In a frank new interview with the famous model Twiggy, Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson called her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, her “greatest mentor” and “a person who believes in me.”

The 61-year-old, who divorced the Duke of York in 1996, was talking about her debut romance book, Her Heart For a Compass, on the Tea with Twiggy podcast.

Ferguson stated, “I think to myself that my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother.” She stated that while her own mother was not always present, Queen Elizabeth had “never faltered.” Fergie remembers the Queen as the “person who believed in me” after her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996.

According to Us Weekly, her attachment to the Queen derives in part from her poor relationship with her own mother, Susan Barrantes, who divorced her father, Ronald Ferguson, when she was a child in 1974. Her mother traveled to Argentina with her new husband, Héctor Barrantes, leaving her family behind.

Fergie informed Twiggy that she never saw her “properly” again, despite the fact that the two kept in touch and Fergie visited her mother. Susan died in a vehicle accident in Argentina in 1998, at the age of 61, only a year after Princess Diana died tragically.

Sarah wrote a touching letter to her mother in 2015, expressing her forgiveness.

“It has been 17 years since you departed on your last drive from the farm in Argentina,” Sarah wrote.

“There is not a day that doesn’t go by when I wish I could pick up the telephone and tell you what I have been doing.”

Last week, Sarah was photographed arriving to Balmoral Castle with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, with whom she currently shares the Royal Lodge in Windsor.

A man was observed in the passenger seat of a Range Rover driven by Prince Andrew. Ferguson was sitting in the vehicle’s backseat as they drove around the Scottish estate.

The Her Heart For A Compass author then added, “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 honour. A huge honour. Makes me want to cry.”

Following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1992, the Duchess had a difficult relationship with her former father-in-law, the Duke of Edinburgh, and would only visit Balmoral when Prince Philip was not present.

Apart from her mother-in-law, Ferguson has also maintained a cordial relationship with her ex-husband as they co-parent their children Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie following their divorce. She talked about how her royal ex transformed her life in the interview.

“I lost my way. I became deeply insecure [after my mom’s passing],” Ferguson shared. “I suppose it wasn’t until my lovely ex-husband, lovely Andrew, that [I found my voice]. He always believes in me.”

In other news, Fergie spoke out about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s treatment by the British media. Sarah stated in an interview with Vogue, “It must be hard for Meghan, and I can relate to her. I believe she is modern and fabulous. She was famous before. She is great. Why can’t Meghan be great? Why can’t she be celebrated?” Sarah, on the other hand, stated that she will not give Meghan any advise. “I tend not to give advice because it is taken out of context, but I have been in Meghan’s shoes, and I still am. There’s always a twist of negativity and it just gets so sad and tiring; it’s hard and mean. I abhor bullying and I feel desperately sorry for the pain they must be going through because I’ve been through it.”