Duchess of York ‘moved to tears’ by coronation of King Charles

Exclusive: The duchess watched the ceremony at Westminster Abbey from her home in Windsor

The Duchess of York was “moved to tears” of pride as she watched the coronation of King Charles from the sofa at home.

Sarah Ferguson followed events from afar as her daughters, princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and ex-husband, Prince Andrew, joined the King and Queen for the historic occasion.

After Charles was crowned in a glittering ceremony at Westminster Abbey, she told The Independent: “I was moved to tears and felt so proud watching our new King and Queen be crowned.

“Like billions of others I was entranced by what I saw: Britain’s legacy and traditions paraded before the world by a country and royal family ancient in its history but modern in its outlook. I am also so proud of my own family there.

“Long live the King.”

The King was crowned in a glittering ceremony at Westminster alongside Queen Camilla (PA)

The duchess, who shares the same house as Prince Andrew even though they have been divorced since 1992, was not invited to the coronation, joining other notable figures including Earl Spencer, brother of Princess Diana, in being snubbed.

She joined the royal family at the late Queen’s funeral last September, sitting alongside her daughters, but has spoken about not being concerned at being excluded from today’s events.

She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “It’s a state occasion and being divorced, I don’t think you can have it both ways,” she said. “I am divorced, and I’m really loving being divorced to my ex-husband, not from my ex-husband, it’s quite a differentiate.”

On Friday, she held a party at the Manor Care Home in Windsor to “help them celebrate” Britain’s new king.

The residents were served “Charles’s Crunchy Cream Cake” – a sponge cake made with King Charles’s Highgrove Honey. It has a “regal topping” of Golden cream and Foxes Crunch Cream biscuits, covered in edible glitter.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and their husbands and Prince Harry at the coronation (BBC)

On Instagram, she wrote: “Today I assembled a tea fit for a King which I shared with the residents at the Manor Care Home in Windsor to help them celebrate. Enjoy the weekend!”

There has been considerable debate about the guests list for the coronation, after many of the aristocratic old guard, especially half of the 24 dukes who were a key part of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953, were left off the list.

The TV presenters Ant and Dec, singer Nick Cave and magician Dynamo were among those attending, prompting royal watchers to comment that celebrity had been priotised over tradition.