Sarah Ferguson's Downfall Could Have Big Benefits For Kate Middleton's Family

There's been plenty of speculation about what might happen to Catherine, Princess of Wales' parents when she becomes queen consort, but royal pundits might not have to wait that long. With former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson out of the royal picture following their exile from the family amid the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, Kate Middleton's parents might be stepping into unofficial royal roles. At least, that's what some royal experts are predicting after her mother Carole Middleton was spotted having a blast with Queen Camilla and Anne, the Princess Royal, in the Royal Box at the Cheltenham Festival in March 2026.

In an opinion piece award-winning correspondent Chris Riches wrote for Express, he noted that Carole fits right in with the royals and could easily replace Sarah. Royal biographer Ingrid Seward told the outlet she believes Carole's presence at the festival was a sign of what's to come. "I believe she must have been invited by the Queen to have been in the Royal Box, since Her Majesty was hosting the box. If Carole was there for the whole day, she likely would have been a lunch guest too," Seward surmised.

Other experts agree. Royal author Robert Jobson told Hello! that Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, are pretty much royalty already. "The Middletons aren't guests any more. They stopped being guests a long time ago. They're family," he said, adding that Carole has proven over the years that she can be trusted, having never leaked any royal secrets for her own benefit. Additionally, she played a vital role when Kate was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, and Jobson says she effectively cemented herself as the family's rock. "I don't think you can put a price on that," he added.

Former Prince Andrew's arrest sent the royals scrambling to save face, but William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales showed signs of trying to separate themselves from the controversial royal even before then. Prior to King Charles III removing Andrew's royal titles in November 2025, William was seen trying to publicly distance himself from his uncle at the Duchess of Kent's September 2025 funeral. Andrew, who at times didn't look all that bereaved, seemed to be excitedly making conversation with William. Speaking to the Daily Mail, an insider reported that the prince attempted to tell his uncle to tone it down.

Kate Middleton, too, supposedly showed a bit of animosity at the funeral by ignoring Sarah Ferguson. Body language expert Judi James told the Daily Mail the princess wasn't trying to hide the fact that she wanted nothing to do with the duchess and likely did so in an attempt to "ward off any unwanted attention and posing on behalf of her husband." Kate and Sarah's relationship was already pretty complicated to begin with. For starters, the former duchess wasn't invited to Kate and William's wedding after she was involved in a scandal with the press. Sarah went on to tell Oprah Winfrey that she was upset by the snub, per the Mirror.

Kate and William are yet to release a statement pertaining to Andrew's arrest in February 2026, though it's been reported that they're in favor of the king's stance that "the law must take its course," per Page Six. Needless to say, the Wales' are likely putting Andrew and Sarah behind them and looking at ways to integrate Kate's family into the new royal vacancy.