The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, is facing renewed scrutiny over her financial connections with the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Questions Over Duchess of York’s Financial Links to Epstein
Emails and letters have emerged showing she called Epstein a “supreme friend,” raising questions about how much money she received and whether she returned it.
Ferguson admitted in 2011 that she took £15,000 from Epstein to pay bills and wages owed to her former personal assistant, Johnny O’Sullivan. At that time, she described the payment as “a gigantic error of judgment” and promised to repay the money.
Epstein had given her the funds after serving prison time for soliciting prostitution from underage girls. Reports suggest the Duke of York, her ex-husband, may have helped broker the payment while Ferguson struggled with £5 million in debt.
However, new letters suggest the situation may have been more extensive than previously acknowledged. In messages sent to Epstein, Ferguson thanked him for his support and called him “steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
She also wrote that she wanted to “humbly apologise” and denied ever calling him a paedophile. These letters emerged just weeks after she publicly condemned Epstein, suggesting a complex private relationship.
Duchess’s Letters Raise Questions
The letters have sparked renewed questions about Ferguson’s financial dealings with Epstein. While she has admitted to the £15,000 payment, sources close to Epstein have claimed she may have received much more.
In a recent biography, The Rise and Fall of the House of York, author Andrew Lownie noted claims that Epstein could have helped Ferguson with hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly even up to $2 million.
Norman Baker, a former MP who has written about royal finances, said it is “duplicitous and two-faced” for the Duchess to publicly distance herself from Epstein while privately praising him. He urged Ferguson to clarify the full extent of money she received and whether any was repaid.
Palace insiders are reportedly concerned that more documents from U.S. court cases could reveal additional details. These revelations come as Ferguson’s image in the public eye had been steadily improving, with her attending royal events and family gatherings.
Royal Family Impact
The latest disclosures are causing concern for the Royal Family. The Duchess had previously been seen at weddings, Easter services, and other public occasions. She has also reportedly helped prevent her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, from further embarrassing the monarchy by encouraging him to attend certain public events.
The Duke of York has already stepped back from public duties and lost military titles and official roles after his Newsnight interview about Epstein. He no longer receives funding from the King, and the palace has tried to persuade him to leave the large Windsor home he shares with Ferguson, but he cannot be forced due to his long lease.
Despite the controversies, the Duke and Duchess of York remain close. They continue to live together and support each other during difficult times. Ferguson has said that Andrew has always been there for her during her “really bad times.”
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Adding to the scrutiny, Ghislaine Maxwell’s recent testimony in the U.S. suggested that Ferguson encouraged Andrew’s friendship with Epstein. Maxwell, serving a 20-year prison sentence for helping Epstein procure underage girls, described Ferguson as a “frenemy” who seemed to favor Epstein’s company.
Ferguson’s spokesman told The Telegraph that the Duchess “does not resile from anything she said” in condemning Epstein publicly. She followed advice to “try to assuage Epstein and his threats” of legal action. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the matter.
The unfolding details highlight the continuing attention on the York family and their past connections with Epstein. Ferguson’s letters and financial ties to the convicted sex offender are now under close examination by both the public and the media.
