Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has made a splash on social media by becoming the first member of the British Royal Family to join TikTok. She marked her debut with a deeply personal video that references her recent health struggles.
On October 16, Fergie announced her arrival on the platform with the handle @sarahtheduchess, sharing an intimate glimpse into her battle with breast cancer, which she faced last year, the Mirror reports. In the poignant one-minute clip, the duchess can be seen sitting outdoors with the caption reading: “How it felt to be diagnosed with #breastcancer.”
The duchess then candidly speaks about her experience, describing it as a “hollow feeling of total abject fear.” She recounts: “The drive from Royal Free to Edward VII Hospital was 40 minutes, and I just didn’t speak. I couldn’t speak. It’s really interesting for me not to speak.”
Fergie continues: “I couldn’t express myself, I just shut down, I went back into [being] a little girl. It was easier not to ask for support and just to deal with it, because that’s what I’m used to, that’s what I can do, that’s what I was taught,” before concluding with a powerful message.
She said: “It’s only now that I am really proud of my scars. They’re really important.” Fergie has opened up about her inspiring journey of finding liberation and reaching out for help during her fight with cancer, revealing: “I never thought you could free the shackles of your heart by cancer, by learning what it is to be able to talk right now, right this second, about what it feels like to ask for help, to surrender and to realise that everything is going to be okay.”
She added: “And you can find joy and you can not worry so much.” Diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2023, Fergie, 65, underwent a single mastectomy to remove the tumour.
However, her health scares didn’t stop there—she encountered further concern when a mole removed during her reconstruction was identified as malignant melanoma, a severe type of skin cancer. Fortunately, after additional treatments, Fergie reported a turn towards better health, telling PEOPLE last month: “My health is good now.”
In an impressive turnaround just two weeks post-recovery, she embraced the role of patron for Prevent Breast Cancer, championing the charity’s aim of disease prediction and prevention. Further supporting her new advocacy, she recently launched her first TikTok video, highlighting the organisation’s work.
Fergie emotionally shared her double encounter with breast cancer on her first-ever TikTok post. She wrote: “My first ever TikTok! How it felt hearing my breast cancer diagnosis,” and revealed: “One cancer diagnosis was bad enough, but to go through all those emotions twice was a lot to handle. For anyone going through this now, know that you are not alone.”
She proudly announced her patronage for #PreventBreastCancer, an organisation dedicated to the prediction and prevention of breast cancer, using hashtags like #BreastCancerAwareness, #PinkTok, #CancerTok and #BreastCancerSurvivor.
As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October, countries worldwide have been participating in activities to raise awareness about the disease that affects approximately 2.3 million women annually. Fergie’s decision to join TikTok is a significant first, as she becomes the first royal to create a personal account on the platform.
While Prince William and Prince Harry haven’t created their own profiles, they’re familiar with the video-sharing app, having featured in videos supporting the Earthshot Prize and cheering for the Invictus Games tournament, respectively.
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