King’s ‘olive branch’ to disgraced Andrew: Charles’ ‘invitation for Fergie to spend her first Christmas with the royals in 30 years’ shows he’s being ‘forgiving and kind’ but Philip would never have allowed it, says expert

• Fergie, 63, is understood to have been invited to join the royals for festive period
• She could make appearance with Andrew during the traditional Christmas walk
• A royal expert says the ‘invite’ is a sign of Charles being ‘forgiving and kind’ 

King Charles’ ‘invitation for Fergie to spend Christmas with the family’ is an ‘olive branch’ from the Monarch to his brother – but would never have been allowed while Prince Philip was alive, a royal biographer has claimed.  

Sarah Ferguson will reportedly be invited to spend Christmas with the Royal Family for the first time since she split with Prince Andrew 30 years ago.

Fergie, 63, is understood to have been invited to join the royals for the festive period at Sandringham and could even make a public appearance with her disgraced ex-husband during the traditional Christmas morning walk to St Mary Magdalene Church.

Royal expert and biographer Phil Dampier told MailOnline the ‘invite’ is a sign of Charles being ‘forgiving and kind’.

Prince Andrew and Fergie pictured with their two daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson pictured with Eugenie and Beatrice at the Windsor Horse Show

‘This looks like an olive branch from King Charles to his brother, who is otherwise out in the cold,’ Mr Dampier said. 

‘He is still a member of the family and by inviting ex wife Fergie it looks as though Charles is being forgiving and kind.

‘It would never have happened while Prince Philip was alive and Fergie spent many Christmases on her own at Wood Farm while the rest of the royals were in The big house.

‘Andy and Fergie’s daughters are grown up with kids of their own so it makes sense for them all to be invited, including the Duchess of York.

‘This will please Andrew but I still don’t think he and Sarah will ever remarry’.

The Royals previously banned Fergie from attending Christmas with the family following the couple’s split in 1992.

The duke was stripped of his royal duties in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking scandal.

Prince Andrew pictured driving through the grounds of Windsor Castle on Monday

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson pictured on their wedding day at Westminster Abbey in 1986

Andrew, Fergie and their children, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie at the wedding of Rupert Maitland Titterton and Sarah Mason in 1995

 The duke has been stripped of his royal duties in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking scandal

Andrew, Sarah Ferguson and their children Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie in 1997

But Wood Farm is reportedly being prepared to host Andrew, Fergie and their daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. 

A Sandringham source told The Sun: ‘Andrew is banned from public life but you can’t ban him from family Christmas. Staff at Sandringham have been tasked with getting Wood Farm ready for the whole York family.

‘When she split with Andrew, Sarah was never allowed at the family Christmas Eve and Christmas Day while Philip and the Queen were alive.

‘For 30 years she used to have Christmas dinner on her own. But things are being done differently now.’

If Fergie chooses to accept the invitation, she will join the royals in swapping gifts at Sandringham’s White Room.

This will be followed by a sit-down evening meal in black tie.

It comes after Andrew was spotted in his Range Rover at Windsor on Monday as he was branded an ‘over-inflated egotist’ by a former head of royal protection for demanding to keep his armed police guards.

The Duke of York, 62, looked stressed as he drove his green 4×4 around the Berkshire town, where he still lives with his ex-wife Fergie, amid claims he was left fuming after being informed by government ministers that his £3million-a-year armed police guards were to be axed from December in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

As a working royal the King’s brother had previously been entitled to a taxpayer-funded security detail made up of armed police officers who accompanied him on all visits outside of Windsor, where he resides in the Royal Lodge.

Wood Farm is reportedly being prepared to host Andrew, Fergie and their daughters

The Duke was reeling from the backlash from his ‘car crash’ interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis. Pictured: Andrew is interviewed on Newsnight

Meanwhile, Mike Tindall is also expected to receive an invite following his appearance on I’m A Celebrity 

The decision to strip Prince Andrew of his official duties in January signalled there are no plans for him to return as a senior royal, and the latest move confirms Andrew faces a far tougher stance on the issue with Charles than he did with the Queen.

This followed the emergence of details of his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, along with the disastrous Newsnight interview in which he denied sexually assaulting Virginia Giuffre. 

Meanwhile, Mike Tindall is also expected to receive an invite to Christmas following his appearance on I’m A Celebrity.

Fresh from watching Jill Scott being crowned Queen Of Jungle, the 44-year-old rugby player – who finished in fourth place on the ITV1 show – looked in high spirits as he spent quality time with family on Monday.

Mike was joined by wife Zara, 41, and their three children, Mia, eight, Lena, four and 20-month-old son Luca as they explored the theme park.

The Sussexes are not expected to receive an invite. 

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