Sarah Ferguson Says Princess Diana Would Have Loved Meghan Markle And Kate Middleton

Jul 15, 2021

Although it's been rumored that Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York were known to have had issues with each other during the last year of Diana's life, there was a time that the two royals were actually very good friends. In fact, the two women have a lot in common.

Originally they'd been close childhood friends prior to strengthening their friendship when they both married into the royal family. Diana married Prince Charles in 1981, while Ferguson married Prince Andrew in 1986. This was a time when both of these young women were the rising stars in the royal family, as they were full of life and energy. 

They would each go on to have two children — Diana with her two boys, Prince William and Prince Harry, and Ferguson with her two girls, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie — with all four kids growing up together as they were fairly close in age. Incidentally, the two royal women even had their marriages break down around the same time, with each couple separating in 1992 before getting divorced in 1996.

Now, over 20 years since the death of Diana, Ferguson has given an interview to People in which she reveals details of her friendship with the late princess. She commented on what she thinks Diana would have thought about her two daughters-in-law and of course, her estimation is that she would have absolutely adored Catherine Middleton and Meghan Markle.

She also spoke about how much Diana would have loved being a grandmother, as she was very fond of children, especially her own two sons and Ferguson's two daughters.

In the interview with PEOPLE, which included a video and cover story feature, Sarah Ferguson states how she thinks Princess Diana would have felt about her daughters-in-law, Catherine Middleton and Meghan Markle if she were alive today to know them. She reveals:

"If she were sitting with me right now, I know she would say, 'I am so proud of both of my boys and the wonderful wives they have chosen. Because each has got her own voice.'"

She reiterated that "[Diana] would be very proud of her sons and their wives." She also mentioned that just like herself, Diana would be a doting grandmother who's "obsessed with her grandchildren ... because that's what she loved." She added that Diana: "adored [Ferguson's] girls. She adored the boys. This would be her haven. Her heaven."

Ferguson also spoke fondly about her decades-long friendship with Diana, saying, "We were best friends from when she was 14 and I was 15." She also revealed that it was Diana who wanted to set Ferguson up with Prince Andrew, stating:

"It was Diana that said, 'No, no, I need you to come to stay at Windsor Castle and you need to be with my brother-in-law Andrew."

When Ferguson first saw the prince and told Diana "he's really cute," the late princess responded with, "Duh Fergie!" The duchess also revealed that Diana had "a terrific sense of humor" and the "most wonderful, infectious giggles," that never fail to bring a smile to Ferguson's face. She also mentioned that it was Diana who "taught [her] so much of public life," before adding:

"She was so brave. We used to have the most incredible time together."

Addressing the rumors that she and Diana had fallen out before the princess' untimely death in 1997, Ferguson set the record straight, explaining in the PEOPLE interview:

"We promised each other we would always be together — there was never any daylight between us. But everybody wanted that, because we were so strong together. People want to break something so strong."

Clearly still full of affection for her dear old friend, Ferguson even believes that Diana's spirit is still with us. She said:

"There is no question that she is still with us. I know she's still with us. I mean, she's in my heart, I love her."

She added that she believes if Diana was still alive her mission would be to help bring the world joy and inspire them to be themselves. She said:

"Diana would be really working hard to help more people be inspired, have joy, and to look at life with optimism and hope. And just be themselves."

She ended the video portion of the interview by stating, "a big, big hug to Diana, happy birthday to Diana, and just, we love you, we'll always love you." She reiterates that loving each other is what we should all be doing to one another.

It's clear from Ferguson's interview that Diana is still well and truly in her heart and that she wanted to honor her spirit and life by speaking openly about their close friendship. After dispelling the rumor that the two weren't close at the end of Diana's life, it also sheds new light on what we know about Diana's last years. 

Did you know Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana were so close? If you learned something from this article then be sure to pass it on to any royals fans you know!