Photo: David Levenson/Getty
Sarah Fergusonis reflecting on her relationship withQueen Elizabeth.
The Duchess of York shared her sweet nickname for the late monarch during the Henley Literary Festival earlier this week. Ferguson, 62, was married to the Queen’s sonPrince Andrewfrom 1986 to 1996, previously revealing that sheremained closeto the monarch even after the divorce.
“It’s been all my life that I’ve known the boss and there’s no one like her,” Fergie said at the festival, according toThe Telegraph. “I wouldn’t do anything unless the boss gave me her blessing though, and still to this day, I think about that.”
Fergie attended the event to discuss her debut novel,Her Heart for a Compass,a coming-of-age story about her ancestor Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, who dared to defy norms in Victorian England in favor of forging her own path forward.
Sarah Ferguson and Queen Elizabeth.Georges De Keerle/Getty
According to the outlet, Fergie immediately citedQueen Elizabethwhen asked if any women inspired her characters in the work of historical fiction.
“There’s no question about it, mine is my mother-in-law,” the author said. “I’ve been the luckiest person alive. I have, there’s no question.”
Fergie again dropped the deferential nickname when explaining how she first presented the text to the Queen.
“When we wrote the book, I gave it to the boss and I said, ‘You don’t need to read it,’ " she recalled of her novel, published August 2021. “But I think she was so proud that we did it. And that’s just huge for me. She was just very, very special.”
Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew and Queen Elizabeth.Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty
Fergie attended the Queen’sstate funeralandcommittal serviceon Sept. 19, poignantly pinning on aswooping swallow brooch— a symbol of a safe journey popular in Victorian England. The subtle sentiment was a thoughtful nod, as Fergie knew the Queen since the ’80s.
The Duchess of York opened up about how much her relationship with her former mother-in-law meant in an emotional post on Sept. 8, after Buckingham Palace announced that the Queen died “peacefully” at age 96.
Christopher Furlong/Getty
“To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend,” she continued. “I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce. I will miss her more than words can express.”
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Fergie and Andrew have remained close over the years and share daughtersPrincess Beatrice, 34, andPrincess Eugenie, 32. Despite divorcing, they stilllive together at their family home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, and are caring for thetwo corgisthat survived the Queen.
source: people.com
