Sarah Ferguson Says Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie Spent 18th Birthdays Visiting Teen Cancer Units

The Duchess of York made the revelation about her daughters after it was announced she had surgery following a breast cancer diagnosis

Sarah Ferguson is opening up about the important way Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie marked milestone birthdays.

On Sunday, a representative for the Duchess of York, who is popularly known as Fergie, confirmed to PEOPLE that she was recently diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer and had a successful surgery. The latest episode of her podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah was released shortly after the news broke, where Fergie revealed that her daughters Beatrice, 34, and Eugenie, 33, had their 18th birthdays at hospital units dedicated to teenage cancer.

The author and podcaster has supported the U.K. charity Teenage Cancer Trust since its establishment in 1990 and opened its first unit at London’s Middlesex Hospital. The Duchess’ daughters, who she shares with ex-husband Prince Andrew, joined her as honorary patrons when they grew up.

RELATED: Sarah Ferguson Diagnosed with Breast Cancer, Released After Operation

Looking back on the impact the visits had, Fergie said, “I brought my girls on their birthday. The 18th birthday parties were at a Teenage Cancer unit so that they could see that they've got so much to give and they could really help. You lead by example, I believe. When I took Beatrice and Eugenie — separately, there's two years between them — to the teenage cancer units, they've since become ambassadors for life. They work tirelessly for Teenage Cancer. But what it taught them was how brave, and how we must talk about things.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Fergie praised her daughters for how open they are about the challenges they have faced. Princess Beatrice has spoken about struggling with dyslexia in childhood, while Princess Eugenie has been vocal about her scoliosis diagnosis and having life-changing spinal surgery at age 12.

“My girls are incredible. It’s both private and public, right? They work very, very hard publicly. They work very, very hard privately. They are mothers and the work-life balance that they are getting is extraordinary,” she told co-host Sarah Thomson. “They just do it. They just do it in a very, very real way. And I'm so proud of them.”

RELATED: Sarah Ferguson Speaks Out on Breast Cancer Diagnosis — and Credits Sister for Pushing Her to Get Checked

Princess Beatrice shares 1-year-old daughter Sienna with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, while Princess Eugenie shares sons August, 2, and Ernest, almost 1 month, with husband Jack Brooksbank. Both royals balance motherhood with professional careers; Beatrice is a Vice President of Partnerships & Strategy for software company Afiniti while Eugenie is a director at London art gallery Hauser & Wirth.

Celebrating her daughters and the causes they support, Fergie said, “Beatrice literally goes out there and fights for dyslexia. She talks, actually, interestingly enough, she publicly talks about how she had special needs at school and how she has dyslexia. But then also, for example, Eugenie has 12-inch metal rods down her back. She has scoliosis of the spine and she talks publicly about it, openly about how important it is to de-stigmatize the scar.”

“Which she did beautifully at her wedding,” Thomson said, referencing Princess Eugenie’s backless wedding gown that showed off her scoliosis surgery scar when she tied the knot in 2018. 

“She did. And so many other people with scoliosis now wear backless dresses to show that they have a scar, a badge of office… and Beatrice and Eugenie and I talk very, very, very strongly about really championing what we believe. Beatrice and Eugenie are ambassadors for Teenage Cancer. They do so much work — unseen and unheard. They are on the global stage. I think they are incredible. I always said that no one wants to see a grumpy princess. And when they go on the stage, they really are out there,” the Duchess added.

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Cracking a joke about the recognition of the royal platform and the roles the princesses were born into, Thomson said, “It's not even the stage, is it? They can wander down the road to get a pint of milk and they're there.”

“Absolutely. They hold themselves with such propriety and they really are extraordinary examples of the late Queen’s values,” Fergie said of the late Queen Elizabeth. “And loyal now to the King, and the wonderful Prince of Wales. And going forward, you know, they're huge advocates.”

Thomson complimented her co-host for raising “such fantastic girls,” and the Duchess said the same for her sons — before asking for some honest advice!

“Sarah, just quickly, I need real tips from you. Because Augie's now got a little brother. How do you manage with these boys? It's a lot,” she joked of her family expanding with grandsons. On June 5, Buckingham Palace announced that Princess Eugenie and Jack welcomed their second son — Ernest George Ronnie — on May 30.

While recently speaking to PEOPLE about her latest historical fiction novel A Most Intriguing Lady, Fergie said she cherished everything about being a grandmother.

"One, I'm really proud of my girls. Two, I have very good grandchildren," said the Duchess, who is popularly known as Fergie. "They just follow me around like Peter Pan. I'm 'Super Gran Pan.' Whenever they see me, they laugh. They think I'm very funny. August is teaching me about trains. My girls had Barbie dolls," she affectionately added.

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