Sarah Ferguson’s new book will be dedicated to her four grandchildren with the Duchess of York revealing she uses her writing as ‘an escape’ from her two cancer diagnoses

The Duchess of York – who has used her writing as ‘an escape’ after two cancer diagnoses – has dedicated her new book to her four grandchildren, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Sarah Ferguson, 64, is now looking to the future after she was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer and underwent a mastectomy. Six months later, she was found to have skin cancer.

Although doctors have advised that she should not use the phrase ‘cancer-free’, the outlook is positive and the Duchess is no longer undergoing treatment.

Now she has written a new children’s book, titled ‘Flora and Fern: Wonder in the Woods’, due to be published in October.

The Duchess told the Mail on Sunday said: ‘I wrote Flora and Fern for my grandchildren and also my step grandson Wolfie. It is a special little story encouraging children to enjoy and respect nature and use their imagination to play.

‘The names Flora and Fern are chosen to encourage more understanding of how important nature is.’

She combined her roles as author and grandmother in the writing process, testing out storylines on her four grandchildren: Princess Eugenie’s son August, three, and younger son Ernest, one, along with Princess Beatrice’s stepson Wolfie, eight, and daughter Sienna, two.

A friend added: ‘Writing and being in nature are her twin escapes. Both have helped her through the difficult times of the last year as she’s had to deal with two cancer diagnoses.

‘She tries all her stories out on her grandchildren and she’s determined to create a little library for them to enjoy.’

The Duchess, who divorced the Duke of York in 1996, has recently been welcomed back into the Royal fold after bonding with King Charles over their cancer diagnoses.

This week she pulled out of headlining an Australian literary festival in October so as not to ‘distract or detract’ from the King and Queen’s state visit.