Sarah Ferguson has been dropped by multiple charities after a resurfaced email praised Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend.” In light of such revelations, should the duchess get to keep her royal title?
Seven charities have cut links with Sarah ‘Fergie’ Ferguson – after a resurfaced email showed her calling paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein her “supreme friend” and apologising for publicly disowning him. Now we want to know what YOU think this means for her role within the extended Royal Family.
With children’s hospice Julia’s House pulling the plug on her patronage, experts are saying the scandal could leave Fergie a ‘toxic’ brand. Today we’re asking if you think her royal title should be the next to go – scroll down to take our poll. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, British Heart Foundation, The Children’s Literacy Charity, Prevent Breast Cancer and National Foundation for Retired Service Animals also dropped the duchess, 65, from her role as patron. The Teenage Cancer Trust, which she backed when it opened its first unit in 1990, confirmed she had been given the boot.
The decision comes in the wake of a resurfaced email from 2011 in which she referred to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend”. The correspondence, dated April 26 of that year, came just weeks after Fergie publicly claimed she would “never have anything to do with” Epstein again. Instead, the email showed the Duchess of York humbly apologising to him, calling him “steadfast” and “generous.”
Her spokesman said it was sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats”. The duchess’s interview with the Evening Standard on March 7 2011 saw her apologise for accepting £15,000 from Epstein.
Now, with her royal patronage stripped and renewed focus on her words to Epstein, some are questioning whether she should continue to be a duchess. Do you think a member of the royal family should keep such a title in light of these revelations, or does this cross a line that cannot be ignored? Should Fergie have her royal title removed? Take our poll below, and if you can’t see it, click here
Julia’s House – a children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire – said it would no longer be appropriate for the duchess to hold the position considering her correspondence with Epstein. In a statement, it said: “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. We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.”
The duchess’s spokesman said Epstein had threatened to sue her for defamation after associating him with paedophilia. The spokesman said: “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.
“Like many people, she was taken in by his 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 paedophilia.
“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 was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide. What do you think? Should Fergie have her royal title removed? Take our poll above
