Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has a special place in her heart for the city of New York.
In an interview with PEOPLE on Sept. 25 during New York Climate Week, the Duchess of York reflected on her experiences in the city. During her visit, Ferguson, affectionately known as Fergie, announced the launch of the Youth Impact Council, a new nonprofit organization where she will serve as Founding Ambassador. The council aims to elevate the voices of youth activists who are making significant strides in climate action, social justice, and innovation.
When asked about her plans during her time in N.Y.C., Fergie referenced a quintessential delicacy — a hot dog with mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut and relish!
“It was so good! And everyone laughed at me, saying, ‘You can’t possibly eat the hot dog.’ And I said, ‘Oh, yeah,’ got in the car, and what did they do? [They] all wanted to eat it!” she tells PEOPLE.
Rupert Ramsay
“I like to get yellow cabs,” the Duchess of York, 64, shares about her N.Y.C. traditions. “My favorite film is An Affair to Remember, so every time I see the Empire State Building I think of Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. I know you’ve seen Sleepless in Seattle, but I remember An Affair to Remember with Cary Grant.”
“New York has been my home. The American people are extraordinarily kind to me,” Fergie tells PEOPLE. “I feel I am very Anglo-American. I know the language. I got it down. I don’t say ‘lift,’ I say ‘elevator.’ When I arrive in America, I speak American. Sort of. With a posh voice,” she jokes.
The Duchess of York has passionately advocated for young people across her three decades of philanthropic work, making her support for the Youth Impact Council (YIC) a natural fit. The group was founded at Climate Week 2024 and celebrated its inaugural initiative in N.Y.C. with a ceremony honoring an inaugural cohort, with future plans to expand its membership worldwide.
Rupert Ramsay
In a recap video shared on Instagram, Fergie highlighted a memorable moment from the kickoff event spent with one particularly special young person — her daughter Princess Beatrice. A video of the festive reception captured the two sharing a laugh, and a hug.
The Duchess of York, who is a soon-to-be grandmother of four, spoke to PEOPLE about how her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are making a meaningful impact in the world. (She shares her daughters with her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.)
“This is the university of life for me — to be learning from young people who are out there doing the work. Beatrice and Eugenie are out there doing the work. Eugenie does a lot with The Anti-Slavery Collective, Beatrice does an enormous amount in technology and with dyslexia and believes in humanity in the workplace, with compassion,” she says about some of the causes her daughters champion.
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“I believe I was able to help guide them into this place they are. [Those are the values] I’m going to bring to the youth leaders of Gen Z,” the Duchess adds about the perspective she’ll bring to the YIC.
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