Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, has faced significant backlash and has been dropped as a patron for multiple charities following the revelation of leaked emails that depicted her referring to Jeffrey Epstein as a ‘steadfast, generous and supreme friend.’ The decision to sever ties followed widespread public scrutiny and moral concerns regarding her past association with Epstein, a former American financier and disgraced sex offender. Charities such as Julia’s House, Teenage Cancer Trust, and the British Heart Foundation have all distanced themselves from Ferguson, citing the inappropriate nature of her past correspondence with Epstein.
The British Heart Foundation also dropped the duchess as the charity’s ambassador, according to the BBC. The Children’s Literacy Charity cut ties with Ferguson as well, the outlet reported. A representative for Ferguson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
According to the Daily Mail, the Duchess of York — who divorced Prince Andrew in 1996 — reached out to Epstein in 2011 after publicly denouncing their friendship during an interview with the Evening Standard. During the interview, Ferguson expressed her ‘deep regret’ and promised to ‘have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again,’ three years after he had been imprisoned for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
In an alleged email to Epstein following the interview, Ferguson referred to the disgraced sex offender as a ‘steadfast, generous and supreme friend.’ ‘I know you feel hellaciously let down by me from what you were either told or read and I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that,’ Ferguson allegedly wrote. ‘I was advised, in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you and if I did I would cause more problems to you, [Prince Andrew] and myself,’ she continued. ‘I was instructed to act with the utmost speed if I would have any chance of holding on to my career as a children’s book author and a children’s philanthropist.’
In a statement to The Guardian, a representative for Ferguson said she stood by her public condemnation of Epstein. ‘Like many people, she was taken in by [Epstein’s] lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with pedophilia,’ the statement read. ‘She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.’
Epstein’s former girlfriend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in 2021 for helping lure teenage girls to be sexually abused by him. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Ferguson, who remained friends with Prince Andrew after their public divorce, stood by her ex-husband as he faced sexual assault allegations amid his association with Epstein. Buckingham Palace stripped Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022.