Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York has revealed how she coped with the death of the late Queen Elizabeth, who died aged 96 in September.
The Duchess was married to the Queen's son, Prince Andrew, between 1986 and 1996 but despite their divorce, she maintained a tight bond with the Sovereign.
Sarah, 63, often enjoyed walks around the Windsor Castle estate during the later years of the Queen's life, with the late monarch leaving her two beloved Corgis to Sarah and Andrew.
Now, the philanthropist has opened up about how she processed dealing with her mother-in-law's death as the Royal Family faced an almighty change.
Speaking to the Mirror, Sarah said: "We are all missing the Queen enormously – her passing has left a real void in the family.
"As she herself said, 'grief is the price we pay for love.'"
Discussing how she kept her mind occupied following her death, Sarah explained: "Writing is very therapeutic for me as it is pure escapism."
Shortly after the Queen's death on September 8, Sarah was one of the first members of her family to pay tribute, describing her as "the most incredible mother-in-law and friend," before thanking her for "remaining close" even after her divorce from the Duke of York.
But while Sarah and her relatives have faced heartache in recent years, the York household welcomed two granddaughters after Princess Eugenie gave birth to her August in 2021, while Princess Beatrice gave birth to her first daughter, Sienna in the same year.
Eugenie, 33, will welcome her second child later this year after Buckingham Palace announced her pregnancy in January.
While chatting about being a grandmother, the Duchess said: "I am loving being a grandmother.
"I model myself on Super Gran, it allows me to unleash my inner child, we're lucky to see lots of them."
But while the Sarah's Trust founder may be working hard behind the scenes as well as juggling family life, she revealed her two daughters are "hugely supportive" and "excited" for her latest novel.
"My ex-husband has also read my books and tells me they are fabulous," she said of Prince Andrew.
Reflecting on her latest novel, Sarah said: "I think people will enjoy spotting the parallels between me and the heroine of this book – Lady Mary is someone who pretends to be something of a dormouse but actually is a great reader of people and a superb amateur detective, there's lots of me in her."
The Duchess is also in talks with major production companies to turn her novels into period dramas, which she is "so excited" about.
A Most Intriguing Lady by Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson and Marguerite Kaye (Mills & Boon, £14.99) is out 30th March.
