Sarah, Duchess of York has posted a tribute to her late mother.

Sarah Ferguson has paid tribute to her late mother (Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)

Sarah Ferguson has shared a heartbreaking message today on the 27th anniversary of her mother’s death. Sarah, Duchess of York’s mother, Susan Barrantes, died at the age of 61 in a fatal car accident in Argentina.

Her sudden death in 1998 came as a shock to Sarah, Prince Andrew’s ex wife, who had always had a complicated relationship with her mother. Taking to her Instagram story today to mark the anniversary of the tragic incident, Sarah shared a note she penned, which read: “My dearest Mum, I would love to tell you and show you how brilliantly your grandchildren are doing as mothers.

“Thank you for giving me the Irish magic and enthusiasm of life. Love you. Your devoted daughter Sarah.”

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While the Duchess has plenty of fond memories of her mother and the valuable life lessons she taught her, Sarah has made no secret of the fact that her mother also contributed to some of her struggles.

Sarah was just 12-years-old when Susan left the UK and her two daughters behind to marry Argentinian polo player Hector Barrantes in 1975 – a year after divorcing Sarah’s dad, Major Ronald Ferguson.

Susan relocated to South America, resulting in less contact with Sarah who stayed with her father.

Writing in The Telegraph earlier this year, Sarah, 65, reflected on how this impacted her as a child, with the Duchess having talked about this with experts at a mental health clinic she recently visited.

Sarah (right) had a complicated relationship with her mother Susan (left) (Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Sarah wrote: “I wasn’t there to be diagnosed, but we discussed my own childhood and the profound scars that were left when my mother left the family when I was 12 for a new life in South America.

“This certainly led to feelings of unworthiness and I’m sure contributed to an unhealthy attitude to food that often threatened to spiral into a full-scale eating disorder.”

It is believed Sarah spent more time with her mother as she got older, especially in the few years before her death.

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