Sarah Ferguson has revealed the advice the late Queen imparted on her before she died.
Queen Elizabeth II was Britain’s longest-serving monarch and died in September, aged 96.
Appearing on BBC’s The One Show on Monday evening (28 March), the Duchess of York, 63, reflected on going for walks with the Queen and her beloved corgis.
The former royal told hosts Alex Jones and Jermain Jenas: “I remember she used to say, ‘Sarah there needs to be more kindness in the world, which would disarm malice.’”
Ferguson, who is the ex-wife of Prince Andrew, continued by praising King Charles: “I feel it’s really important [that] we should all stop for a minute and remember those words with respect and affection for a great leader [who] now has passed it onto another great leader in her son.”
Ferguson and husband Prince Andrew divorced in 1996, but Ferguson remained friends with the Duke of York and close with close with his mother, the late Queen. The pair still live together in Royal Lodge.
Earlier this month, Ferguson said she finds it “so sad” to watch the “demise” of the disgraced Prince Andrew.
Promoting her new novel, titled A Most Intriguing Lady, the Duchess appeared on Good Morning America and opened up about how she and Andrew have “always been there” for one another.
Correspondent Juju Chang asked the Ferguson: “You’ve been divorced for many, many years, and yet you’ve been Andrew’s rock. What’s it been like watching him go through this withering public scrutiny?”
“So sad, so sad,” she replied. “We’ve been there for each other – you know, when I’ve gone through really bad times in the past, Andrew’s always been there.”
She described Prince Andrew as “exceptionally kind” and a “very, seriously good grandfather” to his grandchildren, Sienna Elizabeth Mapelli Mozzi and August Philip Hawke Brooksbank.
The Duke of York was accused of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre, a victim of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, when she was underage in the US. He has consistently and vehemently denied all allegations.
Andrew and Giuffre reached a multi-million pound settlement last year to stop the case from proceeding to a civil trial.
After he stepped down as a working royal over his links to Epstein, Andrew has largely stayed out of the public eye.