Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, Attends Funeral for Queen, the Woman She Called Her 'Greatest Mentor'

Fergie remained friendly with Queen Elizabeth even after her split from Prince Andrew

Sarah Ferguson is among the royal family members mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth.

Fergie, 62, as the Duchess of York is affectionately known, took part in the monarch's funeral proceedings on Monday. She arrived alongside other members of the royal family, however she was not part of the procession.

The Duchess — who divorced Queen Elizabeth's second son, Prince Andrew, in 1996 — has remained close with both Andrew, 62, and the royal family. In years past, she has often been spotted chatting with the Queen at events like Royal Ascot alongside her daughters, Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 32.

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Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, attending the Queen's funeral. Samir Hussein/WireImage

Fergie, 62, appeared on the Tea with Twiggy podcast last year to talk about her debut novel, Her Heart For a Compass. During the chat, she called the Queen her "greatest mentor" and the "person who believes in me."

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"I think to myself that honestly, my mother-in-law has been more of a mother to me than my mother," she said. (The Duchess's mother, Susan Barrantes, left the family when Fergie was a child to move to Argentina with a new husband, professional polo player Héctor Barrantes. She died in a car crash in 1998.)

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From left: Princess Beatrice, the Duchess of York, Prince Andrew and Princess Eugenie in a family photo shared on Instagram. Sarah Ferguson/Instagram

Fergie added, "I absolutely admire the incredible way Her Majesty is so modern ... and how flexible, and how understanding, and how forgiving and how generous."

A source recently confirmed to PEOPLE that Fergie and Prince Andrew would be adopting and caring for the late monarch's two dogs. "The corgis will return to live at Royal Lodge with the Duke and Duchess. It was the Duchess who found the puppies, which were gifted to Her Majesty by the Duke," the insider said.

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Following Queen Elizabeth's death on September 8, Fergie shared a touching tribute to the monarch on Twitter.

"To me, she was the most incredible mother-in-law and friend. I will always be grateful to her for the generosity she showed me in remaining close to me even after my divorce," Fergie wrote. "I will miss her more than words can express."