Here's Why A Royal Expert Believes Sarah Ferguson's Christmas Invite Is A Good Sign For Prince Harry

Even before the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, it was widely expected that her oldest son would make some changes once he ascended the throne. Now that he's there, King Charles III shows every sign of doing just that. Per The Washington Post, Charles is already proving himself to be more approachable to the public, more eco-conscious, and determined to "slim down" the monarchy by eliminating some titles and delegating others.

On a more personal level, Charles is putting his own spin on his family's holiday festivities this year. While the royals will be gathering as usual at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk for the whole Christmas season, the celebration is expected to be "less formal," according to OK! (via Daily Mail). For instance, the family won't be gathering around the telly to watch Charles's first holiday speech as king. An even bigger change is that Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has reportedly been invited to spend Christmas with the family for the first time in 30 years. She was banned from royal Yuletides after appearing in some embarrassing photos just months after she separated from Prince Andrew, per The Mirror.

It once seemed impossible that "Fergie" would ever rejoin her in-laws for their biggest reunion, but now that she's been welcomed back to the fold, there's talk that another disgraced royal might be the next to return.

Longtime royal biographer, Angela Levin, sees King Charles's 2022 Christmas guest list as a promising sign. If the king can welcome his ex-sister-in-law Sarah Ferguson back to the royal family's holiday festivities after three decades, he could surely find it within himself to reconcile with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. In a recent interview with The U.S. Sun, Levin said, "King Charles is a forgiving person. I don't think he forgives about anything that is wrong for the country, but I think he would forgive Harry very quickly, I'm sure — because he loves him very much. Accepting Fergie back is a sign of this. All Harry would need to do to have this happen is make the first steps."

Levin didn't specify precisely what kind of gesture Harry would have to make, but presumably, it would involve an apology for any hurt he has caused — or will cause — in his interviews and upcoming memoir. Another goodwill gesture might be rethinking his upcoming Netflix docuseries about his life with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. The Daily Mail reports that Harry and Markle are trying to make "extensive edits" before the series airs, to avoid upsetting his family any further. It remains to be seen whether that will be enough of an effort to make peace with the king.