Duchess of York dropped from charity after Epstein email

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has been dropped as patron of Julia's House, a children's hospice charity serving families in Dorset and Wiltshire, after a weekend disclosure involving an email in which she described sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as her 'supreme friend'. The charity confirmed the change on Sunday, saying it would be inappropriate for Ferguson to continue in the role.

Julia's House said in a statement that the decision followed information shared this weekend about Ferguson's correspondence with Epstein. It quoted the charity as saying, '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.' The charity added that it appreciated Ferguson's past support.

The email, dated 2011, appears to have been sent after Ferguson publicly ended contact with Epstein. In the message, she privately apologised for her public rejection, writing, 'You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.' A spokesperson for Ferguson later said the email was intended to counter a defamation threat Epstein had threatened to pursue.

The duchess is the former wife of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York. The episode underscores renewed scrutiny of charitable affiliations tied to Epstein in the years since his sexual abuse case came to light. Julia's House stressed that it valued transparency and that the decision was made to preserve the charity's standards.

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