Sarah Ferguson Talks Living With 'Terrifying' Prince Philip, Recalls Queen's Advice About Kindness

Prince Philip could be intimidating at times when he was still alive, according to his former daughter-in-law Sarah Ferguson.

The Duchess of York appeared on Saturday's episode of the "Life's a Beach" podcast, where she discussed with host Alan Carr her life with the royal family and her relationship with her former father-in-law.

"It's quite interesting. The Duke of Edinburgh used to say, 'Remember Sarah, you've got to be electable but never elected.' Resonates, right?" Ferguson said of advice she received from Prince Philip on life in the spotlight.

"He came across as a very wise man," the British comedian said of Queen Elizabeth II's husband, who passed away in April 2021 at age 99.

"Very wise. You had to be on your best. If you asked a silly comment, you were certainly told it was a silly comment," Ferguson said of life with Philip. "Terrifying!" she added, prompting her and Carr to laugh.

Ferguson paraphrased some of Prince Philip's comments, telling Carr, "'Why are you asking me that? I do it every day. Why are you asking me that?' Uhh! And then you lose all your confidence."

"'Did you go driving today?' 'Car or horse?'" Ferguson said in a stormy voice. "Oh god, sorry! Yes!"

Ferguson was married to Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth's third child, Prince Andrew, from 1986 to 1996. They share two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

She drifted from her former father-in-law following the divorce, which reportedly came after Ferguson's financial adviser John Bryan was photographed appearing to suck on her toes during a vacation at St. Tropez, France. Ferguson and Prince Andrew had announced their separation months before the photos were taken.

The royal family was reportedly very disappointed with the Duchess of York over the "Toegate" scandal, and Prince Philip was said to have been the "frostiest" toward Ferguson during that time.

"Up until that point, she had enjoyed warm rapport with her father-in-law, but from that moment on the Duke of Edinburgh never forgave Sarah for the embarrassment and the humiliation that she had reaped," royal correspondent Katie Nicholl claimed on Channel 5's docuseries "The Royal Family at War" in 2019.

But Ferguson continued to maintain a good relationship with Queen Elizabeth II after the end of her marriage to Andrew. Ferguson adopted Muick and Sandy, the last two corgis of the late monarch, after the Queen died in September 2022 at age 96.

When she appeared on BBC's The One Show Monday, Ferguson shared the late monarch's advice about kindness.

"One thing I really love when I'm with them actually, cause I really think about HM [Her Majesty] and I just really think about the value system that she supported in this country," Ferguson shared. "I remember she used to say, 'Sarah there needs to be more kindness in the world, which would disarm malice.'"

"I feel it's really important we should all stop for a minute and remember those words with respect and affection for a great leader, and now passed it on to another great leader in her son," she continued of King Charles III.