Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

Sarah Ferguson's Key Accomplishments Include . . .
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York first stepped on to the world stage in 1986 when she married Britain’s Prince Andrew, second son of Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke and Duchess of York have two daughters, Princess Beatrice Elizabeth Mary of York and Princess Eugenie Victoria Helena of York. Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew divorced in 1996 after 10 years of marriage and they remain close as friends and as co-parents. In fact, the couple is frequently cited as a model for civilized divorce and successful co-parenting.

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York is admired by many for her “comeback spirit” and for successfully balancing the responsibilities of motherhood and the demands of an international career that spans business, advocacy, publishing, broadcasting and film, philanthropy and public speaking.

In 2006 Sarah Ferguson formed Hartmoor, LLC, a lifestyle and wellness company based in New York.  In the same year the Duchess established the Sarah Ferguson Foundation, Hartmoor’s philanthropic arm. The Duchess of York is also the founder and Life President of Children in Crisis, the London-based charity she established in 1993.  

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York is a bestselling author who has published 26 books on various subjects ranging from her autobiography to books on health, empowerment, history, art, as well as several children’s book series including Little Red, and the Budgie series, which was also animated for television. The Duchess of York also published her first historical romance novel called Hartmoor, which is set in 1812 and draws vividly on her own noble ancestry in Ireland. Her latest children’s book is Tea for Ruby.

More About The Duchess of York . . .
Among the world’s most interviewed women, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York has also found success on the reporting side of the media. In America, the Duchess is a special correspondent for NBC’s Today Show and she has presented shows on other U.S. networks including ABC, FOX, and CNN. In the UK, the Duchess of York has presented special programs on BBC, Sky TV and ITV, for which she has also co-produced a two part documentary about obesity.  A newcomer to filmmaking,  Sarah Ferguson is an executive producer on the feature film Young Victoria, based on her film treatment about the early life of Queen Victoria. 

The Duchess of York devotes much of her time to health advocacy. Since 1997, Sarah Ferguson has served as the spokesperson for Weight Watchers International. She frequently lends her support as spokesperson and advocate for public health campaigns by leading health organizations, such as the American Heart Association; the American Cancer Society; The Clinton Foundation’s Alliance for a Healthier Generation; the National Heart and Lung Institute; and The Ophelia Project. Additionally, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York served as Global Ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

In the UK the Duchess of York is patron to the Teenage Cancer Trust, Tommy’s – The Baby Charity; The African Caribbean Leukemia Trust; the Motor Neurone Disease Association; The Chemical Dependency Centre; Carr-Gomm; The Daisychain Foundation; and Springboard for Children.

• Overcoming Adversity
  

  Sarah Ferguson has faced numerous obstacles during her extraordinary life and in this very personal speech she talks candidly about some of her most formidable challenges: her parent's acrimonious divorce, her difficulty adjusting to official life as The Duchess of York, her despair over the unrelentingly vicious British press, the heartbreaking failure of her own marriage and the burden of massive personal debt she took on as a single working mother. Sarah credits her faith, values, and devotion to family, for enabling her to navigate crisis and grow from life's experiences. * The Duchess will present this speech with a selection of family and news photos that provide a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of her life.

• My Road to an Authentic Life
  

  Sarah Ferguson describes herself a born people-pleaser. When her marriage into Britain's royal family thrust her onto the world stage, she says her seeming inability to please everyone caused her to lose confidence and direction. Following her divorce in 1995 the Duchess says the process of starting a new life helped her to refocus, rebuild her esteem, and find the inner peace she thought she'd lost. In this speech the Duchess uses personal accounts to dramatize the differences between her former "inauthentic" life and the "authentic" life she lives today. * The Duchess will present this speech with a selection of family and news photos that provide a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of her life.

• Motherhood & The Spirit of Caring
  

  Nature provides mothers with a powerful instinct for caring. In this speech the Duchess shares her views on motherhood, based on her unique perspective as a hands-on mother of two royal princesses, as well as from her experiences as an international humanitarian who has witnessed extraordinarily caring and courageous mothers all over the world. * The Duchess will present this speech with a selection of family and news photos that provide a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of her life.

• Risk & Self Discovery
  

  Sarah Ferguson says that on the first day of her divorce it was as if all doors suddenly slammed shut. "If my marriage in a fishbowl had been disorienting, divorce for me was like being cut adrift in a raging sea." Faced with a staggering personal debt and with two young daughters to raise, one thing was certain: Sarah needed to go out and earn a living; and to do that she began commuting to work in America where she said people gave her a "second chance" and encouraged her to take risks while building a new career. In this inspiring speech the Duchess talks about how she broke with the past and learned to embrace risk for personal growth. * The Duchess will present this speech with a selection of family and news photos that provide a fascinating behind-the-scenes view of her life.