Sarah Ferguson has shared a touching tribute to Princess Diana via her Instagram page, lamenting her as a “strong woman” and a “dear departed friend”.
Taking to the social media platform during International Women’s Day on March 8, Sarah posted a series of pictures dedicated to the women who had made a difference in her life.
Sarah called Diana a dear departed friend. Photo: Getty Images
“Thinking of some of the strong women who’ve been part of my life – my late mother, my dear, departed friends Diana and Carolyn Cotterell and of course my fierce, beautiful, loving daughters Beatrice and Eugenie who make me proud every day,” she wrote.
The 59-year-old also included the hashtags “#BalanceforBetter” and “#girlpower” to accompany the pictures.
The post has garnered more than 23,500 likes and hundreds of comments, serving as a beautiful reminder of the friendship Sarah shared with Diana, who passed away 21 years ago.
Fans were quick to praise Sarah – and remind her that she should have included herself in the post too.
“You are truly an amazing woman yourself you are strong and beautiful and have a wonderful family. Thank you for remembering Diana,” wrote one.
“Sarah you have held yourself up with dignity. You have supported others and raised two beautiful strong ladies, you and Andrew have been the poster couple of how to be divorced and yet devoted to the children and risen so far above the norm in living alongside of each other to show how divorce should be done. Sarah Ferguson you are a strong woman,” wrote another.
Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana were close friends growing up and it was reportedly Diana who played matchmaker for Prince Andrew and Fergie. (Image: Getty)
Sarah and Diana’s friendship played out under a world-wide microscope – much like that of Duchesses Catherine and Meghan today.
In February, Sarah wrote an open letter published on Hello! where she detailed the negatives that came with having their every move scrutinised.
In her letter, she wrote: “Women, in particular, are constantly pitted against and compared with each other in a way that reminds me of how people tried to portray Diana and me all the time as rivals, which is something neither of us ever really felt.”
Sarah recently opened up to Piers Morgan about her friendship with Diana. “I miss her, no one made me laugh better than her, she was hilarious,” she said.
“She had this enormous compassion and I honestly think she would be so proud of the wonderful Meghan and Catherine as well. She’d want to embrace them and say ‘you’re doing so well.'”
