Sarah Ferguson had a few rocky years when she was a senior member of the British royal family. That period was marred by public scandals, interviews, and divorce from Prince Andrew, but she has still managed to build good relations with Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen and Buckingham Palace had to do a lot of damage control due to Ferguson's multiple scandals, one of which included her promising an undercover reporter access to her ex-husband for a sum of £500,000 in 2010. Though she retained her title as Duchess of York after her divorce, the numerous controversies she caused alienated her from royal events, so much so that she was not even invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011.

The Duchess has mended bridges with the family and the Queen since then, and was in attendance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. In a recent appearance at the "Tea With Twiggy" podcast, Fergie revealed that after all these years, her former mother-in-law has somehow become her "greatest mentor."

"I think to myself that honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother," the 61-year-old said, noting her mother, Susan Barrantes, wasn't really present in her life when she was growing up. Fergie's parents divorced in 1974 when she was 15, and her mother moved to Argentina with her new husband Héctor Barrantes. She later died in a car crash in 1998.

"I lost my way. I became deeply insecure [after my mom's passing]. I suppose it wasn't until my lovely ex-husband, lovely Andrew, that [I found my voice]. He always believes in me," said the Duchess, who shares two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie with the Duke of York.

The "Her Heart for a Compass" author went on to praise her ex-husband's mother, the Queen, and said, "I absolutely admire the incredible way Her Majesty is so modern."

"And how flexible, and how understanding, and how forgiving and how generous. And kind. I absolutely think there is no greater mentor. The consistency of Her Majesty has been a great honor. A huge honor. Makes me want to cry," Ferguson added.

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23 July 1986: Prince Andrew and his bride Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, wave to crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace while Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother look on AFP]
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