Sarah, Duchess of York Society at a congressional briefing. Sarah, Duchess of York, was a founding supporter of the American Cancer Society's Great American Weigh In, an annual campaign (modelled after the Society's Great American Smoke Out) aimed at raising awareness of the link between excess weight and cancer. In 2006, the Duchess established The Sarah Ferguson Foundation based in Toronto, which derives funds from Sarah's commercial work and private donations with the aim of supporting charities internationally that serve children and families in dire need. Included under this umbrella organisation is her patronage and support of several British charities, including Mental Disability Rights
Sarah, Duchess of York more to bring shame on the family than could ever have been imagined". After four years of official separation, the Duke and Duchess announced the mutual decision to divorce in May 1996. In the years after her divorce, the Duchess claimed that she had received £15,000 a year as a divorce settlement and cited her deal as a spokeswoman with Weight Watchers as her main "source of income". However, subsequent information given by senior officials to "The Sunday Telegraph" revealed that Sarah had received a lump sum settlement of £3 million. The couple shared the custody of their children. By