Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has made Royal waves by becoming the first member of the British Royal family to hop onto TikTok, marking her debut with a deeply personal video that nods to her recent health struggles. On Oct 16, Fergie announced her arrival on the platform under the username @sarahtheduchess, sharing an intimate look into her battle with breast cancer, which she faced last year.

In the touching one-minute video, we see Fergie sitting outdoors while a caption appears on the screen stating: “How it felt to be diagnosed with #breastcancer. ” The Duchess then opens up about her ordeal, describing it as a “Hollow feeling of total abject fear.”

She goes on to say: “The drive from Royal Free to Edward VII Hospital was 40 minutes, and I just didn’t speak. I couldn’t speak. It’s really interesting for me not to speak.”

Fergie further shares: “I couldn’t express myself, I just shut down, I went back into [being] a little girl. It was easier not to ask for support and just to deal with it, because that’s what I’m used to, that’s what I can do, that’s what I was taught,” before concluding, “It’s only now that I am really proud of my scars. They’re really important,” reports the Scottish Daily Express.

Fergie has spoken about her touching journey of liberation and seeking help amidst her battle with cancer, sharing, “I never thought you could free the shackles of your heart by cancer, by learning what it is to be able to talk right now, right this second, about what it feels like to ask for help, to surrender and to realise that everything is going to be okay,” and continued, “And you can find joy and you can not worry so much.”

The Duchess, aged 65, was hit with a breast cancer diagnosis in Summer of 2023, which led her to undergo a single mastectomy operation to remove the cancerous growth. But her ordeal didn’t end there; although she had a successful surgery, she faced another scare when a suspicious mole taken during her breast reconstruction turned out to be malignant melanoma, a dangerous variant of skin cancer.

The good news is that Sarah Ferguson battled through with subsequent treatments and eventually reached a healthier state. She expressed her current wellbeing to PEOPLE last month, saying, “My health is good now.”

Following her recovery, only two weeks later, Fergie proudly took on the role of patron for Prevent Breast Cancer, an organisation dedicated solely to predicting and preventing the disease – a mission undoubtedly dear to her. Her advocacy even featured a shout-out to the charity on TikTok, where she debuted her very first video.

Emotionally highlighting her double encounter with the disease, Fergie captioned her inaugural TikTok presence stating, “My first ever TikTok! How it felt hearing my breast cancer diagnosis,” and disclosed, “One cancer diagnosis was bad enough, but to go through all those emotions twice was a lot to handle. For anyone going through this now, know that you are not alone.”

“I am proud to share that I am officially a patron for #PreventBreastCancer, an incredible organisation that is dedicated to the prediction and prevention of #breastcancer,” she penned, sprinkling her message with the hashtags #BreastCancerAwareness, #PinkTok, #CancerTok and #BreastCancerSurvivor.

Amidst global Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, nations worldwide have been engaging in activities aiming to shine a spotlight on the condition that impacts about 2.3 million women each year.

Meanwhile, Fergie’s decision to grace TikTok with her presence marks a monumental first. She’s now the initial Royal to set up a personal account on the platform, making it quite the Royal affair.

Although Prince William and Prince Harry haven’t taken the plunge into having their own profiles, they’re no strangers to the video-sharing app. Both princes have featured in videos before: Prince William supporting Earthshot Prize and Prince Harry cheering for the Invictus Games tournament.