Sarah, Duchess of York, is a keen advocate for supporting everything from cancer charities to the important work she does with her foundation, Sarah’s Trust, but few will be familiar with just how impressive her little-known talent is. The Duchess has published an incredible 67 books since she first put pen to paper in 1989.

And, today, (September 1) marks a special anniversary for the Duchess as it marks the 36th anniversary since her first book, Budgie the Little Helicopter, was published. The series contains seven books and was also the inspiration for an animated children’s television show in 1994.

In addition to Budgie the Little Helicopter, Sarah has written in-depth about Queen Victoria and published other children’s books in both the Little Red and the Genie Gems series.

Even though she has been a published author since the first of the Budgie the Little Helicopter books were published, the Duchess has opened up about becoming a best-selling novelist in her sixties.

Largely inspired by her own rich family history, Sarah penned three romantic novels, Her Heart For a Compass, A Most Intriguing Lady and A Woman of Intrigue, which became instant Sunday Times bestsellers.

Speaking of the success, the Duchess told SheKnows: “You start your career at 61, then you go to say, ‘Oh, I could write a novel,’ then you ask for help to write the novel, and then when you get to 63, you’ve already done the Sunday Times bestseller list.”

She added: “It’s pretty exciting to talk from a place of inspiration of starting a new career at 63. You’re never too old.”

The Duchess went on to explain how she discovered herself in the process of putting pen to paper. “People say you escape into the novel,” she explains. “Well, I am escaping out of myself; of the self-doubt, out of the self-judgment, of the self-sabotage.”

Explaining that she finally knows who she is, she explains: “I’m a novelist and I’m an author,” she says, “I write historical romances with a twist of super sleuthness – super sexy, sassy, super sleuthness. And what else? Oh, yes, and also saucy. We got some sauce going on.”