The Queen's sad death has meant many members of the royal family have taken on new roles - and one of them is her former daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson.
Fergie and ex-husband Prince Andrew have taken on the important task of caring for her two beloved corgis Sandy and Muick, who were her most treasured pets. And to mark her recent 63rd birthday, Sarah shared a series of adorable snaps of herself lying on the grass with the dogs soaking up the sunshine. It was a full circle moment for Sarah, who at times has had a rocky relationship with some of her royal relatives but appeared to maintain a close bond with the Queen and has appears to have been welcomed back into the royal fold.
In the early days of Sarah's romance with Andrew, Fergie bonded with the Queen over their shared love of horses, according to Vanity Fair.
It was also reported that she won over Prince Philip with her "sharp sense of humour" and the interest she showed in her father-in-law's favourite sport of carriage driving.
However, following the arrival of her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie and her divorce from Andrew, it is said a rift developed between Fergie and her father-in-law.
He was said to be furious when intimate photos of her appeared on the front pages of her having her toes sucked.
His biographer Gyles Brandreth once said Philip thought Sarah was "simply beyond the pale" and gave her a wide berth
But despite the rift, the late Queen and Sarah stayed in regular contact as they shared many similar interests.
And last year, she appeared to be back in the royal inner circle by spending time with Her Majesty and other royals at Balmoral.
It came after she previously praised her former mother-in-law when she appeared on the Tea with Twiggy podcast.
Speaking before the Queen died, she said: “I think to myself that honestly, my 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 honour and makes me want to cry.
“Because I went through so much pain losing mum, I lost my way and I became deeply deeply insecure. I kept asking everybody for advice. And I never trusted my own judgement of myself.
“I have got my lovely ex-husband Andrew – he always believes 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 the Queen and has never faltered.”
And in the hours after it was announced that the Queen had died, Sarah took to social media to share a tribute to her late mother-in-law.
She wrote on Twitter : "I am heartbroken by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: the most fantastic example of duty and service and steadfastness, and a constant steadying presence as our head of state for more than 70 years.
"She has given her whole life selflessly to the people of the UK & the Commonwealth. To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend.
"I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce. I will miss her more than words can express."
Last month, Fergie joined her ex-husband, two daughters and other members of the Royal Family to say their final goodbye to the Queen.
For the state funeral service at Westminster Abbey, Sarah sat one row behind The Princess of Wales. This led to many praising Sarah for her loyalty to The Queen while others pointed out that she never had an unkind word to say about the monarch.
Fans on social media expressed their thoughts about Sarah's prime seat during the service. One wrote: "very significant. Good to see successful reconciliation!" Another added: "despite all her faults, she was always loyal to our late Queen, and always spoke highly of her."
A final agreed and said: "She was there for the Queen and genuinely loved her."
Now, Fergie will combine her role of looking after the corgis with writing romance novels, with her second book A Most Intriguing Lady due out next year.
She continues to live at Royal Lodge in Windsor with former husband Andrew as well as their five other dogs - Norfolk terriers.
Sarah recently said it was a "big honour" to be taking on the two pets, which she described as "national treasures" and having been "taught well".
And speaking of the dogs she now has, she added: "They all balance out, the carpet moves as I move but I’ve got used to it now."
