Sarah Ferguson stirs Megxit comparison as she reminisces on her royal life

Sarah Ferguson said she chose to leave her royal life behind and move forward without any regrets, something that the public drew comparisons with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Megxit.

The Duchess of York married Prince Andrew in 1986 but they separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. She then left the royal family and paved her own path, ultimately becoming an author and philanthropist.

Fergie, as she is famously known, talked about her former royal life in an interview with The Independent. When asked if she can relate to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's own struggles with the press, she acknowledged that the press came with the territory when she married into the royal family.

"I married into the royal family in 1986 and that was an immense honour but it also came with pressures of being in the public eye. I struggled with that at times, and I think social media probably makes it even more difficult today," she said adding that she does "not believe in judging anyone" and "would just ask for a little more kindness."

The duchess also admitted that she never thought about the importance of royal titles for her daughters Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. She said she "didn't think about it, then" and that she does "not think about it now."

She explained, "I believe that the title doesn't make you the person you are. I believe that true humility comes from your heart."

Ferguson also talked about leaving the royal family and how she moved on after that without saying anything bad about the institution. She said, "Well, you can't have it both ways. You can't sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out."

"But then don't cry about not being invited to weddings. You chose to leave, now go and live it – and be it." The duchess blamed no one else for her royal exit saying, "It was my decision. If I'm going to go, then go."

It is hard not to compare the Duchess of York to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who also left their royal life in 2020 and now live in Montecito, California with their children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Ferguson also retreated to America and spent 12 years there writing children's books after she left her royal life.

But unlike Fergie, the Sussexes initially wanted to be "part-time" working royals. They wanted to serve the public according to their terms while still representing the British monarchy, which Queen Elizabeth II declined. As the Duchess of York said, "You're either in or out."

The 63-year-old also has a different view on the press' intrusion into her royal life. She took it as part of being a member of the royal family, while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have waged legal wars against British tabloids for invasion of privacy even after Megxit.

Likewise, Meghan Markle stirred racism controversy when she talked about Archie not being given the HRH Prince title in her Oprah interview. She and Prince Harry have also criticised the institution and the royal family since they left their royal duties. They have done so in three successive years starting with the Oprah interview in March 2021, then the "Harry & Meghan" Netflix docuseries in December 2022, then the duke's revealing memoir "Spare" which came out on Jan. 10 this year.

Unlike Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Ferguson made the decision to leave and she owned it. She also moved forward in peace and did not publicly lash out against the monarchy and the royal family. She also remains positive amid the fallout between the Sussexes and the royals that a reconciliation is still on the horizon for them, citing the importance of "family unity" and the three C's: communicate, compromise, compassion."