<p id=”par-1_42″>July 1st was <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/princess-diana/”>Princess Diana</a>‘s birthday. The late Princess of Wales would have turned 63 years old. Commemorating the milestone was her former sister-in-law and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-diana-comparisons-made-fergie-feel-self-hatred.html/”>friend Sarah Ferguson</a>, who called Diana a “pillar of light and love” in a poignant birthday post.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-sarah-ferguson-recalled-princess-diana-s-friendship-on-her-birthday”>Sarah Ferguson recalled Princess Diana’s friendship on her birthday</h2>
<p id=”par-2_46″>Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, became a constant in Princess Diana’s life upon becoming engaged to King <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-diana-comparisons-made-fergie-feel-self-hatred.html/”>Charles’ brother, Prince Andrew</a>, in 1986. The women were young, liked to laugh and have fun, but at the same time, were part of an institution steeped in tradition.</p>
<p id=”par-3_39″>Honoring that friendship, Sarah shared a photo taken on<a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/C84OJBZNb3F/?hl=en” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”> Instagram</a> in 1990, when she and Diana attended the 50th Anniversary of The Battle of Britain Parade on the Buckingham Palace balcony. Alongside the image, she shared a poignant message.</p>
<p id=”par-4_18″>“Happy birthday to my dear friend, Diana. You were a pillar of light and love.” the message began.</p>
<p id=”par-5_39″>“And what a legacy you have left behind. I will forever remember our laughter and the kindred, kind spirit I found in you. I am sure you are watching over us always. Rest in peace, my friend,” it concluded.</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-sarah-ferguson-and-princess-diana-were-fourth-cousins”>Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana were fourth cousins</h2>
<blockquote class=”instagram-media” data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=”https://www.instagram.com/p/C84OJBZNb3F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” data-instgrm-version=”14″ style=” background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);”><div style=”padding:16px;”> <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/C84OJBZNb3F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” style=” background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”> <div style=” display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;”> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;”></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;”></div></div></div><div style=”padding: 19% 0;”></div> <div style=”display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;”><svg width=”50px” height=”50px” viewbox=”0 0 60 60″ version=”1.1″ xmlns=”https://www.w3.org/2000/svg” xmlns:xlink=”https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink”><g stroke=”none” stroke-width=”1″ fill=”none” fill-rule=”evenodd”><g transform=”translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)” fill=”#000000″><g><path d=”M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631″></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style=”padding-top: 8px;”> <div style=” color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;”>View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style=”padding: 12.5% 0;”></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;”><div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);”></div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;”></div> <div style=”background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);”></div></div><div style=”margin-left: 8px;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;”></div> <div style=” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)”></div></div><div style=”margin-left: auto;”> <div style=” width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);”></div> <div style=” width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);”></div></div></div> <div style=”display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;”> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;”></div> <div style=” background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;”></div></div></a><p style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;”><a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/C84OJBZNb3F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading” style=” color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>A post shared by Sarah Ferguson (Fergie) (@sarahferguson15)</a></p></div></blockquote> <script async src=”//www.instagram.com/embed.js”></script>
<p id=”par-6_39″>During a June 2023 episode of her podcast<a href=”https://open.spotify.com/episode/2R4RnEYFWkCuYPacjTPofM” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”> <em>Tea Talk with the Duchess and Sarah</em></a>, Sarah Ferguson dove deep into her family history with Princess Diana. She revealed details of how many years their families have known one another.</p>
<p id=”par-7_16″>The two first met when Diana was 14, and Ferguson was 15. They were fourth cousins.</p>
<p id=”par-8_32″>“Her mother and my mother were at school together, and they were best friends,” Ferguson revealed. “And Diana was my fourth cousin. You know, it’s just extraordinary that we were brought together.”</p>
<p id=”par-9_23″>She also explained how <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/sarah-ferguson-royal-comparison-princess-diana-beautiful-sister-in-law-enthusiastic-puppy.html/”>Diana’s influence helped shape her</a> as she joined the royal family. Sarah revealed how she mirrored Diana’s every move.</p>
<p id=”par-10_38″>“I remember when I first became a princess with Duch [Diana’s nickname], and I watched her work a room, and I just copied her. I mirrored her, how she did it, because she was just incredible,” Sarah shared.</p>
<p id=”par-11_19″>“She just immediately went in with her heart. Full heart, full energy, and she left everything outside the door.”</p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-princess-diana-didn-t-know-how-brilliant-she-was-says-sarah-ferguson”>Princess Diana didn’t know how ‘brilliant’ she was, says Sarah Ferguson</h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/princess-diana-sarah-ferguson.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson photographed in 1986.” class=”wp-image-3683402″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson photographed in 1986 | Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/princess-diana-5-am-plea-palace-press-secretary-explosive-book-threatened-shatter-royal-secrets.html/”>
Princess Diana’s 5 a.m. Plea to Palace Press Secretary as Explosive Book Threatened to Shatter Royal Secrets </a>
</p>
</div>
<p id=”par-12_26″>In a segment of Sarah Ferguson’s podcast called “Drink or Spill,” co-host Sarah Thomson asked the duchess if she and Princess Diana connected over charity work.</p>
<p id=”par-13_22″>“Diana and I, we definitely talked incessantly about charity. We loved to give. So she was very similar to me,” Sarah admitted.</p>
<p id=”par-14_25″>“She never understood how brilliant she was really, and together we both didn’t. And I used to hug her, but she wouldn’t understand,” she continued.</p>
<p id=”par-15_66″>The duchess concluded, “And we loved each other with all our hearts, and she made me laugh more than any other single person I’ve ever met in my life. Diana was just a tinkling laughter down the corridors and there was nobody like her in the world because she had that ability to give her entire heart because she didn’t give her entire heart to herself.”</p>
<p id=”par-16_25″>Sarah Ferguson is an author, grandmother, and humanitarian. Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a car crash in Paris, France, in 1997.</p>