Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson called her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, her “greatest mentor” and “a person who believes in me” in a candid new interview with the iconic model Twiggy.
The Duchess of York was married to the queen’s son, Prince Andrew, from 1986 to 1996. Though they divorced, they still continue to live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
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“I think to myself that honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother,” the “Heart of a Compass” author said on the model’s podcast, “Tea with Twiggy,” published on Monday.
Fergie’s mom, Susan Barrantes, divorced the duchesses’ father and moved to Argentina to be with professional polo player Hector Barrantes when Ferguson was only a child.
Though the two stayed in touch and Fergie visited her mom, Fergie told Twiggy that she never saw her “properly” again. Susan later died in a car crash in Argentina in 1998, when she was 61, just a year after Princess Diana’s untimely death.
“Because I went through so much pain, losing mum, I lost my way and I became deeply, deeply insecure. I kept asking everybody for advice,” Ferguson said.
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“I never trusted my own judgment of myself. And I suppose it wasn’t until, I’ve got my lovely ex-husband ― lovely Andrew ― he always believes in me and always did believe in me,” she said.
“But the real person ― I know this sounds so weird, Twiggy, to say it ― but my greatest mentor and person who believes in me is the queen. And that’s never faltered.”
The Duke and Duchess of York, their daughter Princess Beatrice, and Queen Elizabeth attend the Queen's Cup polo match in Windsor in 2004.
Mark Cuthbert via Getty Images
“I absolutely admire the incredible way Her Majesty is so modern,” Fergie added, while also praising the queen for being “flexible,” “understanding,” “forgiving” and “generous.”
“I absolutely think there is no greater mentor,” the author added. “From a little girl to now, the consistency of Her Majesty has been a great honor. Huge honor. Makes me want to cry.”
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Fergie still appears to be close with Queen Elizabeth. She, Andrew and their daughter Eugenie are currently staying with the queen at Balmoral, her private estate in Scotland.
Princess Beatrice, the Duchess of York and Lady Carolyn Warren, right, speak with Queen Elizabeth II in the Royal Box before watching the Queen's horse Elector run on Day 4 of the Royal Ascot on June 22, 2018.
Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images
The visit is especially notable because Andrew and Buckingham Palace have yet to respond to Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit, filed last week in New York, that accuses Andrew of sexually assaulting and abusing Giuffre when she was a teen. Both the prince and the palace have repeatedly denied the allegations over the years.
“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” Giuffre, now 38, said in a statement to ABC News last week.
“The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.”
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