Sarah Ferguson is said to be “on the verge of a breakdown” amid the scandal erupting over her association with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The 66-year-old has stood by Prince Andrew for many years, with the pair still sharing a close friendship despite their divorce in 1996.
She recently come under fire following new revelations about an email that she had sent to Epstein in 2011 – after his release from jail following child sex offences. In the email, Sarah can be seen issuing an apology for disassociating herself from her “supreme friend” when it had emerged that he had bailed her out financially.
Since the latest revelation, many charities associated with Sarah have dropped her as patron, including The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and Prevent Breast Cancer.
Speaking to Women’s Day, royal expert Phil Dampier claimed: “I’m told she has been on the edge of a nervous breakdown. I can reveal her older sister Jane has recently flown over from Australia to comfort her in the UK.”
He then added: “Sarah is in a bad way and it’s hardly surprising. She needed support and Jane has been there for her when she needed it.
“She and Andrew know they are to blame but they still feel they are now being kicked mercilessly when they are down. It’s difficult to see what the future holds.”
Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, are also said to be feeling the pressure amid the scandal involving both of their parents.
The “distressed” sisters have also been dragged into the scandal, with claims stating that they, along with their mother, “celebrated” when Epstein was released from prison in 2009.
An email written by Epstein, dated from two years later in 2011, read: “[Sarah] took apartments in New York. She was the first to celebrate my release with her two daughters in tow. She visited me with [a] policeman sitting at my front desk. She has asked for help with her charities”.
A source close to Sarah has shared that she does not remember this visit. They also claimed that Beatrice and Eugenie also do not recall the visit.