'A Pathway Back': Fergie's Inclusion at Christmas Could Be a Sign That King Charles Is Ready to Reconcile With Meghan Markle and Prince Harry

With the re-emergence of Sarah Ferguson on the royal stage, it could be that King Charles III may wish to reconcile with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next. But it may not be as easy for the Montecito twosome, thanks to their scandals and "betrayal" being so recent and seemingly endless.

Ferguson last attended a Sandringham Christmas with the royal family in 1991, which was only months before she and Prince Andrew announced their separation from one another. Later in 1992, Fergie's photographed "toe-sucking scandal" with an American love interest is said to have shocked Queen Elizabeth II and "thoroughly repulsed" her consort, Prince Philip. The Duchess of York was banned from any royal events that included Philip for decades.

After their divorce in 1996, Andrew and Ferguson continued to rack up fresh scandals every few years, but the late Queen always had a soft spot for the pair and was friendly with both behind the scenes. Charles III's gesture for Ferguson is seen as a wide push by the laid-back monarch to do away with past prejudices and archaic protocol in his bid to modernize the monarchy.

So, will he likely work toward making this a reality for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as well? The answer is not as simple as his invite to the ex-Duchess.

Numerous royal commentators point out that Fergie's worst antics took place over 30 years in the past, whereas a large majority of the British people currently "revile" Harry and Meghan. It has barely been a full year since the Duke of Sussex launched an all-out smear campaign against his own family, thanks to the claims in his memoir, Spare.

Meghan's mocking of a curtsy to the revered Elizabeth II in their Netflix documentary is also something many Brits are unprepared to forgive her for, experts predict.

"There really is no turning back when it comes to Harry and Meghan. The things they have done and said, and the money they have made from those accusations, secretly turns the King's stomach," a royal insider spilled in February.

They continued: "He loves his son, of course, but that book [Spare] truly was like a dagger into a doting father's heart."

Whether His Majesty seeks to reconcile with Team Sussex or not, others feel that the pair will eventually give in and reach out to the King privately.

"Meghan and Harry need the King and his blessing far more than the King needs them, sadly, so I feel we will be seeing them," royal author Ingrid Seward dished when discussing the future of the Sussex/royal rift.

GBN analyzed Fergie's royal Christmas return.