Hitch in time to give royals a Prince fillip

FERGIE really is back in favour. In the latest sign that the past has been truly forgiven and forgotten by the Royal Family, Sarah Ferguson appeared with Prince Andrew at the memorial service for the late King of Greece.

Speculation has been rife for years that she and the Duke of York will remarry: why not just get on with it now? The Windsors could certainly do with a bit of good news at the moment, what with the King and the Princess of Wales out of action and that toad over in Montecito having comprehensively stabbed them all in the front... (I apologise. That is unfair on toads.)

A remarriage, especially if it was done quietly and without fanfare, could be just what the royals need. It would also do a lot to rehabilitate the image of Prince Andrew. Most people who have had dealings with him don’t have a good word to say about him, but Fergie still does, and that must say something.

His daughters have been loyal to him too, and that is not a given (see Montecito, again).

At the moment Andy is seen as a sleazeball, something that is not going to improve when various dramatic re-enactments of his toe-curling interview appear, but reposition him in the role of a married grandfather and it could make all the difference in the world. A full return to royal duties is unthinkable, but it would at least lance the boil.

As it happens, I hold no brief for Randy Andy and Fergie: they were far too brash for my liking even before the various scandals and both have made quite humongous mistakes.

They abused their position of privilege too. But I do care about the Royal Family, especially Andy’s elder brother and nephew and remarriage would reflect well on the institution as a whole. It’s difficult to remember now that Andrew (like Harry) was once extremely popular, but he could regain at least a little of that lost goodwill.

In any case, remember that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repenteth than over 99 just persons and what’s good enough for heaven is most certainly good enough for us.

If Andrew could bring himself to admit to past mistakes, and ask for a second chance with the woman he should clearly never have got divorced from, it would be a game changer. And in strengthening the Royal Family, it would be really good for the rest of the country too.