Fergie's Sweet Birthday Message For Princess Diana Underscores The Tragic State Of Royals Today

Princess Diana would have been 63 years old on July 1, 2024. In honor of the late royal's birthday, her former sister-in-law Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson, Duchess of York, shared a heartwarming tribute on Instagram. And it's a reminder that the royal family has splintered from its once unified public stance.

Sharing an old photo of the two of them on the Buckingham Palace balcony, Ferguson wrote, "Happy birthday to my dear friend, Diana. You were a pillar of light and love. And what a legacy you have left behind." The bond between Ferguson and Princess Diana is quite the contrast to the current generation of royals. Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, both married into the royal family — just as Ferguson and Diana did — however, there's no love lost between Meghan and Kate, at least at the moment.

Then there's the idea that Diana was an example of "light and love" for Ferguson and so many others. The royal family has quite a lot going on these days that may, understandably and sadly, be dimming its light. Along with the reported feud between Meghan and Kate, there's the rift between Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and many of the royals. And, of course, King Charles III and Kate have been out of the spotlight with health struggles recently. It seems nearly impossible to be symbols of "light and love" for others with health issues and family drama taking center stage. 

Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson were friends long before they both married into the royal family, and it's clear that Ferguson still misses her. She wrote in her birthday post, "I will forever remember our laughter and the kindred, kind spirit I found in you. I am sure you are watching over us always. Rest in peace my friend."

Commenters joined in with similar sentiments about missing Diana. Others noted how glad they were that Ferguson posted about Diana for her birthday. As of this writing, Ferguson seems to be the only royal who has publicly made note of Diana's birthday. While they haven't posted on social media about the day (nor do they need to in order to show their feelings), it's highly probable that both William, Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, are missing their mother on her birthday.

In the past, the brothers have used Diana's birthday as a brief moment to reunite. On what would have been their mother's 60th birthday in 2021, William and Harry unveiled a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace. However, that didn't appear to have done much for a long-term mending of the fences between them. Things only seemed to get worse after Harry's memoir "Spare" came out in early 2023.