanted to continue to represent the royal family while also working to become financially independent.

In their docu-series on Netflix in December, Prince Harry said he and Meghan were denied a half-in, half-out approach following a meeting with the late Queen, then-Prince Charles and Prince William subbed the Sandringham Summit.

He said they were given no choice but to walk away completely and move to California.

Three years on, the couple has been consistently outspoken about the royal family in various interviews, podcasts and in Harry's memoir Spare.

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Or perhaps Fergie was speaking about her own journey since divorcing Prince Andrew in 1996.

She said being married the Queen's youngest son "was an immense honour but it also came with pressures of being in the public eye".

"I struggled with that at times, and I think social media probably makes it even more difficult today."

When asked about Harry and Meghan, the duchess said she did not believe in "judging anyone", instead she would "just ask for a little more kindness".

Elsewhere in the interview, Fergie made reference to allegations of sex abuse against her ex-husband, claims which Prince Andrew has consistently denied.

She says their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and the late Queen, helped Andrew through the "very tricky time".

"The three of us have helped their father through a very tricky time. And don't forget also that his mum was amazing," she said.

"The Queen and I, when she was alive, we both bookended him to help him through this. So, we're a very strong family unit. No one can break the York family."