The Duchess of York says she is “very grateful” to the hospital staff involved in the mammogram that detected her breast cancer and believes their experience “underscores the importance of regular check-ups”.
Sarah, 63, was diagnosed with an early form of the disease after a routine check-up, her spokesman said, and showed no symptoms.
After undergoing surgery at King Edward VII Private Hospital in Marylebone, central London, she was told her prognosis was good and she was recovering with her family in Windsor.
In a statement, a spokesman said Sarah wanted to “express her huge thanks to all the medical staff who have supported her over the past few days.”
The Duchess has highlighted her experience as she encouraged other women to get screened for breast cancer.
It has been announced that Sarah, Duchess of York has undergone surgery to treat breast cancer.
The 63-year-old Duchess is understood to have been diagnosed after a routine mammogram
The Duchess underwent surgery at King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, central London, where members of the royal family are often treated
The author and businesswoman was discharged from hospital today and is back in Windsor with her family
It is understood she spent five days at the King Edward VII Hospital, regularly used by the royal family, before her release yesterday.
Her spokesman said: “Sarah, Duchess of York, was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer during a routine mammography screening.”
“She was told she needed surgery, which was successful.”
“The Duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her the prognosis is good.” She is now recovering with her family.
“The Duchess would like to extend her huge thanks to all the medical staff who have supported her over the past few days.”
“She is also very grateful to the staff involved in the mammography who diagnosed her disease, which was otherwise asymptomatic, and believes her experience underscores the importance of regular check-ups.”
A friend of the Duchess said: “It all happened very quickly to be honest.” But Sarah is in the best of hands and based on her experience she would like to spread the word about the importance of regular check-ups.”
The Duchess recently launched a podcast called ‘Tea Talks’ and will be speaking about her experience in an episode that will be released today. It was recorded the day before her surgery and withheld while she was hospitalized.
The Duchess, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, is mother to Princess Eugenie, 33, and Princess Beatrice, 34. Beatrice was spotted near the hospitality area at Glastonbury Festival yesterday greeting friends with a hug.
Sarah and Andrew divorced in 1996 but remain close friends and live together at the Royal Lodge in Windsor where she is recuperating. Eugenie, who gave birth to her second son earlier this month, lives nearby at Frogmore Cottage.
Princess Eugenie, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice (pictured at Petra Palumbo and Simon Fraser’s wedding in 2016)
Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York pictured leaving the Royal Lodge in Windsor
Sarah, Duchess of York, at the London Book Fair in Olympia on April 18, 2023
The Duchess of York (centre) with her two daughters Princess Beatrice (left) and Princess Eugenie (right)
Sarah, Duchess of York, strolled through Venice last month shortly after the wedding of Australian Olympic champion Scotty James and Formula 1 billionaire heiress Chloe Stroll
News of the Duchess’ illness comes as Andrew struggles to stay at the Royal Lodge.
The duke, also 63, is at odds with his brother, the king, over the future of the estate. The King wants Andrew, who was forced to step down from official duties following the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, to move out of the £30million, 30-room home in a bid to downsize the monarchy.
The King believes the property could be better repurposed, but Andrew, who took over the house from the late Queen Mother on a long-term lease and has poured up to £7million of his own fortune into refurbishments, refuses to back down. The Chron reported earlier this month that he was refusing to leave his home during construction for fear of “never getting back inside”.
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. About 55,000 women are diagnosed each year.
Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50 years old. Mammography screening, which involves taking X-rays of the breast, is the most commonly available method for detecting cancer.
The NHS breast screening program invites all women aged 50 to 70 who are registered with a GP to a screening every three years. A landmark study published earlier this month found that women diagnosed with breast cancer are two-thirds more likely to survive today than women 20 years ago.
Experts said it highlights the significant improvements in both diagnosis and treatment since the 1990s.
Patients diagnosed with early-stage invasive breast cancer between 1993 and 1999 had a 14 percent chance of dying from the disease within five years.
But that risk has dropped to 5 percent for those diagnosed between 2010 and 2015, a landmark study from Oxford University shows. The difference is 64 percent, i.e. two thirds. Most of those diagnosed today “can expect to survive the cancer long-term,” allowing them to plan their lives and move on. The study is the first of its kind to include all 512,447 women diagnosed with early invasive breast cancer between January 1993 and December 2015 in England.
