The Duchess of York loses charity role at Julia’s House following revelation she apologised to convicted paedophile despite public vow to cut ties
Sarah, Duchess of York, has been dropped as patron of children’s hospice Julia’s House after emails emerged showing she described convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend” just weeks after publicly disowning him.
The charity, which provides care for seriously ill children in Dorset and Wiltshire, said it would be “inappropriate” for the 65-year-old duchess to continue in the role she had held since November 2018.
“Following the information shared this weekend on the Duchess of York’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, Julia’s House has taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity,” the hospice said in a statement on Sunday. We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.
The extraordinary dismissal came after The Sun on Sunday and Mail on Sunday published details of an email Ferguson sent to Epstein on 26 April 2011, less than two months after she had publicly vowed never to have anything to do with him again.
Gushing Message to Convicted Sex Offender
In the message to the disgraced financier, who had been convicted in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor, Ferguson wrote: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
The duchess “humbly apologised” for associating Epstein with paedophilia in her public statement weeks earlier, in which she had declared: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgement on my part.”
In perhaps the most damaging revelation, Ferguson told Epstein she had been “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.” She suggested she should have taken his advice before giving the interview “and taken a day or two to think of the ramifications of my actions but I was in overriding fear.”
The email specifically reassured Epstein: “As you know, I did not, absolutely not, say the ‘P word’ about you but understand it was reported that I did.”
Threat of Legal Action
A spokesperson for the duchess confirmed the email’s authenticity but claimed it was sent under duress. “This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats,” the spokesperson said, adding that Ferguson stood by her public condemnation of Epstein.
The spokesperson stated: “The Duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.”
However, the revelation has sparked fierce criticism from royal experts and commentators. Royal author Andrew Lownie, who recently published “Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,” told reporters: “The language of this extraordinary email is completely two-faced. It is hugely damaging to her credibility as a patron of children’s charities and children’s author.”
Lownie added: “I have learnt to question everything the Duchess of York says in interviews. I think the wider Royal Family will be appalled by this – it’s yet more reputational damage.
Financial Ties to Epstein
The email controversy stems from Ferguson’s financial dealings with Epstein in 2010, when the convicted sex offender paid £15,000 to settle debts she owed to a former personal assistant. The payments were reportedly arranged through intervention from her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, at a time when the duchess was facing debts approaching £5 million.
When news of Epstein’s financial assistance emerged in March 2011, Ferguson gave an interview to the Evening Standard describing her involvement with him as a “gigantic error of judgement” and promising she would “never have anything to do with him again.
Yet her private correspondence tells a different story. In her April 2011 email, she wrote to Epstein “from the truth of my heart” and expressed regret at having to distance herself publicly.
Impact on Charity Work
Julia’s House, founded in 2003, provides respite care and emotional support for families of children with life-limiting conditions across Dorset and Wiltshire. The charity operates two hospices and offers home-based care services, supporting hundreds of families annually.
Ferguson had been an active patron since visiting the hospice near Devizes in late 2018, where she met children and families receiving care. She had regularly used her social media platforms to promote the charity’s work, particularly during Children’s Hospice Week.
The duchess’s dismissal represents a significant blow to her charitable portfolio. She remains involved with numerous other organisations, including serving as patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust since 1990 and chairing Sarah’s Trust, which claims to have supported 1.4 million children worldwide.
Royal Family Fallout
The email revelation comes at a particularly sensitive time for the Royal Family, occurring just days after Ferguson and Prince Andrew made what some described as an “ill-judged” appearance together at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral.
The scandal adds to the ongoing controversy surrounding Prince Andrew’s associations with Epstein. The Duke of York stepped back from royal duties in 2019 following a disastrous BBC interview about his relationship with the financier. In January 2022, Queen Elizabeth II stripped Andrew of his honorary military affiliations and royal charitable patronages.
Andrew settled a civil sexual assault lawsuit with Virginia Giuffre in February 2022 for an undisclosed sum, reportedly around £3 million, though some estimates suggested it could have been as high as £12 million. Giuffre had accused Andrew of sexually abusing her when she was 17 after being trafficked by Epstein. Andrew has consistently denied all allegations.
Tragically, Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025 at the age of 41 at her home in Western Australia. Her family described her as “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking” who “shone so bright” despite the adversity she faced.
Career Implications
The scandal threatens Ferguson’s career as a children’s author, with experts suggesting publishers and other charities may now reconsider their associations with her. The duchess has published more than 50 children’s and young adult books, including the popular Budgie the Helicopter and Little Red series.
She was due to release “Kindness Along The Way,” the second book in her Flora & Fen picture book series, in November 2025. Whether this publication will proceed remains unclear.
GB News host Camilla Tominey, a former Sunday Express royal reporter, described the email as “creepy” and “sycophantic,” adding that Ferguson effectively told Epstein: “Don’t worry, I haven’t called you a paedophile in public, so let’s still maintain a friendship.
Epstein’s Dark Legacy
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell in August 2019 whilst awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. His former partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in December 2021 on five federal counts including sex trafficking a minor and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
The financier’s web of connections to powerful figures continues to cast a shadow over numerous individuals and institutions. Court documents have revealed he trafficked countless young girls over many years, with victims as young as 14.
Ferguson is believed to have first met Epstein in the 1990s after being introduced by American-British businesswoman Lynn Forester de Rothschild. The depth of their relationship and the full extent of financial assistance he provided remains unclear.
As one commentator observed on social media: “She’s not got a future. It’s the end of her public career.” Whether Ferguson can recover from this latest scandal remains to be seen, but her dismissal from Julia’s House marks a significant moment in what appears to be an irreversible decline in her public standing.
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Image Credit:
Sarah, Duchess of York at Gahanga Cricket Stadium (28 October 2017) — photo by Mugisha Don de Dieu, CC BY 2.0
