Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and has undergone a successful operation, her spokesman says.

The duchess, 63, who was previously married to the King’s brother Prince Andrew, was given the diagnosis at a routine mammogram screening and underwent successful surgery, the representative said.

“She was advised she needed to undergo surgery which has taken place successfully,” the spokesman said.

“The duchess is receiving the best medical care and her doctors have told her that the prognosis is good.”

She reportedly left the King Edward VII Hospital in Marylebone, central London – which has treated the royal family for decades – on Sunday. The duchess is said to be recovering with her family at Windsor.

Before going to hospital, she spoke about her diagnosis on her new podcast Tea Talks with the Duchess and Sarah, which is released on Monday.

It was reportedly recorded before her operation and had been due to air on Thursday, before being put off until after she was discharged.

“The duchess wants to express her immense gratitude to all the medical staff who have supported her in recent days,” her spokesman said.

“She is also hugely thankful to the staff involved in the mammogram which identified her illness, which was otherwise symptom free, and believes her experience underlines the importance of regular screening.”

The Sun reported that the Duke of York, 63, and the couple’s daughters Princess Beatrice, 34, and Princess Eugenie, 33, are by her side as she recovers.

The grandmother-of-three was not at Royal Ascot earlier this week as she was being treated in hospital. Beatrice attended some of the days of the races with her husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

The duchess is a patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust and spoke at a Breast Cancer Foundation gala in 2019.

Beatrice and Mr Mapelli Mozzi were also spotted with friends at Glastonbury on Sunday, the final day of the festival.

-AAP