Dec 18, 2007, 12:30 GMT
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, felt she "deserved to be punished" when her marriage to Britain's Prince Andrew failed.
11/15/2007 - Sarah Ferguson - Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, Departs BBC Radio 2 in London on November 15, 2007 - BBC Radio 2 - London, England © Solarpix / PR Photos
The duchess - whose divorce from Andrew was finalised in 1996, four years after they officially separated - believed she had "let the royal family down" and ended up piling on the pounds in weight and debts because she felt so "worthless".
Sarah - who is now the face of the Weight Watchers weight-loss programme in the US - told Britain's Hello! magazine: "I felt I deserved to be punished, because I was worthless. The real truth is that, having left the royal family I didn't feel that I betrayed them, but that I had, from my perspective, let them down.
"So I was worthless; I got fat, I had debts, I got totally out of control with myself.
"What, besides Weight Watchers turned me around? I honestly don't know. I think it was that I wouldn't be defeated. My faith and inner core would not let the darkness beat me."
However, the 48-year-old royal - who has two teenage daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, with Andrew - insists her former mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, does not feel she betrayed the royal family.
She said: "There are still people who judge me harshly and feel I have let the monarchy down.
"If only they understood - Her Majesty doesn't feel that.
"I know because Her Majesty is the most wonderful grandmother to my children and we meet in private. I could never have met a finer lady."
(C) BANG Media International
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A Little Strange.......Dec 20th, 2007 - 13:43:34
To hear Freggy talk about herself like that. Those royals are as human as you are. Lighten up - So they got a few bob/bucks - but that's all!
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