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A charity has severed ties with Sarah, Duchess of York, after it emerged she had described the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend”.
A spokesperson for the duchess has previously said the comments were made in a letter of apology to Epstein that was written in 2011 to head off threats of legal action after she had linked him to paedophilia in a newspaper interview.
On Monday, the children’s hospice Julia’s House said the correspondence rendered Ferguson no longer suitable.
“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 Sun newspaper reported that the duchess had “humbly apologised” to Epstein for linking him to paedophilia in the media, and described him as “steadfast” and “generous”. Her spokesperson said it was sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats”.
The email stemmed from an interview with the Evening Standard on 7 March 2011, in which Ferguson apologised for accepting £15,000 from the sex offender. “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say,” she had told the paper. “Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”
But, a little more than a month later, the duchess sent the message to Epstein. In it, she said: “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.”
She continued: “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 spokesperson previously said Ferguson had spoken of her regret about her association with Epstein and “does not resile” from condemning him publicly.
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, in the US, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.
