Queen Elizabeth's brilliant four-words of advice to Sarah Ferguson before she died

Sarah Ferguson has revealed the kind words spoken to her by the late Queen Elizabeth II before she died that helped her develop as a person and become confident in dealing with her personal struggles.

The Duchess of York, 64, made the comments during an interview with Hello! after she was asked about her recent experience with living with cancer.

Fergie revealed after being diagnosed with cancer, the experience gave her "a swift kick in the butt" and she knew she had to carry on living her best life.

She revealed the late Queen's four words of advice were that "being yourself is enough". Speaking about her personality, she said her father, Major Ronald Ferguson, called her "a bore", and told her she was "too much" at times, but Queen Elizabeth II didn't want her to change her personality.

Fergie explained: "One of the only people who saw me properly was the Queen [late Elizabeth II] and before she died, she said: 'Sarah, being yourself is enough'."

Sarah Ferguson's battle with cancer began last summer, when she was diagnosed with the disease during a routine mammogram. Fergie underwent a single mastectomy, but six months later, she was found to have malignant melanoma.

She currently has regular check-ups, and while she told Hello! that "her doctors said she shouldn't use the phrase 'cancer-free'", her health outlook currently appears positive.

Describing how difficult it was dealing with the condition, Sarah said it was the help of her loved ones that helped her get through that time.

She referenced her daughters Princess Beatrice, 35, Beatrice's stepson Wolfie, eight, and daughter Sienna, two, and Princess Eugenie, 34, and her two sons, August three, and Ernest, one.

She said: "I have the most exceptional family and I have an extraordinarily great team and I have an enormous ability to turn to joy."

Now an author, Fergie is about to publish the paperback version of A Woman of Intrigue, her second work of historical fiction for Mills & Boon and a follow-up to 2021 book Her Heart for a Compass.

She said: "I really feel as if I have embarked on a new career in my 60s. I am proud to call myself an author."

On May 6, Princess Beatrice spoke on ITV's This Morning about her mother's battle with cancer. Beatrice said her mum is "doing really well" and has been given the "all clear" having been hit with two cancer diagnoses over the past year.

Speaking live from the top of the Empire State Building, Beatrice told the host when asked how Fergie was doing: "She's doing really well thank you Josie. She's had a bumpy health scare last year but all clear now, and at 64 she's thriving. She's been through so much, but I think now she's really coming into her own."