Inside Sarah Ferguson's close bond with Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie
Sarah, Duchess of York shares an incredibly close bond with her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, with the tight-knit trio referring to themselves as "the Tripod".
One person who has witnessed their closeness and shared passion for their charity work is Myrna Whiteson MBE, one of the founders and life presidents of Teenage Cancer Trust.
The Duchess opened Teenage Cancer Trust's first specialist cancer unit at the Middlesex Hospital in London in 1990. Since then, she has supported the charity as one of its patrons, and introduced her daughters Beatrice and Eugenie to the remarkable support it gives young cancer patients.
The trio also fronted the HELLO! Magazine Christmas Appeal in 2021, which shone a light on the incredible work of Teenage Cancer Trust's nurses, youth support teams and hospital units.
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"The Princesses have always been very close to their mother and absorbed the need for and the mission of Teenage Cancer Trust from childhood. Do they recall a time prior to their involvement with the charity? I doubt it," Myrna tells HELLO!
"They all have a determination and a passion to make a positive difference in the lives of those less fortunate. We are honoured to have such truly knowledgeable, passionate and dedicated patrons."
Beatrice and Eugenie have visited many of the Teenage Cancer Trust's units across the country, including the ward at UCLH in London on Beatrice's 18th birthday in 2006.
In a Zoom call to virtually open a new blood cancer ward at the hospital last year, Beatrice recalled her visit, saying: "I think when you're a young person yourself, it changed for me the trajectory of what it is to be in service." See more from that emotional call in the clip below...
Myrna says: "Both the Princesses and Sarah, Duchess of York are committed to the Teenage Cancer Trust and our work for young people with cancer, so everything they do for us is truly memorable.
"They all understand our purpose and how important the charity is to patients, their friends and family. Over the years the Duchess and her daughters have attended a variety of occasions whether fundraising or social, networking and planning, all promoting and advancing the work and profile of the charity.
"To see the interaction between the Duchess of York and our young cancer patients and also the connection that the Princesses make with them is heartwarming. Patients are visibly uplifted by their visits - and appreciate that all three 'get it'."
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And Myrna is certain that being patrons of Teenage Cancer Trust has made an impact on Sarah, Beatrice and Eugenie too.
"I am confident that the charity has been significant in the lives of the Duchess and both Princesses. They are sensitive women and meeting our young patients must have had a strong impact. When the Duchess involved her daughters at the age of 18 with Teenage Cancer Trust, it was powerful. For the Princesses I am sure that a face-to-face link with their contemporaries who were coping with cancer was impactful."
Alongside their charity work, Beatrice and Eugenie have full-time jobs in the tech and art industries respectively, which they also juggle with parenthood.
Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbankare parents to two-year-old August and baby Ernest, who arrived in May.
Meanwhile, Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's daughter, Sienna, turns two on 18 September.
Author Sarah has previously spoken of her pride at seeing both her daughters become mothers, calling them "exceptional" and she often shares anecdotes about being on grandmother duty.
HELLO!'s Creative Brand Ambassador Rosie Nixon (formerly HELLO!'s Editor-In-Chief) has seen "the dynamic trio in action" many times over the years.
"One such occasion that sticks out in my mind is when we hosted a mother and daughter tea party for the charity, Street Child, of which the Duchess of York is a patron. And she wanted to make it a mother and daughter tea party so that she could have one of her girls there," Rosie says.
"Princess Eugenie came along to support her mum and that encouraged all of us to bring our mothers to this special event that was held in order to raise awareness of Street Child at Claridge's Hotel.
"And I could see then the pride that the Duchess had in her daughter and their close bond is just so evident. Whenever you watch them in action, they're really respectful of each other. I would say they're the greatest champions of each other and they support each other in a work capacity in a way that makes them really impactful as a dynamic team."
Rosie witnessed that familiar bond when the Duchess and the Princesses took part in a photoshoot for HELLO! Magazine's Christmas campaign.
"I saw the closeness between them, the shared jokes, the adoring looks and the support that Sarah shows to her daughters as a doting grandmother," she reveals.
"I've spoken to her on many occasions where she's gushed about her grandchildren and I know it is a role that she absolutely cherishes and loves being a really big part of their lives taking on childcare duties when she can."
Indeed, Sarah revealed on a recent episode of her podcast, Tea Talks With The Duchess and Sarah, that she and granddaughter Sienna organised a "fairy picnic" to celebrate Princess Beatrice's 35th birthday earlier this month.
Rosie adds: "I think the Duchess is quite a funny grandmother because she's always joking around, she's got a wicked sense of humour. But ultimately, she's very, very loving and she doesn't try to tell her daughters too much what they should do. She's just very encouraging towards them."
For more information about the Teenage Cancer Trust or to donate, please visit www.teenagecancertrust.org.
