Sarah Ferguson has ‘reinvented herself’ in lockdown, expert says

Sarah Ferguson’s reinvention amid the coronavirus lockdown has won over a new legion of fans, according to a royal expert.

Camilla Tominey told how due to the circumstances surrounding her ex-husband Prince Andrew’s links to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, it would have been all too easy for the Duchess of York, 60, to have used lockdown as an opportunity to evade the public eye. 

Instead, she has been at the forefront of the Royal Family’s response to the global crisis with her volunteering efforts, and even launched a daily YouTube show, where she reads a series of different children’s books to help keep the little ones entertained during the pandemic.

‘Like a sort of wonky Phoenix, rising from the flames of Andrew’s car crash Newsnight interview, Fergie appears to have turned a crisis into an opportunity by using the lockdown to reinvent herself,’ said Camilla, writing for The Telegraph.

The mother-of-two has been at the forefront of the Royal Family’s volunteering efforts amid the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured, Fergie with some of her deliveries

To date, the mother-of-two boasts an impressive 4,500 subscribers, with 480,000 people across the nation having watched some of her videos.  

The royal’s stories have also featured an array of different guest hosts – including the likes of  Stephen Fry and Prince Harry’s ex girlfriend, Cressida Bonas.

In one of the episodes the royal, who is in lockdown with ex-husband Prince Andrew, daughter Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank at Royal Lodge, Windsor, dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood and was joined by a mystery guest in a wolf mask and nightgown. 

Elsewhere, she posted a make-up free snap before putting on a very animated reading of a children’s book with the help of a toy unicorn.

Sarah Ferguson dressed up as Little Red Riding Hood (pictured) to read the classic children’s tale on her YouTube channel on 11 June

During lockdown, Sarah Ferguson spoke on Haircuts4Homeless’s recent Hear Me, See Me Podcast about her new charity Sarah’s Trust – before sharing a short video on Instagram (pictured)

A friend went on to tell the publication that there’s ‘no vanity’ about Sarah and that ‘what you see is what you get.’ 

She continued: ‘Some people may look at the videos and ask: “Who the hell advised her to do that?” but you can’t stop someone from being themselves.

‘And to be fair to the Duchess, she’s gained a cult following because she’s completely authentic on there. Some people call her eccentric, I say she’s an individual. She is this weirdly creative sort of person and so what you get is this form of wacky storytelling.’

Sarah’s daughter Princess Beatrice, 31, tied the knot to Italian property developer Edo, 37, at a ceremony at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in the grounds of her home of Royal Lodge, in Windsor Great Park, on Friday. 

During lockdown, Sarah Ferguson has been active on Instagram – and in April, she even posted photos of her doing the dishes and mopping the kitchen floor (pictured)

And following the surprise ceremony, Prince Andrew’s ex-wife made no mention of the nuptials, and instead could be seen dressed in an orange cold-shoulder ensemble and a flower hairband, as she prepared to read Peepo! by Allan and Janet Ahlberg, a book describing a glimpse into the daily life of a baby.

During lockdown, the Duchess of York has also launched a new charitable foundation ‘Sarah’s Trust’ with aim of making ‘a long lasting difference to vulnerable communities’. 

The Trust describes its works online as providing a ‘vital bridge’ between ‘individuals with social responsibility and the financial ability’ to give philanthropically with charities in need.

She revealed her new charity made 150,000 donations to frontline workers during the coronavirus pandemic and said hundreds were ‘personally funded’ by Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.