‘The Queen was more of a mother to me than mine’: Sarah Ferguson reveals the one lesson she learned from life
Sarah Ferguson, 63, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, is an author of more than 50 books, including historical romantic fiction. She lives in Windsor with her ex-husband and the late Queen’s corgis.
THE QUEEN WAS MORE OF A MOTHER TO ME
I endured a lot of press when I married into the royal family, and a lot of comparisons between me and Diana, because I knew it was out of love.
You can do a lot when love comes in. If you’re going to do something, do it with passion. I believe in that very strongly and it is something that I also bring into my work. I passionately love being an author.
However, one of the best jobs I’ve ever done is being a mom. I am very present. When my kids were little, I spent time with them, focused on them, and listened to them. I would help them understand and label their feelings.
One reason I’m a good mom is because my mom wasn’t around at all – she left me when I was 12 [to move to South America], so I know what it’s like to grow up without a mother. That’s why the queen was so wonderful, because she was more of a mother to me than mine.
Sarah Ferguson, 63, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, is an author of more than 50 books, including historical romantic fiction
She lives in Windsor with her ex-husband and the late Queen’s corgis. Pictured with the late monarch in 1990
I am in awe of my children now and they have become wonderful mothers themselves. I love every second I spend with mini Eugenie and mini Beatrice (her grandson, August, and granddaughter, Sienna) — they’re so alike, it’s like having my babies back.
Whether I was a Duchess or not, I would always have ended up as an author. At one point I wanted to be an Olympic show jumper, or John Wayne, but I’ve always had a big imagination. My father [Major Ronald Ferguson] always told me to stop making up stories, but in 1989 I wrote my first children’s book, Budgie The Helicopter.
Sarah says that, Duchess or not, she would always have become an author. Photo taken last year
With her books, she wants to offer women an escape, a chance to dive into history and get out of any worries they may have.
What I want to do with my books is what Mr. Mills and Mr. Boon envisioned when they started their company: to give women an escape, a chance to dive into history and from any worries they might have. I also want them to know that you can start as an author in your 60s.
Whatever the future holds for me, I would like to take up rowing and get super fit. At 63 you can do anything!
A very intriguing lady by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (£14.99, Mills & Boon), is out now.