“I’m excited to be back”: Fergie joins list of luminaries Down Under
Sarah Ferguson has returned to Australia for the first time in years to help battle a major problem facing our nation, while sharing her love for the country.
The Duchess of York is visiting Melbourne to take part in the Global Citizen NOW summit from March 4th, which is seeking to drive urgent action to end extreme poverty and address the climate crisis in the Asia-Pacific region.
In an exclusive interview with news.com.au, Fergie shared her love of Australia, describing the country as a "haven" and sharing her excitement to be back Down Under.
“Australia feels like a home away from home to me,” the 64-year-old royal said.
“My sister Jane has lived here for decades, so I have visited many times over the years. I have so many memories of wonderful moments."
“I remember the excitement of going to the Melbourne Cup with my mother, for example. I’m excited to be back again to make new memories."
“I love the Aussie outlook on life and of course I adore your incredible landscapes and wildlife, which are like nothing you see in Europe."
“Australia has often been a haven for me. One thing I particularly like is that there is no culture of building people up in order to knock them down again later, which you see elsewhere.”
Fergie will be joined at the summit by hundreds of other leading voices, famous personalities and political figures, including actor Hugh Jackman, musicians Crowded House and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
The Duchess said that she has taken a special interest in the issue of preserving the planet for future generations, worrying about what the state of the world looks like in the years to come for her grandchildren.
“Becoming a grandmother has really changed my outlook on life,” she revealed.
“I have always loved nature and the great outdoors, but now I find myself reflecting on what sort of world we are going to leave to our grandchildren’s generation."
“Let’s be honest, it doesn’t look great, does it? So far, my generation has failed to take the big decisions necessary to safeguard the future of the planet, to the point that scientists are telling us the changes we are seeing to our climate and biodiversity are becoming irreversible."
“I really hope we can take global, concerted action to change things. We have a responsibility to do so."
Image credits: Getty Images