Long before they officially joined the royal family, Sarah Ferguson and Princess Diana shared a close and lively friendship. They were both young women navigating similar social circles, and their bond only deepened once they married into the same family. For years, they appeared inseparable, often photographed laughing together at royal events and private gatherings.
Yet by the time Diana died in 1997, the two women had not spoken for nearly a year. The silence was something that later weighed heavily on Ferguson, who reflected on it in her autobiography Finding Sarah: A Duchess’s Journey to Find Herself.
In the book, Ferguson admitted she never fully understood why their friendship had suddenly cooled. She wrote that when Diana became upset about something, it could remain with her for a long time. Still, Ferguson tried to repair the relationship, sending letters and hoping the disagreement would eventually fade.
She later recalled that Diana had even mentioned wanting to speak with her shortly before her death. According to Ferguson, the princess had asked a mutual friend where she was and said she wanted to talk to her again.
The Comment That May Have Caused the Rift
