Book Description

The never-before-told, behind-the-scenes story of daily life in Buckingham Palace and British royal society as told by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Sure to be a major international bestseller, My Story will captivate audiences with its unparalleled candidness and honesty. of photos.What is it like to be a princess? How many little girls have wondered this very thing? Few, of course, have ever learned the answer. In My Story, the Duchess of York writes about what it was like to be a member of the most famous and most scrutinized family in the world: Britain's Royal Family. In a voice that is warm, strong, and always rueful, she tells of the events that catapulted "a country girl" into a fairy-tale existence, and about the dark forces-within both the Palace and herself-that made it impossible to sustain. When Sarah Ferguson first surfaced ten years ago as the woman Prince Andrew would marry, she was celebrated by the public as a breath of fresh air inside Buckingham Palace. She was young and beautiful, but most of all she was her own person, unafraid to speak her mind. She conveyed an unpretentious humanity with which ordinary people could identify. But reality has a way of mocking the most spun-sugar fantasies. As Sarah would soon discover, she was a natural person in a world where spontaneity is hidden, a candid person in a setting where truth could be hard to find. In the end, she was ground down. Her marriage ended-not because two people had stopped loving each other, but because they were undermined by a ruthless tabloid press and others. My Story is an insider's tale, written with remarkable frankness. As she looks back on those gilt-edged years, however, Sarah takes responsibility for 'the trail of destruction' that she left in her wake. Yes, there external elements that brought her great hurt, but her greatest enemy was herself. Her own insecurities would propel her out of public favor and into shame and disfavor. Ultimately, My Story is a celebration. Sarah was raised as a girl to seek approval, first and last. When thrust into the life of a public figure, she was twenty-six years old, unaware and unshaped, waiting to be molded. Only now has she emerged as a woman finally coming into consciousness. After teetering on the brink of self-destruction, she has found the inner power to pull herself back, then move ahead. In the end, her story is one of recovery: it is affirmative and inspirational. Today, in addition to the time she spends with her two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, the Duchess devotes herself to the well-being of children around the world. To that end, she has lent her efforts to numerous charities, most deeply with Children In Crisis, a nonprofit organization she founded in 1993. By looking back, by coming to grips with her long-repressed pain, The Duchess of York has gathered herself to go forward. She has emerged without regrets; she understands that all the storms and heartache of her public life have made her the person she is today. With pride and determination, Sarah has found her voice and her direction. Her life now has its own purpose, and she at last has the strength to fulfill it.