Six charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust where she served for 35 years, have severed ties with Sarah Ferguson after leaked emails revealed she called convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a “supreme friend” and apologised for publicly disowning him.
The Duchess of York, 65, faces mounting fallout after British newspapers published correspondence from April 2011 showing her grovelling apology to the disgraced financier, sent just weeks after she publicly vowed never to have contact with him again. The revelations have prompted an extraordinary exodus of charitable organisations distancing themselves from Prince Andrew’s ex-wife.
Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire, became the first charity to act on Monday morning, stating it would be “inappropriate” for Ferguson to continue as patron following the weekend’s disclosures. Within hours, five more organisations followed suit in rapid succession, creating a devastating blow to the duchess’s charitable work.
“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 announced. We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.
The leaked email, dated 26th April 2011, shows Ferguson writing to Epstein: “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.”
Remarkably, this message was sent just seven weeks after Ferguson told the Evening Standard newspaper on 7th March 2011 that she would “never have anything ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again” after accepting £15,000 from him to help clear debts.
In her interview with the London newspaper, the duchess had stated: “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. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”
Yet her private correspondence tells a starkly different story. The email continued: “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, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost. So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.”
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation quickly followed Julia’s House in dropping Ferguson. Founders Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, whose daughter Natasha died from a severe allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, said: “We were disturbed to read of Sarah, Duchess of York’s, correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.”
They added that whilst Ferguson “has not been actively involved with the charity for some years,” they had decided “it would be inappropriate for her to continue to be associated with the charity” in light of the revelations.
The Children’s Literacy Charity announced it had asked the duchess to step down from her role as patron, stating: “We are grateful for the Duchess of York’s support for children’s literacy over the years but now feel it would be inappropriate for her to continue as Patron of the charity.”
Prevent Breast Cancer, which Ferguson only joined as patron last year following her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2023, confirmed: “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.”
Perhaps most significantly, the Teenage Cancer Trust ended its 35-year association with Ferguson. “We have made the decision to end our relationship with the Duchess of York, and as of today she is no longer a patron of Teenage Cancer Trust,” the charity confirmed. “We have communicated this decision to the Duchess. We would like to thank the Duchess of York for her support.”
The British Heart Foundation also confirmed it was cutting ties, with a spokeswoman thanking the duchess for her “support for our work” and for “her past efforts to help us save and improve lives by funding pioneering research into cardiovascular disease.”
Ferguson’s spokesman attempted damage control over the weekend, claiming the email was sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats” after he allegedly threatened to sue her for defamation.
“The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago and does not resile from anything she said then,” the spokesman stated, adding: “Her first thoughts are with his victims.”
The Daily Mail reported that Epstein had threatened legal action after Ferguson’s Evening Standard interview, prompting her apologetic email. However, the stark contrast between her public condemnation and private apology has proved too damaging for the charities to overlook.
The scandal adds another chapter to the royal family’s troubled association with Epstein, who died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 whilst awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Prince Andrew’s friendship with Epstein has haunted the monarchy for years, particularly after Virginia Giuffre accused the duke of sexual abuse when she was 17 – allegations he vehemently denied before paying her a substantial settlement in 2022.
Andrew’s association with Epstein cost him his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022. The prince had visited Epstein in New York in December 2010, shortly after the financier’s release from jail following his 2008 conviction on prostitution charges involving a minor.
Ferguson’s connection to Epstein appears primarily financial. She admitted accepting £15,000 from him, which she called “a gigantic error” in her 2011 interview. Earlier emails also show her thanking Epstein in January 2011, writing: “How can I thank you enough? You are a friend indeed and I will one day give it to you back. But I can not have the words to thank you now.”
The dramatic unravelling of Ferguson’s charitable portfolio represents a significant blow to her public rehabilitation efforts. In recent months, she had appeared at various royal events, including attending the Duchess of Kent’s funeral arm-in-arm with Prince Andrew just last week.
Royal commentators suggest the revelations pose fresh problems for King Charles III, who has been attempting to modernise the monarchy whilst dealing with ongoing scandals. Graham Smith, chief executive of the anti-monarchy group Republic, told reporters: “The monarchy despite claims of modernising just can’t change and will be left adrift.”
Ferguson had been particularly active with the Teenage Cancer Trust, having served as patron since 1990. Earlier this year, she campaigned alongside her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie for better support for young cancer patients, drawing on her own experiences with breast and skin cancer diagnoses.
In April, she wrote in The Times about how her double cancer diagnosis felt “like a death sentence” and advocated for teenagers with cancer to receive better mental health support and access to clinical trials. Her daughters had followed her lead in supporting the charity’s work.
The speed and coordination of the charities’ announcements suggest they may have consulted before making their decisions public. Most removed Ferguson from their websites within hours of their statements, erasing years of association.
The duchess has not publicly responded to the charities’ decisions or addressed the leaked email directly. Her spokesman confirmed she would not be commenting on the organisations’ actions.
The scandal raises questions about what other correspondence might emerge from the Epstein case. Royal sources fear more damaging revelations could surface, further complicating the palace’s efforts to move past the scandal.
For Ferguson, who has spent decades trying to rebuild her reputation following her 1996 divorce from Andrew and subsequent financial troubles, the loss of these charitable patronages represents a devastating setback. The charities’ swift action demonstrates how toxic any association with Epstein remains, even years after his death.
The incident also highlights the ongoing challenges facing charitable organisations in vetting and maintaining relationships with high-profile patrons, particularly when historical connections to controversial figures emerge.
As the dust settles on Monday’s dramatic developments, the duchess faces an uncertain future in public life, with her charitable work – long seen as her pathway back to respectability – now severely diminished.
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Image Credit:
Sarah Ferguson (Toronto International Film Festival 2009) — photo by Gordon Correll, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
