"Sarah Ferguson's Emotional Tribute to Diana on Her 63rd Birthday Will Bring You to Tears!"

 

Sarah Ferguson, known fondly as Fergie, recently paid tribute to Princess Diana on what would have been the late Princess of Wales' 63rd birthday. Sharing a heartfelt message on social media, Fergie posted a photo of herself and Diana standing together on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during the Battle of Britain Anniversary Parade in 1990.

"Happy birthday to my dear friend, Diana," Fergie wrote. "You were a pillar of light and love, and what a legacy you have left behind. I will forever cherish our laughter and the kindred spirit I found in you. I am certain you are watching over us always. Rest in peace, my friend."

Princess Diana and Fergie, who became sisters-in-law through their marriages to Prince Charles and Prince Andrew respectively, had been close friends since their teenage years.

"We were best friends from when she was 14 and I was 15," Fergie shared in an interview with PEOPLE in 2021, affectionately recalling Diana as "Duch."

It was Diana who introduced Fergie to Prince Andrew. "I said to her, 'Oh, Andrew's really good-looking,'" Fergie remembered. "And she said, 'Duh, Fergs!'" Sarah and Andrew married in 1986, eventually divorcing amicably ten years later but remaining devoted co-parents to their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Both within the royal family, Diana and Sarah would confide in each other and provide support.

"Diana and I both faced our own mental health challenges, and we used to talk," Fergie reflected. "She said, 'Fergie, remember one thing: When you're at the top of the pedestal, it's so easy to fall off. And you're at the bottom. You just climb up.'"

"We were positioned as saint and sinner," Fergie continued. "And the most important thing was to remain strong together, and we did, regardless of what was written about us."

Tragically, Princess Diana passed away in 1997 at the age of 36 following a car accident in Paris.

During a 2023 appearance on Good Morning America, Fergie expressed her belief that Diana would be "very proud" of her five grandchildren from her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

"I think we'd have a Granny-Off," joked Fergie, who herself is a grandmother to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's children. "Because she would outrun me in the races. I wonder — she'd probably be funnier. No, I think I'd be funnier."

In July 2021, to mark what would have been Diana's 60th birthday, her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, reunited at Kensington Palace to unveil a new statue of their mother in the Sunken Garden. The statue depicts Diana with three children, symbolizing her dedication to supporting and nurturing children worldwide.

"Today, on what would have been our Mother's 60th birthday, we remember her love, strength, and character — qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better," the brothers said in a joint statement. "Every day, we wish she were still with us, and our hope is that this statue will forever serve as a symbol of her life and her legacy."