Explosive photographs have emerged showing just how intimately entwined Sarah Ferguson became with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein’s inner circle, as seven major charities dramatically cut ties with the Duchess of York following revelations she cynically lied about disowning him whilst privately calling him a “supreme friend.”
The damning images, posted on Facebook in 2010, capture Ferguson posing cheerfully with Epstein’s household staff at his £60 million Manhattan mansion, demolishing her carefully constructed narrative of distancing herself from the convicted sex offender. These photographs now haunt the 65-year-old duchess as her reputation lies in tatters following Monday’s unprecedented charity exodus.
Julia’s House children’s hospice led the stampede, declaring it “inappropriate” for Ferguson to continue as patron after The Mail on Sunday exposed her grovelling 2011 email to Epstein. Within hours, six more organisations followed suit in a devastating cascade of public rejections that has obliterated Ferguson’s philanthropic standing.
The Teenage Cancer Trust, where Ferguson had served as patron for 35 years since 1990, bluntly announced: “We have made the decision to end our relationship with the Duchess of York, and as of today she is no longer a patron.
In a particularly crushing blow, Prevent Breast Cancer dropped Ferguson barely a year after she joined as patron following her own 2023 breast cancer diagnosis. “The Duchess of York is no longer a patron of Prevent Breast Cancer. We have advised her of this decision and thank her for her past support,” the charity stated.
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, established in memory of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse who died from an allergic reaction, said founders Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse were “disturbed” by the revelations. The Children’s Literacy Charity confirmed Ferguson had been asked to step down, whilst the British Heart Foundation swiftly removed her photograph from its website, stating she was no longer an ambassador.
The National Foundation for Retired Service Animals announced they had “mutually agreed” Ferguson would “step back from her position as patron with immediate effect.”
The scandal centres on Ferguson’s breathtaking hypocrisy. On 7 March 2011, she told the Evening Standard that accepting £15,000 from Epstein was “a gigantic error of judgment,” declaring: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”
Yet just seven weeks later, on 26 April 2011, she sent Epstein a fawning email stating: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
Ferguson claimed she had not directly called Epstein a paedophile, writing: “As you know, I did not, absolutely not, say the ‘P word’ about you but understand it was reported that I did.” She complained that both she and Epstein “are, and have both been, in the firing line” and “both blamed for stuff we have not done.”
Crucially, Ferguson admitted her public denunciation was calculated to save her career: “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. 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.”
The newly surfaced photographs reveal the depth of Ferguson’s connection to Epstein’s world. In a series of snaps, the duchess posed with JoJo Fontanilla, one of Epstein’s drivers, and Jun-Lyn Fontanilla, one of his housekeepers. She and Prince Andrew posed for multiple images with their arms around the Fontanillas, demonstrating just how comfortable they were with the paedophile’s inner circle.
The images see Ferguson standing with JoJo Fontanilla in Manhattan streets whilst smiling and holding a bag. In one photograph, she puts both hands around Jun-Lyn Fontanilla’s shoulders; in another, she stands beaming with both Fontanillas whilst wearing a brightly coloured scarf. Most images appear taken inside Epstein’s Manhattan home, where creepy decorations included a bride clinging to a rope in the central atrium.
One Facebook commenter wrote beneath the photos: “Wow! You are in the company of royalty!” A blurry photograph of Andrew was posted by Jun-Lyn showing him standing with her and her husband. The images were posted in 2010, the year Andrew claimed to have broken off his friendship with Epstein, though they could have been taken earlier.
Ferguson appears to have visited Epstein whilst he was under house arrest for having sex with underage girls. Epstein began his 13-month sentence for soliciting a minor for prostitution in 2008 and was released in July 2009. During his subsequent 12-month house arrest, he could fly to his New York home under court terms that expired in July 2010.
A calendar scheduling entry for 3 March 2010 shows Epstein’s assistant wrote: “Still need to try and schedule the Duchess for Tues or Wed (I have emailed her assistant, Amanda, RE a meeting).” The “Amanda” appears to be Amanda Thirsk, who worked for the Royal household for decades. Epstein replied: “Duchess anytime.”
Previously released records reveal the depth of friendship between Andrew, Sarah and Epstein, who hanged himself in 2019 whilst awaiting trial for child sex trafficking. Andrew knew Epstein for at least a decade, with emails showing they appear to have stayed in touch after 2010, when he claimed in his car crash BBC interview he ended their friendship.
Flight logs from Epstein’s planes show he met the duchess in 1998 in the Bahamas, where she was travelling with her children at the time. Recent emails obtained by The Sunday Times suggest Andrew remained in contact with Epstein until 2015, five years longer than previously claimed, with Epstein telling former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak that Andrew had provided information about a business opportunity in China.
Author Andrew Lownie, whose book “Entitled” triggered recent revelations, told The Royalist he believes Ferguson received far more than the stated £15,000 from Epstein, claiming: “It’s not £15,000, it’s more like £2 million. We can’t trust a single word she says.”
A spokesperson for Ferguson claimed the email was sent following legal threats from Epstein: “This email was sent in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats. She deeply regrets any association with him and abhors paedophilia. Like many people, she was taken in by his lies.”
The scandal has caused alarm at Buckingham Palace, even though Ferguson holds no public roles. In recent years, she had been gradually rehabilitated, joining the Royal Family for Christmas at Sandringham and Easter at Windsor. She and Andrew attended the Duchess of Kent’s funeral just last week.
The scandal puts more pressure on King Charles III to expunge Sarah and Prince Andrew from even private family events and finally evict them from Royal Lodge, their Windsor mansion. Andrew receives no public money or taxpayer-funded security, with the King having stripped him of the personal stipend previously paid by Queen Elizabeth II.
Some believe that, given Andrew’s financial difficulties, Sarah has become more of the main breadwinner, bailing out her ex-husband. If her commercial activities are hit by this scandal, the couple may have no choice but to downsize and beg the King for help.
In 2010, as Sarah faced almost £5 million in debt and bankruptcy for the second time, Epstein, in a deal orchestrated by Andrew, agreed to fund the £15,000 pay-off to her then-personal assistant for unpaid wages and bills.
Sources told The Mail on Sunday that over 100 previously undisclosed emails between Andrew and Epstein are currently being examined by the US Congressional Oversight Committee, with one insider warning these could “destroy” the duke when released.
Ferguson’s reference to Epstein as a “generous” friend to her “family” has raised particular concerns given her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, were occasionally in Epstein’s orbit through their parents’ connections.
The charity exodus represents a catastrophic blow to Ferguson’s image as a “global philanthropist” and will likely impact her commercial ventures, including children’s books, historical romance novels, film consultancy roles and a recently launched tea range.
During her public travails, including disastrous business decisions and spendthrift ways that twice brought her to bankruptcy’s brink, Sarah prided herself as being a “global philanthropist.” The loss of any business deals as a result of the latest scandal could play to the King’s advantage in his attempts to remove the couple from Royal Lodge.
These photos showing Andrew and Sarah weren’t just on good terms with their paedophile friend; they were close to his staff too, demonstrating a level of intimacy with Epstein’s world that their public statements have desperately tried to minimise.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
