Duchess of York dropped as patron after Epstein email leak

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has been dropped as patron of Julia's House, a children's hospice charity, after a leaked email showed her apologising to Jeffrey Epstein. Julia's House announced on Sunday that it would be inappropriate to continue its relationship with her in light of the information published by the Mail on Sunday over the weekend. The decision comes as the Duke and Duchess of York were seen for the first time since the revelations, leaving Windsor's Royal Lodge by Range Rover on Monday.

Julia's House said in a statement that, '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 it had advised the Duchess of the York of the decision and thanked her for past support.

In newly published correspondence, Ferguson wrote to Epstein to 'humbly apologise' weeks after publicly disowning him, insisting she had only distanced herself to protect her career as a children's author. The emails show the duchess describing Epstein as her 'supreme friend' and offering assurances that she had never called him a paedophile, while acknowledging she had been urged to speak out to safeguard her reputation. A spokesperson for Ferguson said the email was sent to counter an aggressive defamation threat from Epstein and that she acted under advice to try to assuage him.

The episode unfolds as the royal couple were photographed in Windsor, with Prince Andrew at the wheel and Ferguson in the back seat of a Range Rover, amid heightened scrutiny of their ties to Epstein. The Mail on Sunday has detailed a string of interactions surrounding Epstein's financial help to Ferguson and the couple's public statements about cutting ties, complicating their status within the wider Royal Family.

The developing disclosures fuel questions about how the royal household has managed the Duke's and Duchess's past associations with Epstein. Prince Andrew has relinquished many public duties, and King Charles has taken steps to limit their participation in private family life. He has reportedly considered cutting off private funding for the Duke, withdrawing security, and pressing for downsizing from Royal Lodge, the Windsor residence where the couple has long lived. While the King has limited scope to constrain private family events, advisers say he has already used the tools at his disposal to reduce the couple's public footprint and restrict their involvement in official functions.

Analysts and royal biographers have warned that the latest revelations could spill over into other relationships Ferguson has cultivated with charities and publishers. Andrew Lownie, a royal biographer, suggested the disclosures could prompt publishers and charitable groups to reassess ties with Ferguson, who has built a career as a children's author and advocate for vulnerable youngsters.

The broader context remains tightly controlled by a long-running dispute over Epstein's 2011 conviction and subsequent allegations that have continued to reverberate through the royal circle. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while facing federal sex trafficking charges. Virginia Giuffre, who has publicly accused Epstein of trafficking her, has been at the center of civil litigation surrounding the case, and associates of Epstein have repeatedly disputed the duchess's account. Ferguson and Andrew have both faced scrutiny over their connections to Epstein, and the new messages add to questions about how those ties were managed publicly and privately.

U.S. investigators are reported to have access to a cache of emails between Ferguson's circle and Epstein that could yield further detail about their interactions. Some insiders say the King has exhausted nearly every option to shield the royal family from further controversy, including steering the couple away from private events and seeking to ensure a lower profile for the Yorks in the months ahead. The situation underscores the fragile balance the monarchy must maintain between public duties and private life, particularly as more archival material and personal communications from decades past come to light.

As the legal and reputational dimensions continue to unfold, observers caution against premature judgments about the ultimate impact on the couple's standing. The palace has not announced new sanctions beyond existing restrictions, but the evolving disclosures suggest a climate in which private associations may increasingly influence public perceptions of the Royal Family. The coming weeks are likely to bring additional disclosures, statements from involved parties, and possible adjustments to the Yorks' roles within both charitable work and royal life.