Sarah, Duchess of York has been at the centre of a fresh scandal (Image: Getty)
Sarah, Duchess of York has been at the centre of a fresh scandal involving the millionaire paedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. After it was reported that she had sent an apology to him after publicly cutting ties in 2011, a number of the Duchess’s charities have disassociated themselves from her.
After a children’s hospice announced that it would be “inappropriate” for her to continue as patron, the Duchess began to lose her roles within other charities. These have included an organisation she spent 35 years supporting and another for which she helped raise huge sums of money.
While she is yet to speak out publicly, the Duchess’s spokesman has issued an update.
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Several charities have said they are cutting ties with the Duchess (Image: Getty)
Full list of charities to cut ties with Sarah Ferguson
At time of writing, seven charities have dropped the Duchess from the role she played in them. The first was Wiltshire-based children’s hospice, Julia’s House. They said in a statement: “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.”
Food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation followed suit and said: “We were disturbed to read of Sarah, Duchess of York’s, correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. Sarah Ferguson has not been actively involved with the charity for some years. She was a patron, but in the light of the recent revelations, we have taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue to be associated with the charity. We would like to thank her for her kindness and support in the past.”
Next on the list is Prevent Breast Cancer. The charity, of which the Duchess has been patron since October 2024, said: “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.”
The three other charities to make bombshell announcements are Teenage Cancer Trust, Children’s Literacy Charity, The National Foundation For Retired Service Animals and the British Heart Foundation.
The Duchess has seen several charities drop her as their patron (Image: Andy Stenning/New Magazine)
Why have the charities cut ties with the Duchess?
The charities have made their decisions after it was reported in The Sun and the Mail on Sunday that the Duchess had emailed Epstein and apologised after she publicly cut ties with him. It read: “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. I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed.
“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 overriding fear. I am sorry.”
The Duchess’s Epstein email in full
The Duchess emailed Epstein (Image: Getty)
The Duchess’s email was published in full in The Sun and the Mail on Sunday. It read: “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. I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed.
“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 overriding fear. I am sorry.”
What has the Duchess said?
The Duchess’s spokesman issued a statement (Image: Getty)
Following claims that the Duchess emailed Epstein, her spokesperson has said she was “taken in by his lies” and sent the email only to avoid the threat of defamation.
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.”
