The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has recently faced significant backlash leading to her removal as patron from four charities. This decision comes in light of the emergence of an email from 2011, wherein she referred to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as her "supreme friend." The first charity to sever ties was Julia's House, a children's hospice charity dedicated to supporting families in Dorset and Wiltshire.
Julia's House announced that it was inappropriate for the Duchess to maintain her patronage, prompting other organizations to follow suit. On the same day, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the Children's Literacy Charity, and Prevent Breast Cancer also confirmed they would no longer recognize Sarah Ferguson as a patron. A spokesperson for the Duchess stated that she would not comment on her removal from Julia's House, while the BBC has reached out for further statements.
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, which focuses on food allergies, and the Children's Literacy Charity, aimed at improving literacy skills for disadvantaged children, expressed that it was inappropriate for the Duchess to continue her role. Both charities, however, extended their gratitude for her past contributions. Similarly, Prevent Breast Cancer announced that she would no longer serve as a patron.
Another significant charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust, for which the Duchess has been a patron for an impressive 35 years, is currently reviewing her situation. This scrutiny follows the release of the email correspondence between Ferguson and Epstein, sent in 2011, which contradicted her public claims of having severed ties with him.
In the email, the Duchess appeared to apologize privately for her previous public rejection of Epstein, stating, "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family." This statement sharply contrasts with her public denunciation of Epstein earlier that same year, where she labeled her association with him as a "gigantic error of judgment," asserting, "What he did was wrong and for which he was rightly jailed."
A spokesperson for the Duchess clarified that the email describing Epstein as a friend was sent in response to threats from him regarding a potential lawsuit for defamation. The representative emphasized that Ferguson regretted any association with Epstein, explaining that the correspondence was part of advice she received to mitigate Epstein's threats.
This email exchange occurred several years after Epstein was jailed for sex offenses in 2008. The Duchess became a patron of Julia's House in 2018 and had actively participated in charity events, including visits to their hospices. However, she has since been removed from the charity's website, no longer listed alongside other patrons such as football manager Eddie Howe, actor Nigel Havers, and designer Jasper Conran.
The fallout from this scandal is not isolated to the Duchess. Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and ex-husband of Sarah Ferguson, stepped down from his royal duties and relinquished his royal patronages following intense scrutiny regarding his association with Epstein. This scrutiny intensified after Andrew's infamous interview with BBC Newsnight in 2019.
The Duke's connection with Epstein persisted even after Epstein's release from jail, evidenced by a photograph of the two taken in Central Park in 2010. As investigations into Epstein’s notorious connections continue, pressure mounts in the US for the release of further information regarding his relationships with various high-profile individuals.
Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, has left a lasting impact on many lives, including those of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew. As details surrounding his connections continue to emerge, the repercussions for those associated with him remain significant.
