In a surprise, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, joined the royal family as they attended Easter Sunday services at St. George's Chapel in Windsor today.
This morning's appearance marks Ferguson's first time publicly spending Easter with the royals in over 30 years; the last time she attended was in 1991. (She and Prince Andrew split in 1992.)
That year, the Duchess of York and Princess Diana walked into church together:
Fergie's attendance on Easter comes on the heels of her return to Christmas services, too; Ferguson joined the royals at Sandringham this past December, again for the first time since 1991. For the holiday this year, Ferguson wore a bright green dress, and accessorized with a black headband.
Ferguson joined her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, and a small group of royals at the services—King Charles, Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Sir Timothy Laurence, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and James, Earl of Wessex. The smaller group was due to King Charles's ongoing cancer treatment. The Duke and Duchess of York's daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, their sons-in-law, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, and their grandchildren were not in attendance.
The Duchess's appearance this week comes amid her own cancer treatment. In January, she revealed she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, following her breast cancer diagnosis last year. "Clearly, another diagnosis so soon after treatment for breast cancer has been distressing but the Duchess remains in good spirits," a spokesperson told T&C.
Earlier this week, Ferguson shared a message of support for Kate Middleton, who disclosed her own cancer diagnosis. "All my thoughts and prayers are with the Princess of Wales as she starts her treatment. I know she will be surrounded by the love of her family and everyone is praying for the best outcome," the Duchess posted on Instagram. "As someone who has faced their own battles with cancer in recent months, I am full of admiration for the way she has spoken publicly about her diagnosis and know it will do a tremendous amount of good to raise awareness. I hope she will now be given the time, space and privacy to heal."
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
