Sarah Ferguson says she went to 'dark places' as she reveals true depth of her double cancer trauma as she looks after 'sad man' Prince Andrew amid Chinese spy controversy
Sarah Ferguson has admitted she went to 'dark places' as she was diagnosed with two different forms of cancer within months of each other.
The Duchess of York, 65, opened up on her health battle after her breast cancer diagnosis in the summer of 2023 and undergoing a single mastectomy.
She was then hit with another blow being told she had a form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, last January.
The former wife of the Duke of York, described the moment as 'a bomb' and said that her family 'have been an immense support to me through this period'.
Despite joking about her treatment, revealing that she has renamed her reconstructed breast 'Derek', it would appear that the true depth of her double cancer trauma was much harder than first thought.
'It was hard. I'm generally a positive person but cancer is like a bomb going off in your life,' she told The Times.
'One diagnosis is enough to deal with, but I had two in the space of a year. I don't mind admitting that my mind went to some dark places, reflecting on my own mortality.'
Sarah - or 'Fergie' - remains close and still lives with her former scandal-hit husband Prince Andrew at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate.
Sarah Ferguson admitted she went to 'dark places' as she was diagnosed with two different forms of cancer within months of each other
Sarah - or 'Fergie' - remains close and still lives with her former scandal-hit husband Prince Andrew at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate
Fergie and ex-husband Andrew pictured with their daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
Following his links to an alleged Chinese spy, Andrew and his ex-wife voluntarily agreed to pull out of the royal Christmas party was not required but it understood the King is grateful towards Sarah for acting as a conduit between him and his younger brother.
The alleged agent, Yang Tengbo, was so close to Andrew that he visited Buckingham Palace twice, and entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle. He was even authorised to act on Andrew’s behalf to seek investors in China.
Mr Tengbo, who has since been banned from entering the UK after an MI5 investiagtion, has denied being a spy or doing anything illegal. He challenged his ban at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) in July, but lost his appeal last month.
Amidst the alleged Chinese spy scandal, Sarah is thought to have influenced her ex-husband's decision to not attend the royal Christmas party.
Speaking prior to the latest allegations, Fergie professed her undying support for her ex-husband, revealing that she is currently looking after him and 'won't let him down'.
The duchess also discussed her personal experience of mental health problems among men and recently said she acted like a 'carer' when she lived with her father who she described as 'profoundly sad and struggling for many years'
She added: 'I was left to look after a sad man, which is sort of what I'm doing now,' a possible reference to the relationship she has with her ex-husband Andrew.
The duke, 64, was forced to step back from palace duties due to his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and was stripped off his of title, military roles and royal patronages on January 13, 2022 by his mother Queen Elizabeth II.
Amidst the alleged Chinese spy scandal, Sarah is thought to have influenced her Andrew (pictured) decision to not attend the royal Christmas party
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived at Sandringham for the Christmas Day festivities
Fergie attending the walkabout on Christmas Day last year with other royals last year for the first time since 1992
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson arriving at the memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at Windsor Castle in February
Sarah also told the story of the son of the duchess's 'oldest and dearest' friends, who took his own life on December 15, 2006.
James Wentworth-Stanley, a 21-year-old Spanish and business studies student at Newcastle University, reported feeling suicidal after a minor operation but was left waiting a few hours after being classed as a low priority at A&E. He took his own life days later.
The duchess, who said she 'adored' James, is the gpdmother to his younger brother Harry and Milford Haven is godmother to her elder daughter, Princess Beatrice.
The suicide rate in the UK has risen to its highest level in over 25 years and is now the leading cause death for men and women aged between 20 and 34, making up for almost a quarter of deaths - more proportionally than any other age group.
She added that she also worries about her daughters, Princess Beatrice, now 36, and Princess Eugenie, 34.
She said: 'You worry about them all the time. I still do now, when they're adults. I think young people today have it harder than ever. Social media is a cesspit and it's very frightening what young people are exposed to.'
Sarah and Prince divorced in 1996 after separating in 1992, but the Duchess has remained close to her ex-husband.
'I've been told by sources on both sides of the fence that she has been instrumental in just being a small, still voice of calm in her dealings with her ex-husband and I've been told that the King does understand it's a very delicate situation,' Royal Editor Rebecca English said on Mail+'s Palace Confidential last moth.
'She has been very loyal to Andrew with all his difficulties over the years, but also to actually be fair to her, has been respectful to the King and the Queen and the late Queen Elizabeth.'
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