Princesses Beatrice and Fergie arrive at Westminster Abbey

Fergie’s farewell: Duchess of York joins her daughter Princess Beatrice to mourn her late mother-in-law the Queen 26 years after divorce from Prince Andrew

• Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie looked earnest today as they arrived at Westminster Abbey the Queen 
• The York sisters, 32 and 34, were joined by their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank
• Both sisters shared a close relationship with their ‘Grannie’ appearing at vigil for Her Majesty on Saturday

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie looked earnest today as they arrived at Westminster Abbey to mourn their grandmother, the Queen.

The York sisters, who were joined by their husbands Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Jack Brooksbank, both opted for all black as they joined their father, uncles, aunt and cousins to mourn Britain’s monarch.

The Duchess of York, 62, sported an all black outfit to pay tribute to the monarch, alongside her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie. 

Their father Prince Andrew joined his siblings in the procession behind the coffin while their mother Sarah Ferguson is Both sisters shared a close relationship with their ‘Grannie’ appearing at vigil for Her Majesty with their first cousins on Saturday.

Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie looked earnest today alongside Sarah Ferguson as they arrived at Westminster Abbey to mourn their grandmother, the Queen

Fergie was married to the Queen’s ‘favourite son’ for 10 years before they split in 1992 and divorced in 1996, but has continued to live with the Duke in their home of the Royal Lodge in Windsor.

She previously described them as ‘the happiest divorced couple in the world’, living under the same roof, but with their own rooms. ‘We support each other like pillars of strengths,’ she added.

The 62-year-old recently vowed to stand by the prince after he stepped back from frontline royal duties and was stripped of his military titles and patronages in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal, and described him as ‘a very good and kind man’.

The mother-of-two, who shares her two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with Andrew, has sparked a raft of royal scandals over the years.

Fergie was married to the Queen’s ‘favourite son’ for 10 years before they split in 1992 and divorced in 1996, but has continued to live with the Duke in their home of the Royal Lodge in Windsor

The Duchess of York, who was not invited to the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, was seen sharing a smile with another mourner ahead of the event 

She famously fell out with the Duke of Edinburgh after she was photographed having her toes sucked by her financial adviser in the south of France five months after splitting from Andrew.

Philip had described the duchess as ‘odd’ and ‘pointless’, and would even ask for her to leave Balmoral, the royal estate in Scotland, during holidays before he arrived.

The Duchess was said to be a ‘bag of nerves’ at meeting Philip. Despite their much-publicised feud, the mother of the bride had to stand behind the left shoulder of her former father-in-law for photographs in the White Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.

She did not attend Prince Philip’s funeral amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and didn’t join her family at the memorial service earlier this year either.

While more than 1,500 guests packed into Westminster Abbey to remember the Duke of Edinburgh, including members of the Queen’s extended royal family, one notable absentee was the Duchess.

Despite tensions with Prince Philip, it was known that Fergie was significantly closer to the Queen, and she is believed to have been a shoulder of support following the Duke’s death at the age of 99 last April.

Since then, she was allowed somewhat back into the fold – visiting the Queen’s Scotland retreat Balmoral with her ex-husband in August last year.

The Duchess had been invited to the Deeside castle in previous years, but had stayed for just a few days until the Duke of Edinburgh joined the Queen.

The Duchess, who enjoyed a close relationship with the Queen, was seen chatting with fellow funeral goers earlier this morning 

The royal mother-of-two was dressed in a smart blazer and skirt with a black fascinator as she joined her children at the event today 

Today marks the first occasion Fergie has joined her family to publicly mourn the Queen (pictured with her daughter Princess Beatrice and son-in-law Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi) 

Princess Beatrice was supported by her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi as she prepared to say goodbye to her grandmother the Queen 

The Duke of York’s daughter looked sombre as she made her way into Westminster Abbey for the service 

Royal watchers believed that the Queen, who had a soft spot for her former daughter-in-law, was more receptive to the idea of Sarah returning to a more prominent role within the Firm after the Duke’s death.

Meanwhile her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, who are not working royals, paid a personal tribute to the Queen this week, saying: ‘Goodbye dear Grannie, it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we’re so very proud of you.’

They added they ‘not been able to put much into words’ since the monarch died at Balmoral on September 8, aged 96.

They also paid tribute to King Charles, their uncle, writing that they know he ‘will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service’. 

