King Charles will welcome Prince Harry and Meghan Markle back into the royal fold if they satisfy one condition, according to a leading commentator.
Richard Eden has claimed that if the Royals can rehabilitate Sarah Ferguson, they can certainly welcome back the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The couple are no longer working royals and have been sniping at the Firm from across the pond.
However, writing in the Palace Confidential newsletter for MailOnline, Mr Eden has said that the King has a track record of forgiving the wrongdoing of others in the family.
Fergie had not been seen with the other working royals at the Christmas Day Sandringham walkabout for 30 years. But on Monday she stepped out with the rest of the family, in a move that could point to a possible route back for Harry and Meghan – albeit with the passage of time.
Mr Eden wrote: “The King’s embrace of the Duke and Duchess of York shows that there is a way back for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“However, unlike Harry and Meghan, Andrew and Sarah have never attacked the Royal Family. Quite the opposite: they have always lavished praise on their relations.”
He added: “He demonstrated his capacity for forgiveness by inviting Sarah, Duchess of York, to join her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and senior members of the Royal Family at church in Sandringham.
“The fact that Andrew was also with the working royals, for the second year running, shows that the King is determined to be a forgiving monarch. His brother was stripped of royal duties by their late mother, Queen Elizabeth, because of his deeply ill-advised friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“The Duke of York is said to be particularly grateful for the King’s welcome to him and Sarah because he is ‘tormented’ by the forthcoming publication of court documents which are expected to link him to the late Epstein and reignite the sordid scandal.”
Despite Mr Eden’s relatively positive outlook, he cautioned that any thawing of relations would require the Montecito duo to accept their ill-advised behaviour and apologise.
He said: “As all Christians know, before forgiveness there needs to be repentance. And we have seen no sign that the California-based couple are prepared to apologise to those they have betrayed with their insults and indiscretions.
“Until that happens, we may continue to witness the unlikely spectacle of ex-royal Fergie enjoying a more prominent role in the Royal Family than the King’s second son.”
