Fergie’s reveals new confidence after surviving cancer

A health reset has let Sarah, the Duchess of York, embrace life as “a badass sexy, sassy, grandmother with a sense of purpose”.

Exclusive: Sarah, the Duchess of York, was forced to confront her addictions and the fear of death when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, but a health reset has let her embrace life as “a badass sexy, sassy, grandmother with a sense of purpose”.

The hearty, unflappable royal and former wife of exiled Prince Andrew believes her life has finally begun, at 65, and it is her obligation to raise cancer awareness by sharing her journey.

In an emotional and frank interview, Fergie pleaded for people not to ignore or be frightened of screening, smears and checks, and how she had left a hospital after her diagnosis “believing in what I thought was my demise. I couldn’t speak. I was terrified”.

She says she had only gone to a routine mammogram, an inconvenient hour away on a lovely summer’s day, because she had been pushed by her “bossy” sister Jane, who lives on the NSW Central Coast. She says she owes her sister her life.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is “a badass sexy, sassy, grandmother with a sense of purpose”. Picture: Supplied

The Duchess was diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer last June and underwent a single mastectomy. A malignant melanoma was also found as she had moles removed during reconstructive breast surgery six months later.

Fergie was interviewed to publicise her latest children’s Christmas book, Wonder in the Woods: Flora and Fern, published in Australia on Saturday by New Frontier.

Sarah Ferguson’s latest book.

It’s a story about woodland friends who unearth the meaning of friendship and is her 86th books — almost all for children.

The pedigreed daughter of Major Ronald Ferguson, a former polo manager to the Prince of Wales, and documentary filmmaker Susan Barrantes says, with characteristic kookiness: “The key, to me, is about communication … I am a badass grandmother with a sense of purpose, a badass grandmother, a sexy, sappy, badass grandmother.

“I have a sense of purpose, and what I do is I show up, you listen, you learn … at 65 and my life is just beginning.

“I want every minute of my day to grow to be a better person than that was yesterday. That is what I’m doing. I’m finally me.”

She’s revealed in the past she had low self-worth and comfort eating issues, but that cancer made her reassess life and priorities.

“My melanoma scars, the scars of my cancer, it took me being literally carved up to cut away the addictions of self-doubt and self-judgment that I have lived with since the age of 11,” she said.

“Don’t wait to be cut open in order to cut away the addiction. My addiction was my addiction to food. So I ate to compensate for my feeling. It started at 11, my whole world was food, and my life was in the corner on the bottom right hand side.

“At 65, I’m now free of the shackles of unworthiness and self-doubt.” Picture: Chris Hazzard

“When I got cancer I put my life back in the middle and food back in its rightful place, not intentionally.

“It just happened because I realised that I was eating instead of ­living.

“At 65, I’m now free of the shackles of unworthiness and self-doubt.

“I’ve done a reset.”

Do you have a story for The Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]