Princess Beatrice (pictured second from left) and her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi (pictured hugging a friend) were spotted greeting friends on the last day of Glastonbury
Among the numerous flags waving in the crowd was one depicting Prince Louis at last year’s Trooping of the Color, grimacing and covering his hands up to his ears during the flyover
The Duke of York’s daughter wore a long-sleeved black top, black skirt, white Adidas trainers and shoulder bag, and sported a pink bracelet
Beatrice, who also attended the festival last year, isn’t the only queen to have visited the grounds of Worthy Farm in the past.
Her sister, Princess Eugenie, was there before, and her cousin, the Duke of Sussex, was photographed in the crowd with then-girlfriend Cressida Bonas in 2013.
On May 15, she shared an Instagram post confirming the first episode of Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah.
She explained it’s a “new weekly podcast about the ups and downs of everyday life” in which she’ll be “tackling some of the biggest and weirdest stories from around the world.”
In the show’s first episode, which aired last month, Fergie admitted she was “very shy” and said she trusts “too much” and “too many people.”
While her co-host Sarah Jane Thomson elsewhere teased that she wanted to know more about her, the king said, ‘Do I have a boyfriend?’ NO.’
Sarah Ferguson, 63, has revealed on the first episode of her new podcast that she “doesn’t have a boyfriend” but would like one (pictured with her ex-husband Prince Andrew).
And after her co-host asked, “Do you want one?” Fergie replied, “Yes.”
Her comments follow years of rumors that she would one day marry Prince Andrew.
Their unconventional relationship has since blossomed into what Sarah describes as “the happiest divorced couple we know,” with the pair seemingly spending more time together than in the decade they were actually married (when Andrew was often in the was naval service).
They still share a home together and live at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, the ten-bedroom former residence of the Queen Mother, although this cozy arrangement could soon come to an end as part of King Charles’ planned remodeling of the royal residences.
And the couple regularly holiday together with their daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, leading to sporadic speculation that since neither Sarah nor Andrew later found love, there’s always a chance they’ll remarry one day.
These rumors received even more impetus after the death of Andrew’s irascible father Prince Philip, who in his later years refused to even be in the same room with Sarah.
When Sarah was asked head-on on ITV’s Loose Women program about the likelihood of a rekindling of romance, she brushed the subject aside. “Oh my god,” she replied to the show’s hosts, “You’re all fairytales, you all have your wands out.” “Andrew and I stand firm, we were parents together in the past and now we’re grandparents together.”
A former courtier who has known Andrew for three decades observes, “Their romance isn’t a big, passionate romance – they have separate bedrooms at the Royal Lodge – but it’s more about the deepest form of friendship.” It’s a very unusual one Relationship for a divorced couple, especially on the outside, but they are totally devoted and would defend each other to the death.’
In the first episode of her pocast, Fergie revealed she is “very shy” and said she trusts “too much” and “too many people” (pictured with her co-host Sarah Jane Thomson).
In another recent interview, Sarah described her relationship with Andrew as an achievement of which she is proud. “We are divorced from each other, not from each other.” We are co-parents who support each other and believe that family is everything. I am proud of the work we have done together in raising our children and maintaining a strong family unit. “Our watchwords are communication, compromise and compassion.”
It’s an unorthodox arrangement, about which royal author Penny Junor remarks, “It seems completely bizarre, and who knows what their relationship is really like.” Not only does Sarah stand silently by his side, she actually speaks out for him .”
Elsewhere on her first podcast, Fergie insisted she was “actually very shy,” saying, “I play small to make myself really small so I don’t get in anyone’s way.”
“I’m afraid that if I stick my head over the parapet I’ll be gunned down in flames.
“I come from a very stricken country.”
The Duchess said that while she can come across as a “very brave socialite,” the reality is that I’m deeply sensitive and terribly stubborn, and I’m very shy, which people don’t know.
She said she comes from an “incredibly brave” place, adding, “I’ve been on the treadmill since I was 12.”
She later said, “I need a little more left brain to become a little more business savvy.”
Far from being the first royal to start a podcast, Fergie has her own audio platform alongside the likes of Mike Tindall, Princess Eugenie and the Duchess of Sussex
“Maybe I trust far too much and too many people.”
Meanwhile, she also revealed how she confronts people who try to photograph her unnoticed.
