Sarah Ferguson recently announced that she has been diagnosed with skin cancer just a few months after undergoing a mastectomy. The 64-year-old expressed her "shock" at discovering she has a malignant melanoma, but told fans she remains in "good spirits".
Dubbed 'Fergie', Sarah first stepped into the spotlight through her marriage to Prince Andrew, which lasted from 1986 until 1996. Together they share two children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, and three grandchildren. She is patron of various charities and has worked to rasie awareness of cancer symptoms through her openness about her own diagnoses.
But how much do you really know about the Duchess of York? Let's take a closer look...
Age
Sarah was born on 15 October 1959 at London Welbeck Hospital, the second daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson (1931–2003) and Susan Barrantes (née Wright; 1937–1998). She has one older full sister, Jane. She was raised in Dummer, Hampshire, and attended the Queen's Secretarial College before working for public relations firms in London, and then for a publishing company. She is now 64.
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Marriage
Sarah and Prince Andrew first met when they were children, but they were not romantically involved until they met again at a party at Floors Castle in 1985. They began their relationship that same year, after a party held at Windsor Castle in honour of the Royal Ascot races. Diana, the late Princess of Wales, played a hand in matchmaking the couple as Andrew's sister-in-law, and the two women later formed a strong friendship.
Andrew popped the question on 19 February 1986, his 26th birthday, and their engagement was announced to the public on 17 March 1986. They were married four months later, on 23 July 1986, at Westminster Abbey in London.
But Andrew's duties as a naval officer required him to stay away from home for long periods. According to Sarah, the couple saw each other 40 days a year in the first five years of their marriage. By 1991, the marriage was in trouble, and Sarah was finding life as a member of the royal family increasingly difficult.
The Duke and Duchess of York announced their separation on 19 March 1992 and confirmed their mutual decision to divorce in April 1996.
Family
Sarah and Andrew welcomed two children together, daughters Princess Beatrice ( born 8 August 1988) and Princess Eugenie ( born 23 March 1990). Sarah is incredibly close to her children and often speaks of her pride in them.
The Duchess is also a grandmother to Beatrice's daughter Sienna, who was born 18 September 2021, and Eugenie's sons, August, who arrived on 9 February 2021, and Ernest, born on 30 May 2023.
Net worth
As of 2023, Sarah's net worth was estimated to be around £1million. Her autobiography, My Story, earned her an advance of £800,000 and her books The Royal Switch and Bright Lights earned her an estimated £500,000.
Other book titles which earned her impressive deals include Tea For Ruby, Heart For A Compass, and Finding Sarah. And she also wrote the Budgie The Little Helicopter series of picture books, which was adapted into a TV series.
The Duchess has also earned money from writing Mills & Boon romances, and in 2022 she reportedly signed a major book deal with Serendipity Press agreeing to pen a staggering 22 books for the company, NBD.
According to senior sources quoted in The Sunday Telegraph, the Duchess' divorce settlement amounted to roughly £3million in total. At the time, it was reported that she also received £500,000 from the Queen in order to buy a new house for her and her children.
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Following their divorce, Andrew and Fergie reached a settlement meaning she still received £15,853 ($19,800) per year from the Royal Family.
Unusual living arrangements
Despite the fact that their fairytale marriage came to an end in 1996, Sarah and Prince Andrew continue to live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
The Duchess has spoken in the past about her life at the Royal Lodge. Prince Andrew moved in there with their girls once renovation work was completed in 2004, and it's thought his ex-wife joined them in 2008.
Despite having resided there for many years, Sarah has said does not class it as 'home'. "When I'm in the UK I'm lucky enough to stay at Royal Lodge," she told the Telegraph. "I wouldn't call it my home as that would be presumptuous."
The 30-room property is a Grade II-listed residence and has a grand exterior and beautiful interiors.
Speaking about her unusual living arrangements on USA Today , the Duchess previously said: "Andrew and I, we're the happiest divorced couple in the world – extraordinary, really, isn't it. We live in the same house, but then, it's a big house, so that's ok. But I think it's really good that we believe in compromise and communication and compassion. And family."
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