Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, to tour Australia in February 2023

Exiled royal Sarah Ferguson is set to reveal more about her marriage to ex-husband Prince Andrew on an Australian speaking tour.

Exclusive: Sarah Ferguson is set to reveal more about her marriage to ex-husband Prince Andrew and the “dark times” that followed on an Australian speaking tour.

The Duchess of York will appear on stage with TV legend Ray Martin in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in February next year, giving a personal account of her life.

The tour — In Conversation with Sarah, Duchess of York — will feature “extraordinary untold stories” as the exiled royal delves into her childhood, love life and career as a global humanitarian and novelist.

Sarah Ferguson, with one of the Queen’s adopted corgis, will reveal more about her life in a speaking tour of Australia.

Sarah Ferguson remains close to ex-husband Prince Andrew. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

Announcing her tour, Sarah, Duchess of York, said: “I am so excited to be coming to Australia to share stories of my life.

“Australia has been home to my sister for many decades and I see it as a second home.

“I always feel a weight lift off my shoulders when I arrive Down Under.

“The Australian people have always supported me and treated me with kindness.

“It’s a place where I can be myself. I look forward to seeing lots of you at the show.”

Tickets are available on pre-sale on Tuesday and to the general public from Friday, October 21 at lateralevents.com

FERGIE TALKS ABOUT BOND WITH LATE QUEEN

Divorce put exiled royal Sarah Ferguson and the Queen on different paths but the two shared a primal bond so close that “The Boss” trusted her to take care of her corgis – who have been “doing just fine” since her death.

Speaking candidly about her royal connection with her late former mother-in-law, the Duchess of York revealed she and the Queen, whom she affectionately calls “The Boss” and “HM”, spoke daily, even after her divorce from her second son, Prince Andrew, 25 years ago.

Revealing the Queen gave her blessing to the Duchess’s new historical fictional book which draws strong parallels on her intimate relationships with the erstwhile monarch and Diana, Princess of Wales, Ms Ferguson said: “I wouldn’t do anything unless The Boss gave me her blessing.”

Duchess Sarah Ferguson and co-author Marguerite Kaye at the launch of Her Heart For a Compass at the Henley Literary Festival in London. Picture: Scarlet Page/Henley Literary Festival

“She was my inspiration for the book, my mother-in-law and my wonderful friend and, and just the finest ever, icon, legendary, incredible. I’ve been the luckiest person alive,” she said.

“We spoke every day; every minute is a memory,” she said, speaking at the Henley Literary Festival about the romantic novel A Heart for a Compass, written by veteran Mills & Boon author Marguerite Kaye.

“Every word that was spoken was a memory and it will stay in my heart.”

The Duchess revealed the Queen was “proud” of the semi-autobiographical novel that lifts the lid on life inside “The Firm” and which she hopes will win an Oscar and be turned into a TV series to rival Netflix blockbuster The Crown.

“When we wrote the book I gave it to the boss … I gave it to her (in) French as well. And then when I went to Italy, she said, ‘Don’t give it to me in Italian because I don’t read Italian,’” she said.

Duchess Sarah Ferguson with her new book, Her Heart For a Compass. Picture: Scarlet Page/Henley Literary Festival

The Duchess confessed the book was “semi autobiographical”, and her fictional flame-haired character Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott (the Duchess) is a close friend of Louise, who represents fellow divorcee, Diana, Princess of Wales.

“It’s no secret Diana and I were very close,” Ms Ferguson said.

“This is an elegant way to say how much I miss her and what a special lady she was, and through the pen, I was able to do that.

“She was this tall beautiful goddess, and along came I behind her, and newspapers always said that – I got caught up trying to compare myself to her.”

She said it was “a real honour” to inherit the Queen’s corgis, Muick and Sandy, whom Prince Andrew gifted his mother to raise her spirits when the Duke of Edinburgh was unwell in hospital during lockdown in 2021.

Sarah, Duchess of York with and Queen Elizabeth II in 1990. Picture: Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

And with Princess Diana. Picture: Tim Graham/Getty Images

When Fergus died in May 2021, in the aftermath of Prince Philip’s death, he was replaced with another corgi, Sandy – a gift from Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie for her official 95th birthday.

“They’re just national treasures, such kind beautiful people, I know they’re doggies, but they have five Norfolk terriers to contend with but they’re doing just fine. It’s an honour, they’ve been taught well,” she said.

The Duchess also revealed she had been “glued” to Sky television watching as her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, joined their six cousins to stand guard over the Queen’s coffin at Westminster Hall,

“I was watching, glued, shouting, ‘Don’t fall over, don’t do this, don’t do that’,” she said.

”They were so brave and little James and Louise, all the grandchildren were incredible.”

She confessed she felt “very lucky” that “HM put me in a nice seat” at the funeral in Westminster Abbey, where she sat in the second row with Eugenie and directly behind the Princess of Wales.

“We chatted every single day … it’s a great loss, I miss her,” she said.