Sarah Ferguson once feared the dark so deeply that she slept with her eyes open

For Sarah Ferguson, darkness was once far more than an ordinary childhood fear. The former Duchess of York recalled being so frightened at night that she would sit upright in bed and keep her eyes open, convinced that something she described as “spooks” might approach her while she slept.

Ferguson revealed the extent of that fear in a candid 1996 interview with Canadian television host Dini Petty, conducted shortly after her divorce from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

Sarah Ferguson’s fear of the dark

During the interview, Petty asked Ferguson to explain what had once been an “overwhelming complete terror of the dark” and how she had eventually learned to live with it.

Ferguson described how the fear could affect her at night.

“I sat up in bed and slept with my eyes open because I was so scared of the dark,” she recalled. She explained that she believed keeping her eyes open would allow her to spot any “spooks” before they could come towards her.

Over time, however, Ferguson came to understand that the frightening images she associated with darkness represented something deeper within herself.

“I realised that my fear of the dark was my fear of the demons inside myself and the black treacle, my fears and anxieties that were inside myself,” she said.

That realization marked an important shift in how she viewed the phobia. Rather than simply trying to escape the darkness, Ferguson began to see it as a reflection of the anxieties she was carrying herself.

“I’m still here”

Ferguson also described herself as a “survivor” and spoke about the determination that had helped her move beyond the fear.

“I’m still here,” she said during the interview. “Suddenly I realised that it is all alright really. Everything is ok.”

She acknowledged that getting through difficult periods could be a long and demanding process, but emphasized that she had continued moving forward.

“It’s a long way, and it’s a big battle, but I am here, and it is alright.”

The interview offered a glimpse into Ferguson’s state of mind at a particularly significant point in her life. At the time, she was dealing with the aftermath of her divorce from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, while also adjusting to life outside the working royal family.

She spoke openly about her separation, her departure from royal life and the experience of raising her two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Ferguson’s life has changed considerably since that interview

More than three decades after the 1996 conversation, Ferguson’s circumstances have changed dramatically.

In 2025, Andrew’s relationship with the late financier Jeffrey Epstein and renewed scrutiny surrounding it led to major changes in his position within the royal family. Buckingham Palace announced in October 2025 that the formal process of removing his royal style, titles and honours had begun, and Andrew subsequently became known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor.

Ferguson had continued living with Andrew at Royal Lodge in Windsor despite their divorce, but the changes surrounding Andrew’s royal status also brought an end to that arrangement. She has since been living separately from him.

Reports in August 2026 said Ferguson was preparing to return to Britain after spending months overseas. She was reported to be renting a six-bedroom gated property in the Home Counties after a period associated with a Swiss Alpine chalet in Verbier.

The reported move followed Andrew’s departure from Royal Lodge and relocation to Marsh Farm on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk.

Reports of a tell-all memoir were denied

Ferguson’s return to Britain also prompted speculation about whether she intended to publish a personal memoir.

Reports claimed that she was preparing a “tell-all memoir” in an effort to repair her reputation and that she had been offered a seven-figure publishing deal.

Her spokesman, however, rejected those reports.

“There have been no discussions, and she is not writing a personal memoir; it’s not what she’s going to do,” he told HELLO!.

For now, Ferguson’s public life remains closely connected to the wider changes affecting her former husband and the royal family.

Other royal family members have spoken about their fears

Ferguson’s experience with a phobia is not unique among members of the royal family. Several have spoken publicly over the years about fears or anxieties that have affected them.

Queen Camilla, for example, has been open about her fear of flying, known as aerophobia. The fear has reportedly affected her ability to accompany King Charles on some royal tours.

When she cut short a visit to Australia in April 2018, a Clarence House spokesman acknowledged the issue, saying: “The Duchess does not like flying, but I think she has to sometimes embrace that fear.”

Princess Eugenie has also reportedly experienced a fear of flying, while the late Queen Elizabeth II was said to have disliked helicopters.

Public speaking has been another source of anxiety within the family. Prince William has acknowledged feeling anxious about speaking in public, something he shares with his younger brother, Prince Harry.

Harry has spoken about becoming “incredibly nervous” before addressing crowds. In his memoir Spare, he also revealed that he had experienced agoraphobia in the past, referring to a fear associated with public places or situations from which escape can feel difficult.

For Ferguson, however, one of her most striking revelations came years earlier, when she described lying awake in the darkness with her eyes deliberately open.

What began as a fear of what might be waiting in the dark eventually became, in her own interpretation, a way of confronting the fears and anxieties she carried within herself. Her conclusion was simple: despite the battles she had faced, she was still there, and she believed that was enough to keep moving forward.