Skip to main contentSkip to footer
Sarah Ferguson celebrating at Princess Eugenie's wedding© Getty

Sarah Ferguson discusses 'fabulous' party at daughter Princess Eugenie's wedding

Prince Andrew and his ex-wife hosted their daughter's wedding reception at Royal Lodge

Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
May 9, 2024
Share this:

Sarah Ferguson couldn't conceal her excitement at her daughter Princess Eugenie's wedding ceremony, but from all accounts, it sounds as though the private wedding reception may have been even more thrilling.

After Prince Andrew's daughter exchanged vows with Casamigos brand ambassador Jack Brooksbank at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in October 2018, the newlyweds and a selection of their closest friends and family enjoyed a reception hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle before they retired to the York family home, Royal Lodge.

Sarah, Duchess of York in a green outfit as she pointed to crowds at Eugenie's wedding© Getty
Sarah looked animated as she pointing to crowds at Princess Eugenie's wedding

Very little is known about the black-tie reception in the evening, with Eugenie and Jack enjoying a break from the intense media interest in their nuptials which saw an estimated 3 million TV viewers.

Thanks to mother-of-the-bride Fergie, who helped host the celebrations at the 30-room Windsor mansion, we now know that a series of tents were erected in the grounds for the "fabulous" party, which saw the bride change into a blush pink Zac Posen gown.

When discussing her hosting tips with Vogue, the Duchess of York replied: “Be the tricky customer. Think of every scenario and imagine what a tricky customer would expect at each level and make sure it’s all catered for. I do this every time.

"At Eugenie’s wedding, the chauffeurs had a much better time than anybody else – I made their tent fabulous.

“My father taught me that. He always said, 'Make sure the kitchen is more important than the dining room.'"

Sarah Ferguson and Princess Eugenie with the flower girls at Eugenie's wedding© Getty
The Duchess of York discussed the private royal wedding reception

She also previously praised the late Queen for making her daughter's nuptials "so memorable". The proud mother told HELLO!: "I cannot be more grateful to Eugenie's grandmother for making this day so memorable. I am so grateful for all the hard work and kindness behind the scenes to make such a special day for our daughter."

The mastermind behind the plastic-free royal wedding was thought to be party planner Peregrine Armstrong-Jones, the half-brother of the late Princess Margaret’s husband Antony Armstrong-Jones. He was also involved in organising Victoria and David Beckham's 1999 wedding in an Irish castle, so he is no stranger to attending high-profile nuptials.

sarah ferguson green dress twitter© Twitter
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew hosted Eugenie's black-tie reception at Royal Lodge

After meeting during a ski trip in Verbier in 2010 when Eugenie was just 20 years old, they announced their engagement in January 2018. Jack had proposed on New Year's Day with Eugenie showing off her unique padparadscha sapphire and diamond cluster engagement ring during their photocall.

The businessman told the BBC: "I found a ring in a jeweller, and then proposed to Eugenie without it. We came back and designed the ring with diamonds around it."

A close-up of Princess Eugenie's padparadscha sapphire engagement ring© Getty
Jack proposed with a padparadscha sapphire

He added that the Padparadscha sapphire reminded him of his fiancée, as "it changes colour when it hits certain lights, much like Eugenie".

It is not dissimilar to her mother Sarah's Burmese ruby engagement ring from Prince Andrew which also has a floral-shaped design.

READ NEXT: Princess Anne goes bold in white waist-defining mother-of-the-groom dress

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Weddings

See more