Giuffre family urges stripping Sarah Ferguson of royal title after Epstein 'supreme friend' remark
Virginia Giuffre’s relatives call for accountability as Ferguson faces fallout over a private email referring to Jeffrey Epstein as a 'supreme friend' and a public misstep in her charitable work
The family of Virginia Giuffre is pressing the Royal Family to strip Sarah Ferguson of her royal title in the wake of revelations that the Duchess of York described Jeffrey Epstein as a 'supreme friend' and later apologised to him in an email, a development Giuffre’s relatives say undermines trust in child-focused charity work.
In remarks tied to a BBC Newsnight interview and subsequent reporting, Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife, Amanda Roberts, said the email in which Ferguson apologised to Epstein and claimed she had been urged to speak out to salvage her career as a children’s author is indefensible. They cited the convicted sex offender’s prior conviction and asserted that Ferguson’s connection to Epstein casts a shadow over any charitable role she has in that sphere. The couple spoke out after seven charities, including the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation, severed ties with Ferguson in the wake of the revelations.
"To call Epstein a 'supreme friend' after his conviction is indefensible. The public is watching, and this is just the beginning," Sky Roberts told Newsnight. Amanda Roberts added that survivors face defamation when people in Epstein’s circle downplay or dismiss the abuse, saying it is "preposterous" for friends to claim ignorance about the minor victims who surrounded him. The pair also pointed to Ferguson’s ex-husband, Prince Andrew, who paid a multi-million pound settlement to Giuffre in 2022 without admitting liability after she accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17, an allegation he denies.
The settlement with Giuffre has kept the spotlight on the couple’s past associations and raised questions about accountability at the highest levels of society. Sky Roberts stated that the settlement avoided discovery that could have exposed more details, adding that "people deserve to know the truth." Amanda Roberts said Virginia was left "disgusted" by Prince Andrew’s 2019 interview with BBC Newsnight, arguing it reflected an inconsistent account of events. She also criticized the U.S. government’s decision to move Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to a low-security facility, calling it "the biggest betrayal of our government" and arguing that Maxwell should not be treated as a white-collar criminal.
A spokesperson for Ferguson previously said the Duchess had expressed regret for her past association with Epstein, and that she cut off contact and condemned him publicly once she understood the extent of the alleged crimes. The email, the statement noted, was sent in the context of advice meant to assuage Epstein and address threats he levelled, not to minimize the victims’ experiences. Ferguson’s public profile rests largely on her children’s books, including best-known titles such as Budgie the Helicopter and Little Red; she has published more than 50 works and was slated to release Kindness Along The Way, the second book in her Flora & Fen picture-book series, in November. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Giuffre family’s remarks come as the debate over accountability for Epstein-era associates continues to unfold in U.K. and U.S. circles. The siblings implied that political pressure to block or delay release of Epstein-related documents in Congress constitutes a broader cover-up, saying that elected representatives serve the people, not the powerful. They warned that more information could emerge if pressure is lifted and called for robust scrutiny rather than defensiveness from those tied to Epstein’s network.
In discussing the broader cultural consequences, Virginia Giuffre’s supporters note that Ferguson’s ongoing work in children’s media has become a flashpoint for conversations about responsibility and public trust. Ferguson’s upcoming and ongoing publishing projects will likely be viewed through the lens of this scrutiny, as parents and educators weigh the implications of her past affiliations against the messages in her children’s books. The debate also touches on how institutions respond to complex histories involving figures who blend philanthropy with controversial associations.
As this narrative continues to evolve, observers are watching how the Royal Family, Ferguson’s representatives, and Giuffre’s supporters address questions of accountability, transparency, and the protection of vulnerable individuals in the coming months.