Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and ex-wife of Prince Andrew, has been dropped as patron of a a number of charities following leaked emails that appear to show she apologised to Jeffrey Epstein after publicly disowning the convicted sex offender.
Ms Ferguson “humbly” apologised to her “dear friend” Mr Epstein, a month after she publicly criticised him in 2011, according to emails obtained by the Mail on Sunday.
She told the disgraced late financier that she never called him a paedophile in an earlier newspaper interview, and suggested that she had disavowed him to protect her career as a children’s book author and philanthropist, according to emails obtained by the Mail on Sunday.
Speaking to the Evening Standard in March 2011, Ms Ferguson admitted her involvement with Epstein – who had been jailed three years earlier for soliciting prostitution from a minor – had been a “gigantic error of judgment”.
The remarks came amid criticism over the links she and Prince Andrew had to Epstein and revelations she had allowed the financier to provide £15,000 to help pay off her debts.
The duchess also promised she would never have anything to do with Epstein again, reportedly saying: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children.”
But on April 26th, weeks after she gave the interview, leaked emails published by the Mail on Sunday purport to show that Ms Ferguson wrote to Epstein: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me from what you were either told or read and I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.”
The duchess stated that she did not call him a paedophile and suggested she had been advised to make the comments to protect her writing career and charity work.
“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,” she is said to have written. “As you know, I did not, absolutely not, say the ‘P word’ [paedophile] about you but understand it was reported that I did.”
A spokesperson for the duchess said the email had been written in response to a threat Epstein had made to sue her for defamation: “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.”
The duchess has published more than 50 children’s books since 1989, including the Budgie the Helicopter series, Little Red and Helping Hand. She is due to publish a new picture book titled Kindness Along the Way in November. She is also a patron of Julia’s House, a children’s hospice.
Julia’s House said in a statement at lunchtime on Monday that it would be inappropriate for Ms Ferguson to continue as patron.
“We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support,” it added.
Other charities followed suit on Monday afternoon by publicly distancing themselves from the duchess.
Ms Ferguson – who elsewhere in the leaked email says Epstein has “always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and family” – wrote that she 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”.
The spokesperson for the duchess said that she stood by her public condemnation of Epstein, adding: “Like many people, she was taken in by [Epstein’s] 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.”
– Guardian
