Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, is facing fresh criticism after a decade-old email praising Jeffrey Epstein has resurfaced, prompting several major charities to distance themselves from her.
The message, written in 2011, contradicts her previous claims of cutting ties with the convicted sex offender and has revived criticism over the royal family’s lingering associations with him.
The revelation centers on correspondence in which Ferguson addressed Epstein directly, apologizing for withdrawing from their friendship after his 2007 arrest.
“You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family,” she wrote, while admitting she had felt “paralyzed” into silence by pressure not to engage with him.
The conciliatory tone starkly contrasts with her public remarks from the same year, when she told the Evening Standard that she had made a “gigantic error of judgment” by accepting money from him and vowed never to have further contact, The Independent reports.
Charities that had long counted on Ferguson’s patronage were quick to act once the email came to light.
Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in southern England, confirmed Monday she would no longer serve in any role.
Hours later, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the Children’s Literacy Charity and Prevent Breast Cancer each announced her departure, stating it would be “inappropriate” for her to continue given her words of support for Epstein.
Teenage Cancer Trust, which Ferguson has represented for over three decades, is also reassessing its relationship with her.
The organization said it is “reviewing the situation” but stopped short of announcing her removal.
Ferguson’s office has not issued a direct comment, though a spokesperson told reporters that the duchess had been “taken in by his lies” and wrote the email on legal advice to deter threats of a defamation suit, according to Trending Politics.
The fallout underscores how Epstein’s influence continues to ripple across British society years after his death in a New York prison in 2019.
Prince Andrew, Ferguson’s former husband, was stripped of official duties that same year after allegations tied him to Epstein’s trafficking network.
Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims but was named in flight logs and other documents linking him to the financier’s properties.
Critics say the duchess’s leaked email makes her public contrition in 2011 ring hollow.
At the time, she told reporters, “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say.”
Yet weeks later, her private message to Epstein not only apologized for her absence but reassured him of her loyalty, undermining those statements.
Her spokesperson insists the apology was strategic, meant to ward off the risk of legal retaliation.
“This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats,” the representative said, while reiterating that her first concern “has always been with his victims.”
The scandal arrives amid other revelations about prominent figures who sought to maintain ties with Epstein.
Earlier this month, former British ambassador Peter Mandelson resigned after leaked messages showed he encouraged Epstein to “fight for early release” during his 2008 case, praising him the day before sentencing.
Observers note that Ferguson’s predicament fits into a wider pattern of elites who attempted to shield Epstein even after his crimes were widely known.
For Ferguson, the consequences appear immediate: reputational damage, lost charity roles and a fresh reminder of how her financial missteps and controversial associations have shadowed her public life.
For Britain’s institutions, the affair renews pressure to sever connections with anyone seen as having excused Epstein’s behavior, ensuring that the fallout from his crimes continues to shape the country’s establishment.
