By her own admission Sarah Ferguson is a born people-pleaser, but she nearly lost her own identity during the many years she spent seeking the acceptance and approval of others. Starting shortly after her divorce in 1995, the Duchess began a journey to understanding herself and acknowledging her own needs, finally finding the confidence, clarity and inner peace she’d lacked for so long.

In this speech, the Duchess shares compelling memories of her “unauthentic” life and contrasts them with the life she lives today – which she calls “living in truth.” The Duchess will challenge her audience to take the concept of authenticity and apply it to their own lives.


Women & The Spirit of Caring

Nature has given women an amazing ability to serve as caregivers; yet in many parts of the world and across many societies, women are not adequately supported in this role. When caregivers suffer from neglect and lack of support, those who depend on their care do also.

In this speech the Duchess shares her views on women and their role as caregivers from an international perspective based on her many years of humanitarian work around the world. She will refer to her fieldwork with her charity Children in Crisis and some of the extraordinary and courageous people she has met.

Risk & Self Discovery

Incredible highs and frightening low points have punctuated Sarah Ferguson’s life. Suddenly thrust into the international limelight after her marriage, it seemed that her every move brought great risk and potentially destructive consequences. In the years leading up to her divorce, the Duchess of York felt debilitated by decisions complicating her life. Following her divorce she had more decisions to make than ever– but now they had to be made mostly on her own.

Many of the Duchess’ personal and career choices in recent years have indeed been risky, but by taking considered risks (often counter to what her “experts” might have advised) the Duchess has opened doors and discovered who she is and what she wants and hopes to accomplish in her life.

In this speech, the Duchess will share compelling “slices” of her own life where she’s been forced to take risks, survived and flourished.


About Sarah, The Duchess of York

A powerful voice for humanitarian causes, The Duchess of York turns her story of personal trials in the media spotlight into an inspiring story of finding confidence, clarity and a sense of self.

Candidly sharing lessons from her extraordinary life on the international stage, The Duchess inspires audiences the secrets of her turn-around success, achieving personal goals, overcoming adversity, community activism, adapting to change and living a healthy and authentic life. Deeply committed to her charity and humanitarian work around the world, The Duchess is also a spokesperson for Weight Watchers International, Charles Schwab and Wedgwood China. The Duchess’ numerous credits include being a special correspondent to NBC’s Today, sub-host on CNN’s Larry King Live and presenter for the BBC documentary In Search of the Spirit. She is author of several books, including What I Know Now: Simple Lessons Learned the Hard Way, five books for Weight Watchers, and her latest, the historical romance Hartmoor.