THE Duchess of York is writing a racy romance for Mills & Boon – and promises to include “scandal” and “parallels to her own life.”
Sarah Ferguson, previously married to disgraced royal Prince Andrew, will publish Her Heart For A Compass in August.
She exclusively told The Celeb Report: “Everybody loves a fairytale. I lived a fairytale myself by marrying a Prince. People want to be taken out of their everyday life at a time of anxiety and isolation.”
Fergie’s inspiration for the romance came from the life of her great-great-aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, whose parents were close friends of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
But despite the historical setting, the Duchess, 61, confirmed her royal romance won’t be too chaste.
She said: “Although set at the height of the Victorian era, Lady Margaret is unconventional and a little bit bolder than the average Victorian debutante. There is scandal in Her Heart for a Compass, but it reflects the period in which it is set, and is a story based on a journey of the heart.”
Fergie, who has previously penned children’s books, added that she drew on “many parallels to my own life” for her first adult novel.
She explained: “I found happiness as did Lady Margaret in the story. I love her courage, her free spirit and challenging the status quo. The story is about a young woman who wants to break the mould and follow her heart.”
Her character is also one who “perseveres” – much as Fergie has done in the face of criticism and scandal over the years.
She added: “I hope that Lady Margaret and her journey will provide a lesson that whatever life throws at you, you should never give up. Lady Margaret always perseveres.”
Fergie – whose middle name is Margaret – says she has used “dramatic license” to bring to life the story of her relative, who she discovered when researching her own ancestry.
She said: “It has been an opportunity to tell my story, of self-discovery, the chance to feel closer to my past, ancestors and stories I grew up with.”
The Duchess was married to Prince Andrew for ten years but they split in 1996 after she was pictured having her toes sucked by lover John Bryan on holiday in France.
But she and Andrew remained close over the years and there have even been rumours that their relationship is “back on”.
Meanwhile daughter Beatrice, 32, married last year and her 30-year-old sister Eugenie, married in 2018, is expecting her first child.
Fergie said: “I believe in the power of romance and I am inspired by my daughters’ current happiness.”
- Her Heart For A Compass by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York is published by Mills & Boon on the 3rd August 2021 and available to pre-order now.
