Following her recent 61st birthday, the Duchess of York posted a short Instagram video message, thanking fans for their birthday wishes.
However, royal author Phil Dampier notes that while the tone of the message was positive, closer examination of the video reveals some worrying signs, including that Fergie appears “tired and stressed”.
“I know she has been finding the last few months very difficult,” Phil reveals to New Idea.
On the surface, Fergie has had plenty of reasons to celebrate in recent months. She was the mother-of-the bride at the intimate royal wedding of her eldest daughter, Princess Beatrice.
Fergie will also soon become a first-time grandmother, following the pregnancy announcement of her youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie.
But Phil hints that outside of these moments of “tremendous joy”, Fergie has struggled to adjust to the new normal resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“She has spent several months in lockdown at Royal Lodge with Prince Andrew, and obviously he is under great strain from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal,” Phil explains.
“It must have placed them both under a lot of pressure with very little in the way of letting off steam.”
And Phil believes that the cracks are now starting to show.
“She has visibly aged in the last year,” Phil says. “The last few months have taken their toll.”