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Sarah Ferguson's next children's book reportedly won't be published as planned
Thousands of copies of Flora and Fern: Kindness along the Way will be recycled, the Daily Mail reported
The news comes after the royal titles of the former Prince Andrew, Ferguson's ex-husband, were stripped amid a scandal
Sarah Ferguson's next children's book,Flora and Fern: Kindness along the Way,has been withdrawn from publication amid fallout around the formerPrince Andrew, her ex-husband, whose royal titles wereofficially strippedamid scandal.
PEOPLE has contacted New Frontier Publishing for comment. Ferguson's team had no comment when reached by PEOPLE.
New Frontier Publishing is based in London, and according toPublisher's Marketplace,Flora and Fern: Kindness along the Waydid not have a U.S. publisher.
According to theDaily Mail, book signings and bookshop talks by Ferguson, who is popularly known as Fergie, have also been canceled.
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Flora and Fern: Kindness along the Waywas reportedly due to be published on Oct. 9 but was then bumped to Nov. 20. The children's book was due to retail for about $17 and would followFlora and Fern: Wonder in the Woods, which Ferguson published in October 2024 with New Frontier Publishing.
A book jacket shared byWaterstonesshowed Ferguson's name was listed on the cover as "Sarah, Duchess of York," the royal title she was widely known by prior to Andrew's scandal. The text was illustrated by Denise Hughes.
" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A synopsis about the book said, "Flora and Fern are having a great time playing hide-and-seek in the woods with their friends. When Fern gets lost and eventually finds himself in the BIG City ... will he know what to do and how to find his way home again? The second enchanting book in the series with favorites Flora & Fern as they discover kindness along the way."
Fergie embraced a career as an author (among other business ventures) after divorcing Andrew in 1996 and has published over 50 books to date, including children's books, a memoir and historical fiction.
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Speaking to PEOPLE in 2021, Fergusonopened up about her approachto writing for children.
"If you write for children, you have got to know your audience and you can't tell them what to do or think," Ferguson said. "You have to put yourself in a child's place, and the excitement I get from being very curious and childlike means I find great enjoyment in that."
The report about the book dropped after the former Prince Andrew announced that hewould no longer use his royal titles and honors, as it distracts from the work ofKing Charlesand the rest of the royal family, in a shock statement on Oct. 17. King Charleslaunched the processof officially stripping his brother of that status on Oct. 30 andthe transition was made officialin a Letters Patent released Nov. 3.
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The changes came amid renewed scrutiny around the depth of Andrew's connection to the late, disgraced Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who died while awaiting trial in August 2019.
Andrewstepped back from his royal rolein November 2019 after a bombshellBBC interviewin which he discussed his relationship with Epstein.
Queen Elizabethlater stripped her second son of hismilitary titles and patronagesin January 2022, after a judge rejected his attempt to have Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre'ssexual assault lawsuitagainst him dismissed.
Andrew settled with Giuffre out of court for an undisclosed sum and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Giuffre died by suicide at age 41 in April of this year.
As Andrew's titles were stripped, he has also beenordered to surrender his residence at Royal Lodge, the 30-room mansion in Windsor where Ferguson lived with him, and Fergie will alsono longer use the Duchess of York title she was widely known by.
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