By Molly Claire Goddard
10:21am PST, Jan 6, 2026
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Speaking to
The Telegraph in 2023, Sarah Ferguson reflected on her grief after Queen Elizabeth II's death and how it ultimately helped bring her closer to her ex-husband,
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
"When Andrew went through a hard time, I used to be able to throw it to The Boss," she said of the former leader of England.
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Before Queen Elizabeth II passed away, Sarah Ferguson opened up about their bond. "I think to myself that honestly, my [former] mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother. I absolutely think there is no greater mentor because from a little girl to now, the consistency of Her Majesty has been a great honor and makes me want to cry," she
said during a 2021 interview on the "Tea with Twiggy" podcast.
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"Because I went through so much pain losing mum, I lost my way and I became deeply insecure," Sarah Ferguson said, referring to the 1998 death of her mother, Susan Barrantes, in a car crash. "I kept asking everybody for advice. And I never trusted my own judgment of myself."
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"I have got my lovely ex-husband Andrew [Mountbatten-Windsor]. He always believed in me and always did believe in me. But my greatest mentor, and I know this sounds so weird to say it, and the person who believes in me is Queen [Elizabeth II]. She has never faltered," Sarah Ferguson said.
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Since Queen Elizabeth II's 2022 death, Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were stripped of their titles and evicted from Royal Lodge over their friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. The former Duchess of York was also dropped from numerous charities, and the publication of her children's book was canceled.