She was describing an encounter in the security line at Heathrow’s Terminal 4 during a recent trip to Croatia, when she said fellow passengers “surreptitiously” had their cameras out.
She said, “So then I’ll go upstairs and say, ‘Would you like a selfie?'” and they’re like, “No, no, I don’t know what you’re thinking.”
“And then you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry, how can I assume you want a photo,’ when they did want a photo.”
In April, the Duchess said she was not offended at having evaded an invitation to the King’s coronation when she spoke on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, citing her divorce from Prince Andrew.
She told presenters Kate Garraway and Adil Ray, “I’m not.” [going]it’s a state occasion and when you’re divorced I don’t think you can have both.
“I’m divorced and I really love being divorced from my ex-husband, not from him but from him. It’s important to differentiate.”
She added that just because she “isn’t there for the state event,” she can still “be there” privately.
“It’s really nice to be a part of,” she continued, “and like I said, you can’t have it both ways.” Don’t sit on the fence. You’re either in or out, don’t worry.’
Sarah, who is divorced from Prince Andrew, said: “You can’t have it both ways, you’re either in or out.”
Sarah Ferguson has told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that she will not be attending the coronation as she is divorced from Prince Andrew
She added, “What’s great about this moment is family unity and I think Charles and Camilla are doing an amazing job of bringing family unity together.”
Elsewhere, Sarah said Prince Andrew “needs to be in the spotlight” so he can “move on with his life.”
The prince has been accused of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke has vehemently denied the allegations, claiming he never met Giuffre.
However, due to the allegations, he lost his royal titles and is no longer a working king as of 2020.
She said: “He’s such a good man with Prince Andrew.” “He’s a kind, good man and I think he needs the spotlight so he can move on with his life and rebuild.”
Sarah, who shares daughters Princess Beatrice and Eugenie with Andrew, added that he is a “very good grandfather” to his grandchildren.
Later in the show, Ms Garraway asked what the late Princess Diana, who was close to Fergie, thought she thought of Prince Harry and Prince William’s current relationship.
She replied, “What mattered most to her was staying true to her heart, and her heart would say, ‘My boys have done really well, they look so happy in their own family units and they have beautiful children.’
“And that’s exactly what she would look at. She would pay attention to her attitude, and I don’t know, she’s not here to speak for herself, but speaking to you here, I would say that we should have a lot more kindness in life.
“We all need to stop being so cruel and trolling, lead by example, smile and be kind.”
It was reported last week that the Duchess is unlikely to attend the coronation next month – although Beatrice and Eugenie are expected to be there.
Sarah spoke to Kate Garraway and Adil Ray on ITV’s Good Morning Britain today
Sarah said she will be there for King Charles and Camilla “in private” and said it feels nice to be part of the family
The Duchess said that when you’re getting divorced in the royal family, “you can’t have it both ways, you can’t sit on the fence, whether you’re in or out, no nonsense.”
Sarah was pictured with her friend Princess Diana at the Guard’s Polo Club in Windsor in 1983
Royal commentator Tom Bower previously told Web that Sarah has shut herself out because of her past “conduct”.
He added that their presence “would provoke critical comments that King Charles doesn’t need.”
And expert Richard Fitzwilliams praised the king’s “extremely wise” decision as it has “been an embarrassment to the royal family for many years”.
But the apparent decision has caught some royal observers by surprise – Meghan’s friend Omid Scobie tweeted: “If true, that feels kinda cruel doesn’t it?”
Speaking about Sarah’s absence, Mr Bower said she will be left out “because she is not a member of the royal family”.
He added that she excluded herself “by her past behavior,” saying, “Her presence would provoke critical comments that Charles doesn’t need.”
Speaking about King Charles and Queen Camilla, she revealed they did “an exceptional job of bringing the family together.”
Sarah with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in 1987
Some of Sarah’s most embarrassing moments included posting photos of her getting her toes sucked by her financial adviser John Bryan at her holiday villa in St Tropez, while they were also seen kissing, hugging and frolicking in the pool.
She is also said to have had a falling out with her once good friend, Princess Diana, after she claimed she contracted a wart after borrowing a pair of her shoes. They were reportedly still not on speaking terms at the time of Diana’s death in 1997.
And in 2010, she apologized after it was secretly recorded that she had offered to sell her access to Andrew for £500,000.