Sarah Ferguson is being looked after by Princess Eugenie at Royal Lodge
In June, Sarah Ferguson was diagnosed with breast cancer, and a single mastectomy was performed. The news was only announced after the surgery, and Fergie is apparently recovering at Royal Lodge, where she has her own suite of rooms in the Royal Windsor estate her ex-husband leases. I’ve been curious why we haven’t heard any PR puff pieces about how Prince Andrew is worried sick and how he’s looking after his ex-wife. I guess they can’t even say that because it’s clear that Andrew isn’t doing anything – it’s fallen on Princess Eugenie to help her mom. Meanwhile, King Charles has apparently “shelved” the talk of evicting the Yorks from Royal Lodge.
Brave Sarah Ferguson has told friends she feels “very lucky to be alive” after a gruelling eight-hour breast cancer operation, we can reveal today. The Duchess of York, 63, is said to be in good spirits and recovering well after spending four days in intensive care in hospital following her exhausting ordeal. It is believed mum-of-two Fergie needed round-the-clock monitoring after the anaesthetic took its toll during what friends confirmed was “successful” surgery. She has returned home following the procedure at King Edward VII’s Hospital in Marylebone, central London, in which a breast was removed and reconstructed.
Friends say daughter Eugenie, 33, has “all but moved in” to Royal Lodge in Windsor, Berks, to look after her, while older child Beatrice, 34, has been “constantly on the phone”. Fergie is also being supported by former husband Prince Andrew, 63.
A palace insider said that plans for the family to move into nearby Frogmore Cottage, Harry and Meghan’s former home, have been “quietly shelved” for now. King Charles, meanwhile, has written to his former sister-in-law to offer his “sincere wishes for a speedy recovery”.
Surgeon Christine Choy carried out the single mastectomy while colleague Stuart James reconstructed the breast using fat from Fergie’s stomach. A friend of the duchess said: “The surgery took getting on for eight hours and was more involved than people think. Today, the message she wants to get out is that she’s very grateful and she feels very lucky to be alive. She wants to thank the two incredible surgeons Christine Choy and Stuart James who saved her life and all the medical team who worked tirelessly to help her.”
A source said Fergie, who was discharged from hospital last Sunday after six days of medical care, was lucky as her cancer was caught early. They added: “Most people usually associate breast cancer with a lump but that’s not always the case. A lump can be detected by the patient, but this was a ‘shadow’, which can go undetected as it’s a wider spread of cancerous cells. In Sarah’s case, a biopsy was taken from the shadowy area of tissue and a few days later the results came back to confirm the diagnosis — breast cancer.”
Eugenie is only one month postpartum with her second child, I really hope all of this hasn’t fallen on her. Fergie better be getting real help from nurses and healthcare professionals as she recovers. Again, note that no one can even say if Andrew is helping out at all! Anyway, I feel for Fergie and her daughters. I genuinely hope Fergie makes a full recovery. And I also hope that Fergie moves out of Royal Lodge when she feels better. She’s got that other home in London now.
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138925, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson arrive together at Royal Ascot. Day 4 of Royal Ascot. Picture by Ben Stevens / i-ImagesUK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT Photograph: © i-Images, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office: +1 310.822.0419 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE,Image: 533485865, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: i-Images, PacificCoastNews / Avalon 
The Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York and their daughter Princess Beatrice during the wedding of Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.,Image: 534314437, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon 
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