Member of the Royal Family confesses her fear in the fight against cancer: ‘You think it’s a death sentence’

Sarah Ferguson was married to Prince Andrew, brother of King Charles III, between 1986-1996.

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, revealed she feels “frightened” by the prospect of opening up on her battle against cancer, as the ex-wife of Prince Andrew prepares to celebrate her 65th birthday on Wednesday, October 15.

The member of the Royal Family, mother to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, underwent a mastectomy in 2023 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, before she was handed a second diagnosis in January 2024 for a malignant melanoma (skin cancer).

Now a patron of the Prevent Breast Cancer even in the United Kingdom, she attended the National Breast Imaging Academy on October 9 where she opened up on her struggles alongside local television stars.

“My mindset going forward is to not be self-full but to be self love,” Ferguson told OK!. “If you don’t keep your boundaries for yourself, who is going to do it for you? If you don’t keep your authentic truth, who is going to do it for you?

“I was so frightened to do that podcast, Sarah [Thomson] gave me enough strength and she encouraged me to do it and, of course, it was the right thing to do. We need to have more self-love and have the boundaries to take a moment to ourselves.”

As part of her patronage with the Prevent Breast Cancer and association with the National Breast Imaging Academy, the former-sister-in-law of King Charles III will also help try to raise $783,660 to secure the institution’s future.

And Sally Dynevor, who stars in the soap opera Coronation St., revealed the Duchess’s support was instantaneous as she selflessly campaigns to raise the funds.

“It was an off the cuff mark that I thought I just had this feeling because Sarah’s very warm and I suddenly thought, I need to tell her what we’re doing up here in Manchester,” Dynevor said on the set of Loose Women. “Because it’s so important and she’s been through breast cancer, so she understands completely.”

“I just said, ‘Would you come up to see my charity and breast cancer?’ And she said, ‘Absolutely’. I told her about the breast screening academy that we’re raising the money for, and we need to raise 600,000 and she said, ‘I’ll help you raise it.’ And I instantly knew she was going to do it.”

“She’s very kind and warm, and she’s been through breast cancer. She knows exactly what it feels like. She knows the importance of breast screening so when I got a phone call saying that she would come in October, I just thought this is amazing for the charity.”