The already shaky existence of Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has been shaken to its core after the release of a damning, unearthed email in which she gushingly called late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein a ‘steadfast, generous and supreme friend.’
Courtiers now fear this bombshell revelation could be disastrous for both the 65-year-old Duchess and her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, National Enquirer reported. The email, sent just weeks after the Duchess publicly pledged to cut all ties with Epstein, appears to show her privately apologising for denouncing him.
Critics have swiftly slammed the Duchess as a liar for her apparent duplicity, arguing she only publicly rejected him to protect her career as a children’s author and philanthropist. With the contents of the email now public, the long-term future of the Yorks’ residence, their financial stability, and their relationship with the Royal Family face a major threat.
The Secret Apology to a Paedophile
The timeline of the Duchess’s contact with Epstein makes the email particularly damaging. Sarah Ferguson’s vow to shun the financier came nearly two years after he served 13 months in Florida for soliciting prostitution with a minor.
At the time, she presented a clean break, telling The London Standard that her friendship with Epstein was ‘a gigantic error of judgment.’ Furthermore, she swore she would pay back the approximately $20,000 he had given her to settle her debts. Her public words were clear: ‘I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children,’ she said, adding that Epstein was ‘rightly jailed.’
However, the tone shifted drastically less than two months later when she privately apologised to him via email. She seemed to explain that the public rejection was purely to protect herself. Most alarmingly, the Duchess appeared to point out to the paedophile that she ‘never called him the ‘p word,’ likely meaning paedophile.’
Prince Andrew’s Scandal Dragged Back to Life
This scandal has immediately dragged Prince Andrew’s own friendship with Epstein back into the public eye. The disgraced Duke of York, whom Sarah is still incredibly close to, had his royal duties and palace paycheck stripped by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth. This occurred after Epstein sex slave Virginia Giuffre accused him of raping her when she was 17.
Andrew denied the allegations of Giuffre, who supposedly took her own life in April, but he settled her civil lawsuit in 2022 by paying her an estimated $16 million. He was likely hoping the scandal was finally dying down so he could attempt a comeback to public life. Now, this new revelation ensures that hope is crushed.
The Threat to the York Family and Royal Lodge
The consequences for the Yorks could be catastrophic. One palace insider explained to National Enquirer: ‘This revelation could be disastrous for Sarah — and Andrew.’
- Sarah has already been dropped as patron or ambassador from seven charities, including the children’s hospice Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust and the Children’s Literacy Charity.
- If the couple’s income is impacted, ‘they could be forced to move from their shared residence of Royal Lodge,’a property that supposedly requires over $500,000 in annual upkeep.
- Furthermore, the insider warns: ‘Now, there’s talk that Sarah and Andrew may even be banished from private royal family functions over fears of more Epstein skeletons in their closet.’
A rep for Sarah insists that she had been ‘taken in’ by Epstein’s lies and that the long-ago email was sent solely to diffuse his threat to sue her for defamation. James Henderson, Fergie’s spokesman and adviser, confirms the Duchess sent the email after he received a chilling phone call from Epstein. Citing the killer in The Silence of the Lambs, Henderson states Epstein used a ‘menacing and nasty’ ‘Hannibal Lecter-type voice’ as he threatened to ‘destroy the York family.’
IBTimes UK has reached out to Sarah Ferguson for comments.
Epstein, 66, was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 under mysterious circumstances as he awaited trial for sex trafficking. This latest email revelation ensures his shadow continues to loom large over the British Royal Family.
Will Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew be forced to leave Royal Lodge as a result of the ongoing scandal? Follow IBTimes UK for all the latest news and updates on the royal family.
Originally published on IBTimes UK
