Sarah Ferguson Weighs In On Harry And Meghan's Royal Family Rift

Sarah Ferguson, The Duchess of York and former wife of the disgraced Prince Andrew, has given an exclusive interview to People Magazine in advance of the release of her upcoming Novel "A Most Intriguing Lady," which is due out March 7. During the conversation with People, Ferguson, affectionately known the world over as "Fergie," discussed her lifelong friendship with the late Princess Diana, her relationship with her own grandchildren, and her opinion on the decisions Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have made with regard to paving their own way apart from the Royal Family.

Fergie and Princess Diana had been friends since their teenage years, long before they married (and later divorced) Prince Andrew and the then-Prince Charles respectively. Sarah Ferguson and Diana remained close throughout their lives, often confiding in one another. Fergie lovingly nicknamed Diana "Duch," and still remembers their friendship fondly. Both having been on the receiving end of immense judgement during what the world deemed at the time to be scandalous divorces, the two had each other to lean on. 

Now, Fergie has weighed in on what she thinks about Harry and Meghan's choice to raise their children in California, and what she imagines Diana would think of her grandchildren.      

The Duchess of York went on to say that she has "no judgement" of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for their decision to step down as working royals to raise their family on their own terms in California. "I don't believe that any single person has the right to judge another person," Fergie told People. "I'm not in a position myself to make any judgments," she explained. 

She further clarified her reason for reserving judgement, saying, "I have been judged all my life, and I have no judgment on the Sussexes." Fergie has indeed been the subject of judgemental gossip and countless tabloid headlines over the past several decades. People have judged her fluctuating weight, her divorce, her post-divorce love life, and virtually every other aspect of her life you could imagine. And lately, she has received harsh judgement for remaining friends with her former husband and father of her children, Prince Andrew, after he settled with his accuser Virginia Giuffre when she accused him of sexually assualting her when she was an underage girl. 

In light of all of this, Fergie feels it is not her place to pass judgement upon her nephew Harry and his wife Meghan. She instead went on to discuss how she imagines Princess Diana would feel about her grandchildren. 

Sarah Ferguson told People that she believes her friend, the late Princess Diana, "would be incredibly proud of her grandchildren. And not just the Sussex grandchildren, but Will's children." Harry and Meghan have two children, Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1, and William and Katherine, Prince and Princess of Wales, have three children together, George, 9, Charlotte, 7, and Louis, 4. 

Fergie is herself a grandmother, and says that she adores the role, sharing that her grandchildren "follow me around like Peter Pan." She went on to exclaim, "I'm Super Gran Pan!" 

Her daughter, Princess Beatrice, has a daughter named Sienna, who is a year old. Beatrice is also the stepmother to her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's son named Wolfie. Princess Eugenie has a two-year-old son August and is expecting another child with her husband Jack Brooksbank. 

Fergie joked about being a grandmother, saying, "Everyone says, 'Oh, has it changed your life?' And I go, 'No, because I live [in the mindset of ] 3- to 6-year-olds.' So I've now got another audience that likes me."