Sarah Ferguson says she felt “liberated” after her late mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September.
The Duchess of York discussed the monarch’s death and why she’s since felt like she’s “found her own voice” during a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“I think also the queen dying has sort of liberated me a bit “ she said. “My sense of purpose has always been, for 62 years, 63 years, to be very loyal and to uphold Her Majesty’s values.”
She went on to note how close she was with the Queen and that ultimately living her life without the royal has helped her grow as a person.
“She was more a mother to me than my own mother, really, and therefore now she’s not there anymore, I feel as though maybe I can be free to be Sarah,” Ferguson continued. “I feel as though I’m liberated from my own mental shackles.”
Fegurson married the Queen’s third son Prince Andrew in 1986. While the pair divorced in 1996, they still live together in the Royal Lodge, along with the Queen’s two dogs, Muick and Sandy. They also share two daughters, Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 32.
During her conversation with ET, Ferguson described how her “confidence” has developed since the Queen’s death.
“I don’t think I’ve shown anybody the real Sarah that you’re seeing today. I’m very authentic today,” she said. “There’s nothing holding me back now. I sort of feel free to be myself.”
Ferguson said that realising that she has a “career” and “wasn’t just a duchess” has helped her mental health.
“I’m a strong redhead, and it’s OK to be strong, it’s OK to be very colourful and feisty,” she said. “I think I’ve been through many mental issues. [I’ve had] quite the journey... I’ve become more savvy.”
Earlier this month, the author reflected on marrying into the royal family and how much she “loved” being a part of it. During an interview with The Telegraph, she said that throughout her marriage to Andrew she had the opportunity to fulfill her childhood dreams of being a “princess”.
“Remember that the dream of every little girl is to be a princess, and I was a princess. And I loved every minute of it,” Ferguson recalled.
She added that her perspective on being a part of the royal family was influenced by the Queen.
“The thing is, I had the great honour of being the Queen’s daughter-in-law, and therefore I couldn’t not see every single second as a great learning curve,” she explained.
She also spoke about her plans to honour the late monarch, adding: “It’s unbelievably important to uphold Her Majesty’s legacy. And although I’m not a member of the royal family any more, my values are what I believe is right – and that’s what they uphold.”
