Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson makes blunder in heartfelt tribute to late Queen

The Duchess of York has taken to Instagram with a sweet tribute to the late Queen – but eagle-eyed followers quickly noticed a key mistake.

Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson has made an awkward blunder while paying tribute to her “dear friend”, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Duchess of York – who was married to Prince Andrew from 1986 until 1996 – was one of many on Sunday to mark what would have been the late monarch’s birthday.

Alongside an image of the Queen, Ferguson, 64, posted a caption on Instagram which read: “Today we are remembering Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on what would have been her 97th birthday.”

She added: “Thank you for all that you have taught us, for being a steadfast leader and dear friend. You are sorely missed.”

The caption was attached to this image of the late Queen. Picture: Instagram

Ferguson incorrectly asserted that she would have turned 97 this year. Picture: Mark Stewart

However – as many followers were quick to point out – this year would have actually marked the Queen’s 98th birthday.

“She would have been 98. My dad was born same year, 1926,” one wrote.

“1926 to 2024 should be 98,” someone else added.

However, others defended the duchess.

“To all those correcting Sarah Ferguson, I’m sure she knows exactly how old HM Queen Elizabeth would have been. It can only be a typo,” a user wrote.

Queen Elizabeth passed away at Balmoral on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, with her official cause of death listed as old age.

Despite Ferguson’s divorce from her son, the Queen was said to have enjoyed a good friendship with her former daughter-in-law.

The pair reportedly remained good friends. Picture: Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

The duchess, along with Andrew, was even tasked with caring for her corgis after her death.

In an episode of her podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess last year, Ferguson discussed the final conversation she’d ever had with the monarch.

“It’s the last thing that the Queen said to me: ‘Just be yourself, Sarah,’” she added.

“And she saw it. She just got so annoyed when I wasn’t being myself. And that’s probably when I got into all the pickles. But now I am myself, and I’m just so lucky to be able to be myself.”

Ferguson also gushed over her former mother-in-law during a March 2023 interview with People.

“She was so brilliant at putting you at ease. She had the most incredible faith of any single person I’ve ever met,” she said.

“She just knew what to do. She knew how to make people feel good. She never took it on-board as about her.”

Originally published as Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson makes blunder in heartfelt tribute to late Queen