On the occasion of Princess Diana’s 63rd birthday, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, shared an emotional tribute to her dear friend.

In a heartfelt post, Sarah reminisced about her long-standing friendship with Princess Diana, dating back to their younger years.

In a social media post on July 1, Sarah Ferguson, known affectionately as Fergie, paid tribute to Princess Diana on what would have been her 63rd birthday. The Duchess shared a throwback photo of herself with Diana on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, both watching the Battle of Britain parade on September 15, 1990. The caption read: “Happy birthday to my dear friend Diana. You were a symbol of light and love, and you left behind an incredible legacy. I will always remember your smile and the compassionate, kind soul I found in you. I’m sure you’re watching over us.” The 64-year-old Duchess ended the post with: “Rest in peace, my friend.”

Princess Diana and Sarah Ferguson became sisters-in-law through their marriages to Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, respectively. However, their friendship actually began in their youth. In an exclusive interview in 2021, Fergie revealed: “We were best friends when she was 14 and I was 15.”

In fact, it was Princess Diana who introduced Sarah to Prince Andrew. Sarah recalled: “I said to her, ‘Oh, Andrew looks so handsome.’ And she replied, ‘Oh my gosh, Fergs!'” (Sarah and Prince Andrew married in 1986 and divorced a decade later but remained close friends and co-parented their two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie). As members of the royal family, Diana and Sarah often supported each other.

“We both struggled with mental health issues, and we confided in each other about it,” Sarah shared. “Diana once told me, ‘Fergie, remember this: When you’re on top, it’s easy to fall. And when you’re at the bottom, you just need to climb back up.’” Sarah added, “We were both placed on pedestals, made out to be saints or sinners. And the most important thing was always to stay strong together, which we did, no matter what others wrote.”

Princess Diana tragically passed away in a car accident in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36. Speaking on Good Morning America in 2023, Fergie remarked that Diana would be “so proud” of her five grandchildren from sons Prince William and Prince Harry. The Duchess, who is a grandmother to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie’s children, joked, “I think we’ll have a competition between the grandmothers. She’d probably outrun me in a race. I wonder if she’d be funnier than me. No, I think I’d win in that department.”

On what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday on July 1, 2021, her two sons, Princes William and Harry, returned to their childhood home of Kensington Palace to unveil a new statue of their mother. The statue, placed in the Sunken Garden, depicts Princess Diana with three children, reflecting her work supporting and nurturing children worldwide. The two princes issued a joint statement: “Today, on what would have been our mother’s 60th birthday, we remember the love, strength, and character that made her a force for good across the world, changing the lives of countless people for the better. Every day we wish she were still here with us, and we hope this statue will forever serve as a symbol of her life and legacy.”