In the statement, Beatrice and Eugenie said: ‘Dearest Grannie, We’ve not been able to put much into words since you left us all. There have been tears and laughter, silences and chatter, hugs and loneliness, and a collective loss for you, our beloved Queen and our beloved Grannie.

‘We, like many, thought you’d be here forever. And we all miss you terribly. You were our matriarch, our guide, our loving hand on our backs leading us through this world. You taught us so much and we will cherish those lessons and memories forever.

‘For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you. Thank you for making us laugh, for including us, for picking heather and raspberries, for marching soldiers, for our teas, for comfort, for joy. You, being you, will never know the impact you have had on our family and so many people around the world.

‘The world mourns you and the tributes would really make you smile. They are all too true of the remarkable leader you are.

‘We’re so happy you’re back with Grandpa. Goodbye dear Grannie, it has been the honour of our lives to have been your granddaughters and we’re so very proud of you.

‘We know that dear Uncle Charles, the King, will continue to lead in your example as he too has dedicated his life to service.

‘God save the King. With our love, Beatrice and Eugenie.’

The two sisters have been seen looking emotional as they’ve attended public engagements in the wake of Queen Elizabeth’s death.

On Saturday, they attended a vigil at Westminster Hall in London, which saw the Queen’s children – King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward –  repeat the ceremonial Vigil of Princes that they first carried out at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh as the Queen lies in state.

As they stood around the casket, other members of the royal family, including Queen Consort Camilla, watched in solemn silence from the stands.   

As Andrew, 62, who served in the Falklands, wore the uniform and stood around his mother’s coffin, his daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie watched their father pay his respects.   

They were joined by Beatrice’s husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, who appeared visibly moved by the vigil and put his hand to his face, as if he was wiping away tears.

King Charles III lead his family members – including Princes William and Harry – walking behind the Queen’s coffin as it was moved Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service.

Hundreds of thousands of Brits have queued to see the Queen lying in state this week, as the official period of mourning ends today.

Well-wishers waited for up to thirty hours to pay tribute as people from around the world sent their condolences to the longest running head of state .

Dignitaries from the commonwealth including Australia, New Zealand and Canada will join the Firm in mourning today, as well as monarchs from across Europe and the world.

The Queen’s state funeral today will end with a two-minute national silence in a ‘fitting tribute to an extraordinary reign’ before she is laid to rest beside her late husband.

Police have also been granted a no-fly zone order over London on today, which will follow 10 days of mourning.

As well as thousands of uniformed Metropolitan Police bobbies drafted into action, plain-clothes officers will also mingle among crowds to monitor any threats.

It is expected that other forces will be asked to provide officers under ‘mutual aid’.

The Queen’s Coffin was today carried from Westminster Hall to the State Gun Carriage, and then positioned outside the building’s North Door.

The procession then went from New Palace Yard through Parliament Square, Broad Sanctuary and the Sanctuary before arriving at Westminster Abbey just before 11am.

After the State Funeral Service finishes at around midday, the coffin will be placed on the State Gun Carriage outside the Abbey.

At 12.15pm, the procession will set off for Wellington Arch at Hyde Park Corner.

The route will go from the Abbey via Broad Sanctuary, Parliament Square (south and east sides), Parliament Street, Whitehall, Horse Guards including Horse Guards Arch, Horse Guards Road, The Mall, Queen’s Gardens (south and west sides), Constitution Hill and Apsley Way

At Wellington Arch, the Queen’s coffin will be transferred from the State Gun Carriage to the State Hearse just after 1pm, ahead of the journey to Windsor.

It then will travel from central London to Windsor, on a route that has not been disclosed by the Palace. When the hearse arrives in Windsor, the procession will begin just after 3pm at Shaw Farm Gate on Albert Road.

The state hearse will join the procession, which will have been formed up and in position, at Shaw Farm Gate before travelling to St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

The procession will follow the route of Albert Road, Long Walk, Cambridge Gate, Cambridge Drive, George IV Gate, Quadrangle (south and west sides), Engine Court, Norman Arch, Chapel Hill, Parade Ground and Horseshoe Cloister Arch.

Just before 4pm, the procession will halt at the bottom of the West Steps of St George’s Chapel in Horseshoe Cloister. Here, the bearer party will carry the coffin in procession up the steps into the chapel.

The Queen will be interred during a private burial at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle at 7.30pm.

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