The Duchess of York has been dropped as patron of a number of charities in light of the ongoing scandal, which focuses on a damning email she sent to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein
Sarah Ferguson has found herself at the centre of yet another scandal after a sensational email between the Duchess of York and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was unearthed.
In a March 2011 interview, the Duchess, 65, told how she had made a “terrible, terrible error of judgment” in accepting £15,000 from Epstein to pay off her debts, adding: “I abhor paedophilia.”
Yet just days later, she sent him a private message in which she called the convicted abuser as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend”, and “humbly apologised” for criticising him in a newspaper interview. She told the former financier that she was aware “you feel hellaciously let down by me”.
But now her spokesperson has insisted that she only sent the fawning email because Epstein had vowed to “destroy her” in a “Hannibal Lecter-style” phone call.
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James Henderson, Fergie’s adviser, told the Telegraph that Epstein was so enraged by her description of him as a paedophile that he made a threatening phone call in which he vowed to take legal action.
“People don’t understand how terrible Epstein was. I can remember everything about that call,” he said. “It was a chilling call and I’m surprised anybody was ever friends with him given the way he talked to me.
“He said he would destroy the York family and he was quite clear on that. He said he would destroy me. He wasn’t shouting. He had a Hannibal Lecter-type voice. It was very cold and calm and really menacing and nasty.”
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Mr Henderson said he was so rattled that he saved Epstein’s phone number to make sure that if he ever called him again he would know not to pick it up. It was the only conversation or exchange he had ever had with him.
He further told the publication that he understood why Sarah had subsequently sent her email, given the menace of his threat to ruin her life and that of her family – including her daughters, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice.
“The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge. I am sure there were legal actions,” he said.
“And this was long before the Duke’s life had been ruined by his association with Epstein. It was 14 years ago and everyone will do what they have to do to protect their family. Her family and children will always come first for her.”
But while Henderson has defended Sarah’s decision to send the email, others have been far less forgiving.
The Duchess has been dropped as patron of a number of charities in light of the scandal. Children’s hospice Julia’s House announced the move on Monday, followed by food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Prevent Breast Cancer, the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation.
Both the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals (NFRSA) and The Children’s Literacy Charity have also reportedly dropped Sarah, according to the BBC.
