Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, knows giving back benefits everyone involved.
Fergie, as she has been popularly known since she first joined the royal scene as the fiancée of Prince Andrew in the early ’80s, penned a piece for the Evening Standard reflecting on her decision to start the charity Children in Crisis — and how it impacted her own daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
“It has certainly made me a better mother to my daughters Beatrice and Eugenie, giving me a sense of perspective, and allowing me to encourage them to use the platform they have to get involved in charitable work,” she explained.
Fergie added, “It has probably saved my life, too, by giving me purpose through hard times. As my grandmother always said, ‘When you feel bad about yourself, go out there and do something for somebody else.'”
The red-headed royal also talked about how her charity, which was inspired by a girl with cancer named Anya whom she met during a 1992 trip to Poland, is merging with the organization Street Child.
“When I founded Children in Crisis, I believed there were no borders for suffering, egos should play no part, and no race, creed, or accident of circumstance should stand in the way of a child’s right to an education,” she said. “That’s why I am so proud to hand the reins on to Tom [Dannatt, Street Child founder], and agree to change the name of the merged charity to Street Child.”
Children in Crisis has focused on education by rebuilding schools and training teachers in in areas such as Afghanistan, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Fergie likened the shift to Eugenie’s upcoming wedding to Jack Brooksbank, taking place on October 12.
“I see it a bit like Eugenie getting married later this year,” the mom of two wrote. “She’s 28, and when your children get to that age, you let them do their thing.”
The bride-to-be even congratulated the next step in her mom’s charity in an Instagram post on Thursday.
“My wonderful mother @sarahferguson15 has merged her charity @childrenincrisis with @streetchilduk,” Eugenie wrote. “Together they will strive to provide children with education and ensure that every child has the chance to go to school and learn. So happy to see charities coming together for a common goal!”
Despite divorcing in 1996, Fergie and Andrew have remained close and regularly support each other in public. The Duchess also has some rooms at the family home, Royal Lodge in Windsor’s Great Park.
She was last seen at a royal event last month alongside her Beatrice and Queen Elizabeth in the Royal box at Ascot, shortly after being part of the star-studded attendees at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.