Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson, previously married to Prince Andrew, disclosed the profound words Queen Elizabeth II shared with her before the monarch’s demise in September 2022.
Ferguson delved into her personal battle with breast cancer during an episode of her podcast, “Tea Talks With the Duchess & Sarah,” on Wednesday. This battle, she expressed, has been a transformative experience, allowing her to fully embrace her true self, undeterred by external judgments.
“‘Just be yourself, Sarah,’” Ferguson said that the queen told her.
“She just got so annoyed when I wasn’t being myself. That’s probably when I got into all the pickles. But now I am myself, and I’m just so lucky to be able to be myself,” the duchess of York added.
Ferguson’s marital journey with the controversial royal Prince Andrew spanned a decade, from 1986 to 1996. The couple has two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Over the years, her rapport with the queen witnessed its share of complexities. A particularly scandalous episode in 1992 where paparazzi captured the duchess in an intimate moment with a business associate on a French holiday added to the strain. Queen Elizabeth II, known for her disdain for negative press, labeled that year as her “annus horribilis” or horrible year.
The exact timing of the queen’s aforementioned advice to Ferguson remains ambiguous. However, a report from the Times of London highlighted the queen’s spirited demeanor the weekend preceding her death.
“The Right Rev. Iain Greenshields said of dining with Her Majesty at Balmoral at the time. ‘Her memory was absolutely amazing, and she was really full of fun.’”
Greenshields expressed his disbelief at the queen’s sudden deteriorating health, considering her vibrant state just days prior. Queen Elizabeth II’s passing marked the end of a monumental 70-year reign, the longest for any British monarch and any female head of state in recorded history.
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