It's a royal knock-down drag-out, TKO – or it would be, if not for those pesky rules
about curtseying.
Butting heads since the '80s, here's why Fergie and the queen didn't go down without a fight.
"I had to learn to be a princess.
You know, sounds fantastic, but it's terrifying."
As PopSugar noted, the queen didn't initially agree with Fergie divorcing Prince Andrew.
The Duchess of York wrote in her biography:
"She asked me to reconsider, to be strong and go forward."
When Fergie was then photographed with another man prior to the public announcement of the
split, the queen took it as a slap in the face.
In the documentary "Fergie Vs Diana," one royal expert revealed:
"The queen was livid.
She was absolutely furious with Sarah."
The divorce eventually went through, and Fergie lost her royal status.
Although she and Andrew remained on good terms, she struggled to maintain the same amiability
with the queen.
In fact, Fergie even requested the queen's friendship in her divorce settlement, according
to Harper's Bazaar.
Her Majesty may have disagreed with Fergie's lifestyle, but the duo's relationship vastly
improved following the death of Prince Philip in April 2021.
The Daily Mail confirmed the queen and the duchess had a serious falling out after those
salacious shots of Fergie and another man were splashed all over the tabloids.
According to the outlet, Prince Philip himself described Fergie as a quote "odd" and "pointless"
person, and tried to avoid her presence as much as possible.
The Duke of Edinburgh took such issue with Fergie that he prevented other family members
from helping her when she was having financial problems.
Philip also openly disagreed with the duchess staying close with Prince Andrew.
And because of that, Fergie was not invited to Philip's funeral.
But the queen remained cordial with Fergie, and following Philip's death, the two women
gradually became close once again.
An insider told The Irish Sun in 2021,
"Sarah's very much in the fold now that the Duke of Edinburgh has gone.
The Queen has always had a soft spot for Sarah and regards her as an excellent mother."
"My children have donated me to the world's children.
So I can be a donated grandmother.
That's fine.
I'm happy with that.
The renewed closeness between Fergie and Elizabeth was never more apparent than when Her Majesty
passed away in September 2022.
Fergie took to Instagram to post an emotional tribute to her mother-in-law, in which she
acknowledged her heartbreak, writing,
"She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy: the most fantastic example of duty and service
and steadfastness, and a constant steadying presence as our head of state for more than
70 years.
She has given her whole life selflessly to the people of the UK and the Commonwealth."
But Fergie also wasn't afraid to get a little personal in her grief, revealing that the
queen had been a steadfast support until the end.
She recalled,
"I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close
to me even after my divorce.
I will miss her more than words can express."
Despite being noticeably absent from memorial events leading up to the queen's funeral,
the Duchess of York was front and center on the day itself.
She attended the service at Westminster Abbey alongside her daughters Princesses Beatrice
and Eugenie.
And she appeared to be in good spirits, under the circumstances.
Still, Hello!
Magazine later noted that the duchess had let the emotions flow during the service.
And, understandably, Beatrice and Eugenie were heartbroken, watching their grandmother's
coffin be carried away.
The sisters appeared to leave the service early, according to Sky News, but they soon
re-joined their family.
Fergie reportedly looked as though she also wanted to make a quick exit, but she remained
on hand.
Notably, Page Six highlighted that the Duchess of York was given prime seating at the funeral,
sitting in the second row alongside Eugenie and just behind Prince William and Kate.
Given it was her first public appearance since the beloved monarch's death, all eyes were
on Fergie as she paid her respects.
Even though she endured decades of bad press and tabloid torture, Fergie never wavered
in her love for the queen.
In fact, during a chat on the "Tea with Twiggy" podcast, the Duchess of York revealed,
"Honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother."
"The fragrance of the rose stays on the hand of the giver."
The outlet noted that Fergie's biological mother, who died after a traffic accident
in 1998, had previously abandoned her family.
She left when Fergie was just a child, to start a new life in Argentina with her new husband.
Fergie added,
"I absolutely admire the incredible way Her Majesty is so modern and how flexible, and
how understanding, and how forgiving and how generous."
She even described the long-reigning monarch as her "greatest mentor" and the "person who
believes in" her the most.
The duchess made her adoration known by always curtsying upon her arrival at public events
like the Royal Ascot.
And according to PopSugar, Fergie even revealed in her autobiography that she called Her Majesty
"mama" behind closed doors.
As far as pet lovers are concerned, the greatest indicator of Fergie's strong bond with the
queen lies in the fact that Fergie and Prince Andrew were given the honor of caring for
Her Majesty's beloved corgi dogs after her passing.
As a spokesperson for the Duke of York noted via The Guardian, the former couple will take
on Muick and Sandy for the rest of their earthly lives.
Both dogs were actually gifts to the queen from Andrew himself, as well as daughters
Beatrice and Eugenie.
"It was the queen's wish that Sandy and Muick went to Andrew."
Apparently, Muick was a lockdown gift, alongside a dachshund-corgi mix named Fergus, who passed
away in May 2021.
That's precisely when Beatrice and Eugenie swooped in to gift their grandmother little
Sandy for Elizabeth's 95th birthday — and to provide some furry companionship following
the death of Prince Philip.
But providing the pooches with a proper home was of utmost importance to the queen, who
described them as "family."
As a royal biographer quipped,
"It would seem most logical that the corgis go to Andrew.
[…] Let's face it, he hasn't got anything else to do."