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.
Sarah 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."
Sarah 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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