Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson were once the royal duo everyone adored. They lit up rooms with their laughter, shared cheeky moments in public, and even managed to get themselves arrested at a hen party – yes, really. But behind the smiles and sisterly bond, things took a heartbreaking turn.
According to former royal butler Paul Burrell, the two were inseparable in the early years. Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, he reflected on their close friendship. “Diana and Fergie were great friends and allies in the early years – we saw them pranking around in public and heard about their pranks in private,” he shared. “They were very close, they bounced off each other, and they supported each other because they were both outsiders coming into the Royal Family. Not an easy place for anyone to be, so they could literally confide in each other.”
They leaned on each other during what was a challenging adjustment to royal life. Being outsiders in the firm wasn’t easy, and the bond they formed helped both women navigate the pressures that came with marrying into the monarchy.
But the fairytale friendship didn’t last forever. Burrell said that sadly, in the final months of Diana’s life, their relationship broke down. “That relationship went sour towards the end of Diana’s life, and they fell out,” he revealed. “For the last six months of Diana’s life, Fergie had no contact with Diana and that was a shame because they’ve been through so much together. Something happened in their personal lives which they found was impossible to hurdle.”
The silence between them during those final months has haunted many close to them. Burrell explained just how lost Sarah Ferguson was after Diana’s death in August 1997. “She didn’t have anyone to lean on or rely on like Diana, and she missed her very much,” he said. “I think she still misses her to this day because they were such great friends.”
Fergie herself has spoken about their bond, giving a glimpse of their closeness in her memoir Finding Sarah: A Duchess’s Journey to Find Herself. She wrote, “Diana was one of the quickest wits I knew; nobody made me laugh like she did. We took vacations together with our children. Sadly, at the end we hadn’t spoken for a year, although I never knew the reason, except that once Diana got something in her head it stuck there for a while”, reported the Mirror.
It’s clear the fallout left a lasting wound. Despite all the joy and adventures they shared – from raising their kids together to being each other’s safe haven in the royal whirlwind – they never got the chance to reconcile. It’s one of those what-could-have-beens that continues to tug at the heartstrings of royal fans even decades later.
For two women who stood shoulder to shoulder in one of the most scrutinised families in the world, it’s the ending no one wanted to see.