The Duchess of York has revealed she has named her “perky” reconstructed breast “Derek” after undergoing a single mastectomy operation to treat cancer.

The mother-of-two, 63, had the eight-hour procedure in June after she was diagnosed with the disease during a routine mammogram.

Speaking about how she is still not well enough to travel on her podcast Tea Talks, she said she is “just coming to terms with my new best friend Derek”.

She added: “On my left, he’s called Derek… and he’s very important because he saved my life.”

Asked by her close friend and co-host Sarah Thomson why she had chosen that name, she said: “I don’t know, it just made me laugh that I have now a friend who’s with me all the time who’s protecting with his shield of armour.”

The Duchess said while she is “getting much better” she doesn’t expect to be travelling for a month.

She spoke of “balancing the fact that I’ve got a new model at the moment… I’ve gotten new wheels and a new engine and I’ll be taking the car for a bit of a run soon.”

She said it is an “interesting thing to come to terms with” and she is “proud” of the surgeons and doctors who looked after her, before adding: “I’ve got a perky friend here on the left.”

Ms Thomson responds, saying: “You’re rebuilt, you’re rebuilt”.

The other one is called ‘Eric’

The Duchess then appears to allude to her other breast, calling it “Eric”, adding: “Poor Eric on the right is feeling rather sad because he’s not as perky as Derek on the left, but I’ll get Eric balanced, don’t worry.”

The Duchess underwent the operation in London’s King Edward VII’s Hospital and has been encouraging other women to get screened regularly.

Her family has been affected by cancer, including her father, Major Ronald Ferguson, who had prostate cancer. Her stepfather, Hector Barrantes, was only 51 when he died of cancer.

The family tragedies inspired the Duchess to become involved with cancer charities, a commitment which has lasted over three decades.