Lownie alleges Fergie’s Epstein ties persisted past public denials, with a £2 million loan and 2013 stays

New allegations in a royal biography contend that Sarah, Duchess of York, maintained a close relationship with financier Jeffrey Epstein for more than two years after she publicly disowned him, and that Epstein’s financial support may have extended well beyond previously acknowledged sums. Andrew Lownie, a prolific royal biographer, writes in Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York that the duchess remained linked to Epstein into 2013, long after her public break and amid a cycle of favors and communications that suggest a continuing quid pro quo beyond the public narrative.

The Mail on Sunday reported that about a month after her widely covered apology in March 2011, Ferguson sent a personal email to Epstein seeking to repair the relationship. The email portrayed Epstein as a steadfast friend to her family and urged him to understand the need to reset their public image. The revelations, part of a broader investigative piece, came as several charities severed ties with the duchess in quick succession and amid ongoing public scrutiny of her finances and role in royal life.

Lownie asserts that the relationship persisted for more than two years after the public split and that Ferguson continued to stay at an apartment linked to Epstein as late as 2013. He also contends that the sums Epstein provided were far larger than the widely cited 15,000 pounds gift in December 2010. In his account, the total could approach 2 million pounds, with the deal brokered by Prince Andrew, the duchess’s former husband, used to pay off debts and restructure remaining finances.

The multiple testaments to Ferguson’s proximity to Epstein include observations by Claudine Pabst, a New York resident who noted a doorman in full regalia guiding a guest through Epstein’s building and later confirmed that Ferguson had stayed in a service apartment tied to Epstein’s circle. The witness said the visits were brief, but they occurred over several occasions, reinforcing the suggestion of sustained access to Epstein’s networks well into the 2010s.

The narrative aligns with a broader portrait of Ferguson’s financial volatility and appetite for luxury that has colored media coverage for decades. In the 1990s, reports described expensive properties, numerous staff, and large annual expenses, with accounts of shipments of wine and lavish meals and a life that continued to attract public fascination. A former staff member, cited in various accounts, described high ongoing consumption and the maintenance of a large household even as the duchess faced financial pressures. The era culminated in a much-publicized Oprah Winfrey interview in 2010, when Ferguson discussed her past actions in a highly public, media moment and testified to the consequences of her decisions. Critics have framed those choices as a pattern of self-preservation under stress, with the broader context of post-divorce life in the royal circle.

Lownie’s book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, published by HarperCollins, frames these revelations within a larger narrative of privilege, debt, and media scrutiny surrounding the York family after the couple’s separation in 1992. The author draws on interviews with former Epstein associates and royal household figures to present a timeline that emphasizes the durability of ties, the scale of gifts, and the possibility of behind-the-scenes exchanges that could have influenced public actions and reputations. The convergence of Epstein’s network, the duchess’s financial pressures, and Prince Andrew’s role in bridging the gaps is presented as a troubling, if unproven, pattern in the accounts.