Sarah Ferguson is known to support many worthy causes, but there's one charity that's particularly close to her heart.
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The mother-of-two is patron of the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, an organisation that promotes allergy research and safety, and a cause close to Sarah's heart, after a tragic family death that irrevocably changed the lives of her father and grandmother.
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The Duchess of York shared in 2019 that her uncle, her father's brother, died at the age of 10 after suffering an anaphylactic reaction to a crab sandwich during a day out at Brancaster Beach in North Norfolk.
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Speaking to ITV News, Sarah shared: "My uncle, age 10, died of a crab sandwich at Brancaster Beach and my father was never the same after that. And my grandmother never forgot John - he was called John."
Sarah's uncle's death showed how serious allergies can be, and prompted the royal to work hard to raise awareness of the deadly nature of allergies.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSarah Ferguson is patron of a foundation that raises awareness of allergies
As a whole, the royal family is believed to avoid shellfish – not just because it can cause anaphylactic shock, but because it can often result in food poisoning.
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Former royal butler Grant Harold told Woman & Home magazine: "It is a very sensible move to abandon having seafood when out and about on public duties. We don’t want a member of the Royal family having a serious reaction to food poisoning, especially if she is on an overseas tour."
© Photo: Getty ImagesSarah Ferguson's uncle died of an allergic reaction
We're sure this rule is broken occasionally though; Prince William has previously revealed his love of sushi and King Charles has been known to sample shellfish. Queen Elizabeth II, however, was said to always stick to this guideline.
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