When it was reported earlier this week that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, would not be attending the royal wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank on Friday due to a ‘previous commitment,’ there was some surprise: it seemed somewhat unusual that a senior member of the royal family would be skipping such a high profile event, even if an official visit (in this case, to a school in Scotland) had created a scheduling conflict.
Now, a new report in the Telegraph has suggested another reason for Camilla’s absence: according to one insider, the Duchess is allegedly hosting a shooting party at her Scottish home over the weekend, despite Eugenie’s wedding date having been announced ‘months ago.’
‘The truth is that Camilla has a house party for a few friends,’ the source told the paper. ‘They are arriving on Friday and will be there over the weekend. The date of the wedding was known eight months ago so it’s strange Camilla organised her house party this weekend.’
The report certainly suggests that the Duchess’s absence is a more deliberate snub than previously assumed, and there has been some speculation as to whether a ‘rift’ between Camilla and Eugenie’s parents, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, might be the root cause.
Look back at Sarah Ferguson's under-rated royal style in the gallery below...
Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
1 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Jumpsuits may have hit boiling point for autumn winter 18, but it's Sarah Ferguson who styled hers best back in '87 with the addition of a chunky belt. 7th May 1987
2 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Whoever said plaits were just for little kids?June 1986
3 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Sarah Ferguson employed her favourite eighties print, polka dots, to accentuate the overwhelmingly feminine appeal of a pussy bow dress. 21st June 1981
4 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Sarah Ferguson created drama with black gloves and a tiara. 9th May 1989
5 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
A blazer with a midi polka-dot dress, wait is this 2018 or 1991?11th September 1991
6 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Fergie broke up her boxy skirt suit silhouette with a cinching waist belt. Genius. 19th March 1986
7 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
The 1980s may have embraced maximalism, but Sarah Ferguson knew how to steer the princess sleeve trend into safe sartorial waters.2nd December 1989
8 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Kudos to Fergie's teddy-bear textured shearling jacket and elevated knitwear.14th December 1987
9 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Leggings, dad trainers, polka dots and a cardigan - it's like all the aw18 trends combined to create this one ensemble. 13th January 1992
10 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
For the last few seasons, double-breasted blazers have become a street style mainstay, but who knew Sarah Ferguson was years decades of the trend. 1988
11 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
No wonder fashion has an enduring obsession with 90s beauty when poker straight hair like Sarah Ferguson's looked this slick. 7th December 1998
12 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
The chunky choker adds a little black magic to Fergie's LBD. 21st June 2002
13 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Cher Horrowitz got one thing right - the skirt suit has life outside of the boardroom. 1st October 2003
14 of 14Sarah Ferguson Fergie style fashion
Red hot at New York Fashion Week where Sarah took part in the 'Fight Heart Disease' charity catwalk.4th February 2005
Sarah, Duchess of York, was a close friend of the Prince of Wales’ first wife, Diana, and a report published by the Express this summer suggested that Sarah and Camilla ‘came to blows’ in ‘an enormous row that absolutely no-one saw coming’ while staying with the Queen at Balmoral. It was alleged that the dispute might have centred upon ‘the pain and heartache [Camilla] caused Diana over her affair with Charles.’ Prince Andrew, meanwhile, is sometimes referred to as ‘the Queen’s favourite son,’ and this is often cited as a point of contention between the brothers.
Another source, however, told the Telegraph that ‘they get on very well, the couple has no issue with it – they have known about the diary clash for some time,’ adding that Charles and Camilla usually ‘host events every day throughout this period every year’ at their Scottish home.