'We'd have a granny-off': Sarah Ferguson says Princess Diana would be proud of grandchildren

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, believes Princess Diana would have been "very proud" of her grandchildren.

The late Princess Diana has five grandchildren through her sons, including Prince George of Cambridge, Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, Prince Louis of Cambridge through son Prince William and wife Princess Kate; and Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor and Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor through Prince Harry and wife Duchess Meghan.

"I think we'd have a granny-off," said Ferguson, 63, who has two grandchildren of her own through daughters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, whom she shares with ex-husband Prince Andrew, the royal shrouded in scandal and younger brother to King Charles III.

While promoting her newest book on "Good Morning America" Tuesday, Fergie said she believes Princess Diana would've likely been faster in "the races" with her grandkids.

Second child: Princess Eugenie, husband Jack Brooksbank expecting this summer

Ferguson praised Diana's sons, calling the royal brothers "special boys." The tribute comes amid troubled times for Prince Harry and Prince William, whose relationship has been strained in recent times following Harry and Meghan's exit from the U.K. and the Duke of Sussex's recent tell-all memoir, "Spare."

"What I'm thrilled about is seeing Harry so happy. He's got his lovely wife and he's got beautiful children. He deserves to be loved," she said.

Princess Diana died in August 1997 at age 36 following a car wreck in France. In "Spare," Prince Harry recalled being told by his father, then-Prince Charles, about Diana's death without so much as a hug for comfort. He also shared that, for a short period, he believed his mother had staged her own death.

Titles coming from royals after Queen Elizabeth II

Prince Harry's memoir was released months following the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. Ferguson, who spent years criticized by tabloids with titles such as "Duchess of Pork" and "frumpy Fergie" while serving as the subject of myriad scandalous headlines, said she feels liberated after the death of the long-serving monarch.

"I don't know whether it's the queen passing on that I now think I can just sort of say openly what I want to say without worrying I'm going to offend somebody," Ferguson said.

Ferguson's second novel, "A Most Intriguing Lady" (available now), is a fictional historical romance following a duke's daughter who is also secretly an amateur sleuth in Victorian London. In addition to her first novel "Her Heart for a Compass," she’s also written many children's books, including "Ballerina Rosie" and the "Little Red" series, and she wrote a memoir, "Finding Sarah."

Ferguson says it's been difficult to see ex-husband Prince Andrew's downfall

While the Duchess split from ex-husband Prince Andrew in 1996, she and the Duke of York have remained in each other's lives. "We've been there for each other. When I've gone through really bad times in the past, he's always been there. He is exceptionally kind and he is a very seriously good father," she said. "He's very steadfast for the girls."

Watching his public downfall, she said, has not been easy. Ferguson said she and her daughters "had to see a demise of a very strong man and that has been really difficult to see."

That same scandal, though, brought her closer to the late queen, she said. In fact, the queen's corgis came to live with Ferguson following the monarch's death.

Contributing: Jennifer McClellan

More on the royal family:

• Stephen Colbert 'Late Show' Q&A: Prince Harry says 'freedom' describes his future

• Bombshells from Prince Harry's 'Spare': Physical attacks, drug use, Diana's death and more

• Prince Harry, Duchess Meghan: Royal couple asked 'to vacate' Frogmore Cottage, royal home in UK

• King Charles III's coronation oil: Special connection to late mother Queen Elizabeth II

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Princess Diana would be proud of grandchildren, Sarah Ferguson says