Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and former wife of Prince Andrew, has candidly shared her battle with a severe binge eating disorder, which she only confronted following intensive cancer treatment. The 65 year old royal, who is currently touring Australia to promote her latest book, underwent a single mastectomy and later faced another health scare when malignant melanomas were found during reconstructive surgery.
According to The Daily Mail, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph, Ferguson discussed the impact of her breast cancer diagnosis in 2023. She revealed that it was her sister ‘Jane’, whom she playfully calls ‘bossy’, who insisted she attend the routine mammogram.
Fergie disclosed: “My melanoma scars, the scars of my cancer, it took me being literally carved up to cut away the addictions of self-doubt and self-judgment that I have lived with since the age of 11.”
She warned others not to wait for such drastic measures before addressing their own addictions, sharing her personal struggle: “My addiction was my addiction to food.”
She explained how from the age of 11, food dominated her life, saying, “So I ate to compensate for my feeling. It started at 11, my whole world was food, and my life was in the corner on the bottom right hand side.”
The mother to Princess Beatrice and Eugenie reflected on how her illness forced her to re-evaluate her priorities, placing her own life at the centre rather than revolving around food, reports the Mirror.
She concluded with a powerful message of self-liberation: “‘When I got cancer I put my life back in the middle and food back in its rightful place, not intentionally. It just happened because I realised that I was eating instead of living. At 65, I’m now free of the shackles of unworthiness and self-doubt.”
Sarah declared: “I am a badass grandmother with a sense of purpose, a badass grandmother, a sexy, sappy, badass grandmother.”
Although advised against using the term ‘cancer free’, Sarah revealed in a recent article for The Sun that her treatment has been effective, with tests showing no signs of the disease spreading or recurring.
