Duchess of York says her new novel is 'great escapism'

August 11, 2021

Her Heart for a Compass is the Duchess's first adult novel.

The Duchess of York's first adult novel has hit shelves and she joined Breakfast to have a chat about it with Matty McLean.

Co-written with Marguerite Kaye, Her Heart for a Compass is a fictional account of the life the Duchess's great, great aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, led.

Published by Mills & Boon, the Duchess described her novel as "great escapism". She was also "so thrilled" McLean thought it was "brilliant".

"I have to say, it's right up my alley, Sarah," he said in the rather candid interview this morning. 

"Oh my goodness me, Matty. I'm so thrilled you said that," Sarah Ferguson said. "There are so many people who have interviewed me who are saying 'no, no, no. I simply don't read Mills & Boon historical romance' and I went 'What? Are you completely mad'. 

"It's great escapism. This is 24 meets Pride and Prejudice. It's really exciting. It's not just he met her and she meets him ...," she said.

"It's really exciting because I wrote it during the pandemic with Marguerite Kaye and of course every single line, every single bit of sentence or paragraph I put into it is from what we've been through in the pandemic as well.

"The challenge, the sometimes very alone feeling ... and feeling you can’t go on and they’re full of self-doubt and worries," the Duchess said.

Sarah, Duchess of York, chatting to Matty McLean about her first adult novel, royal life and her grandson.

"So, Lady Margaret, our heroine, there are a lot of parallels between her and I."

The Duchess said it was special to be speaking with McLean.

"It is a pretty extraordinary to be here, really, and to breathe and be real and to feel that I’m just talking to you, just very openly."

They had joked about how McLean should address her in the start of the interview.  

"You’re so sweet. You can just call me Sarah, yeah you can. I think it would be good," Ferguson said.

"I’m Sarah, the Duchess of York. You can call me Ducheydoodle, or duchess or duch, or Sarah, whatever works for you, Matty."

The pair also discussed her upcoming (virtual) time in New Zealand, with her appearance at the Word Christchurch Festival , which begins on August 25.

She said she was "so excited" about it and joked when she physically comes to New Zealand she will have dinner with McLean and his mum. 

The pair also touched on the Duchess's grandson, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, and his love of "tractors, trains and diggers", and one of her dogs, Errol, who she showed off to the camera.

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