MY MISSION: KINDNESS

Warm-hearted Fergie has opened up about her cosy relationship with the queen and her unwavering support for Andrew

- NICI DE WET

SHE'S endured scrutiny and scandal and been mocked for her weight and style to such an extent she suffered mental-health issues and eating disorders. 

But Sarah, Duchess of York, aka Fergie, wants the world to know she finally feels comfortable in her own skin and free to speak her mind. 

“It ’s liberating,” the 63-year-old says. “It’s like I ’ve taken the mental shackles out of my brain. 

“I don’t know whether it’s the queen passing on that I now think I can just sort of say openly what I want to say without worrying I’m going to offend somebody.” 

And Fergie has been saying plenty lately as she goes on the publicity trail to promote her latest book, A Most Intriguing Lady – a sweeping historical romance that follows Lady Mary, an aristocrat by day and amateur detective by night. 

It’s her second novel for adults after Her Heart for a Compass, which was released in 2021 and is based on the story of her great-great-aunt Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott – a tale she says took 15 years to get out of her head and onto the page.

But Fergie found this one far easier to write, probably because it’s based on herself. 

“Lady Mary is me,” she told breakfast show Good Morning America. “She’s cheeky, she’s feisty, she’s rebellious.” 

Which does pretty much sum up the fiery redhead. Controversial, characterful, out-there and often overthe-top, she’s in a league of her own – but at the core of it all is a woman with a big heart and one mission in life: to be kind. 

“When people ask me what religion I am, I say kindness,” she says.