Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, has lost her roles as patron for several charities after emails surfaced in which she referred to Jeffrey Epstein as “a steady generous and best friend.” This revelation prompted the family of a charity to announce that they felt it was, perhaps, inappropriate for her to continue in that capacity.
The Teenage Cancer Trust and the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation have also cut ties with her, as reported by the Associated Press. Additionally, the Preventing Breast Cancer charity has withdrawn her patronage.
The British Heart Foundation has also dismissed her as an ambassador, and a children’s literacy charity has severed its relationship with her as well.
Ferguson’s team has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding this situation.
Following her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996, Ferguson had previously denounced her ties to Epstein. Yet, in an email from 2011, she expressed deep regret for her past associations. She claimed at one point that Epstein had helped her during difficult times, describing him in her written correspondence as “unwaveringly generous.”
She later stated that she had been advised to avoid any communication with him, but her emails contradicted that stance.
A representative for Ferguson mentioned that she stands by her past criticisms of Epstein. They emphasized that once she became aware of the broader allegations against him, she completely distanced herself and even expressed disapproval of his actions, despite the threats he posed. The leaked emails supposedly reflected efforts to soothe Epstein due to his legal troubles.
After revelations about Andrew’s connections with Epstein surfaced, he faced significant fallout, losing military titles and royal support in early 2022. Epstein himself was found dead in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Ferguson, who had maintained a friendship with Andrew following their split, stood by him amidst the scandals linked to Epstein.
