- Sarah Ferguson was diagnosed with an "early form of breast cancer."
- According to her spokesperson, the breast cancer was detected during a routine mammogram screening.
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, is recuperating after undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
A representative for Ferguson, 63, confirmed the diagnosis in a statement to Insider on Sunday. The Sun was the first outlet to break the news.
"Sarah, Duchess of York, was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer detected at a routine mammogram screening. She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully," the statement reads.
"The Duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good. She is now recuperating with her family. The Duchess wants to express her immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days. She is also hugely thankful to the staff involved in the mammogram which identified her illness, which was otherwise symptom free, and believes her experience underlines the importance of regular screening."
According to The Sun, Ferguson underwent treatment after recording an episode of her "Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah, podcast, set to air on Monday. The episode will feature details of her diagnosis, per the outlet.
Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew and mother of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, wanted the news of her medical treatment to be public, The Sun reported, continuing a trend of the Duchess being open and personal about her health struggles.
In 2021, Ferguson spoke to People Magazine about a decline in her mental health due to tabloids in the 1980s that made fun of her weight and looks compared to Princess Diana. Ferguson told People she dealt with anxiety as a result but also found comfort in talking to Princess Diana about what she was going through.
"We were positioned as saint and sinner. And the most important thing was to remain robust together, and we did, no matter what anyone wrote," Ferguson told People.
Ferguson is also an honorary patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and opened a hematology ward in 2022 with the trust. She opened the trust's first unit in 1990.
"This is a special charity that's so very close to my heart. Cancer doesn't just devastate a young person's health, it threatens to take away everything they care about – their identity, their independence, and their dreams," she said in a 2022 statement after opening the hematology ward.