Sarah Ferguson Shares Her Thoughts on What Princess Diana Would Have Thought of Prince William and Prince Harry’s Ongoing Feud

(Image credit: Getty)

published 22 April 2023

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were sisters-in-law but not close friends—hey, not every sister-in-law pairing is, and that’s okay—but the same cannot be said for Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson. Diana, married to the then Prince Charles, and Fergie, married to Prince Andrew, were friends long before life found them both as the wives of Windsor. On Thursday’s episode of Good Morning Britain (and per OK), Fergie weighed in on what Diana might have thought of the ongoing feud between Diana’s sons Prince William and Prince Harry, which has raged on for years.

“She was all about being 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,’” she said. “And that is what she’d look at. She’d look at altitude and, I don’t know, she’s not here to speak for herself, but from me, if I’m here talking to you, I would say that we should have much more kindness in life,” personally condemning William and Harry for their tense relationship, OK reports.

“I think all of us need to stop being so cruel and trolling on the internet and social media,” Ferguson said. “And I think that we need to really lead by example—why don’t you just smile and be kind?”

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The hosts asked if Ferguson is attending King Charles’ Coronation on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London, and she responded “No, I’m not, because it’s a state occasion and being divorced, you can’t have it both ways.” (She and Andrew divorced in 1996, the same year Charles and Diana’s marriage officially ended.)

The hosts pressed “You don’t mind, you don’t feel sorry? You have grown up with them and you’re very close to Charles.” She responded “Just because I’m not there on the state occasion, in private I can be there, and that’s a lovely feeling to be part of the family. It really is. As I said, you can’t have it both ways. You mustn’t sit on the fence—you’re either in or out, but don’t muck around.”

Despite not being there for the May 6 ceremony, Ferguson has been invited as a VIP guest to the Coronation concert, to be held the next day, May 7, at Windsor Castle. The concert will feature performances by Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli, Take That, and more.

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Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.