Sarah Ferguson steps down from US charity as Epstein scandal hits America

Sarah, the Duchess of York, has stepped down from her role as ambassador to Youth Impact Council, a U.S.-based charity that aims to accelerate youth-led initiatives, the organization said Monday. The move comes as fallout from a leaked email involving Jeffrey Epstein crosses the Atlantic and complicates the Duchess’s public profile in the United States, where she had been building a presence through the council. The nonprofit said the resignation would allow it to continue focusing on its work, while noting the council accepts her resignation and recognizes her contributions to date.

The development marks the first time a U.S. organization has severed ties with the Duchess since the Stark revelations surrounding Epstein emerged in recent years, and it follows a broader pattern of withdrawals from British charities that had counted her as a patron or ambassador. The Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation were among the UK organizations that had previously ended ties with her, highlighting the reputational hurdle she now faces as she seeks to maintain her philanthropy and public life across the Atlantic.

Youth Impact Council described its mission as an accelerator for youth-led initiatives designed to fast-track the impact of young change-makers aged 18 to 35. In a past interview associated with the project’s launch, Ferguson had framed the effort as a personal mission, telling People magazine that the council would help young people shape solutions and that she wanted to learn from them. She emphasized a belief in Gen Z as a source of practical solutions and described the project as part of her broader legacy. Such language underscored the potential importance of the role in her U.S. footprint, making the resignation a notable development for both the charity and Ferguson’s public trajectory.

The resignation comes amid a sprawling controversy over emails and statements connected to Epstein. A leaked email, reported by the Mail on Sunday and the Sun, shows Ferguson issuing a groveling apology to Epstein after publicly disassociating herself from him when it became known he had bailed her out financially. In the correspondence she referred to Epstein as her "supreme friend" and apologized for the public disassociation, saying the move was intended to protect her career as a children’s author. The email, dated in 2011, was described by her representatives as sent in the context of countering aggressive defamation threats from Epstein, who had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor.

A spokesman for Ferguson, James Henderson, said the email was part of a broader legal and strategic effort to respond to Epstein’s threats. He told reporters that the Duchess spoke of regret about her past association with Epstein and that her first thoughts remain with his victims. “As soon as she became aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she cut off contact and condemned him publicly, to the extent that he threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with pedophilia,” Henderson said. He added that the email did not reflect a change in any of her public statements about Epstein but was sent in the context of advice given at the time.

The broader political and royal context adds another layer to the story. The Duke of York has already relinquished all public duties related to his royal office amid the Epstein fallout and is barred from attending official royal events. The Duchess’s U.S. charity involvement had been announced last year during New York Climate Week, and she described the project as a means to connect with young people and to value their ideas as part of a personal and public legacy. In interviews at the time, she praised the energy and moral purpose of young leaders and suggested that adults should listen to Gen Z and learn from them.

The latest developments reverberate through a string of charity relationships in the U.K. and the U.S. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and Prevent Breast Cancer said they had severed ties with Ferguson, joining other organizations that had already announced she would step back from patronage or ambassadorships. The Children’s Literacy Charity said it would no longer involve her in its activities, and the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation publicly confirmed they had dropped the royal as a patron or ambassador. The speed and breadth of these withdrawals signal the seriousness with which organizations are treating the Epstein-associated controversy, even as Ferguson herself has sought to emphasize past contributions and ongoing humanitarian interests.

In Britain, commentators and lawmakers have debated whether public figures tied to Epstein should be permanently sidelined and whether the royal family should take steps to sever ties with associates who have drawn scrutiny by association. The King is widely expected to weigh the issue as part of broader questions about royal duties and public trust, though any decisions remain at the discretion of Windsor Palace and the private offices involved. For Ferguson, the immediate effect is visible in the loss of U.S. and U.K. affiliations that once formed a substantial part of her philanthropic identity, complicating any potential revival of her public life on either side of the Atlantic.

The episode underscores the enduring impact of Epstein-related revelations on high-profile figures connected to him, even years after initial disclosures. For Ferguson, the path forward will likely hinge on continued withdrawal from affected organizations, careful public messaging, and a demonstrated commitment to charity work untethered from the Epstein controversy. As the royal family and its allies navigate the fallout, the question remains whether Ferguson can rehabilitate her public profile in a way that satisfies both scrutiny and supporters who see value in her charitable efforts.