Epstein chess-set and Duchess of York emails emerge in new disclosures

New details have emerged about a controversial chess set created for financier Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019 while facing federal sex-trafficking charges. Reports describe a project in which young female models were photographed and later turned into hand-crafted pieces for a chessboard that featured Epstein as the king. The women were described by staff as the board’s “queens” and pawns, and the photographs were taken at a New York studio over several months in 2016 as part of the process.

Staff at the studio used the images to create 3D sculptures for the 36 chess pieces, with Epstein’s own likeness added at the end to form the king piece. A second man who accompanied the group was also modeled for one of the pieces. The total cost for the finished set was reported as about $5,000, carved from sandstone. The project culminated with Epstein visiting the studio to have his photo taken and subsequently turned into a figurine of the king.

The disclosures come alongside renewed attention to Epstein’s associates. The Mail on Sunday published correspondence in which Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, apologized to Epstein for publicly disassociating herself from him after his 2011 conviction for solicitation of prostitution from a minor. The newly published emails show Ferguson expressing a contrite wish to restore their relationship, saying she had only acted to protect her career as a author and to respond to threats against her reputation. Her spokesperson characterized the message as a defensive response to a defamation threat, rather than a change of stance toward Epstein.

Duchess Ferguson’s ties to Epstein, which date back to the 1990s, have been the subject of public scrutiny in recent years. She was identified in the notes as having been introduced to Epstein by Lynn Forester de Rothschild, a businesswoman linked to Britain’s financial circle. The revelations add another layer to a broader saga that also features Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, and Virginia Giuffre, a key accuser who has said she was trafficked to powerful figures, including Prince Andrew, though Andrew has denied the allegations.

Giuffre, who died by suicide in Australia in 2023 after years of trauma narratives around Epstein and Maxwell, had testified that Epstein and Maxwell used their connections to recruit young women and offer them to associates. Prince Andrew agreed in 2022 to a civil settlement with Giuffre amid ongoing disputes over the extent of his knowledge of the trafficking operation. He has repeatedly denied any memory of meeting Giuffre, though a widely circulated photograph from a London townhouse showing him with her has been used in court filings.

The Epstein matter has continued to cast a shadow over high-profile circles. Maxwell, serving a lengthy prison sentence for sex trafficking, has described Ferguson in later testimony as someone who pursued Epstein’s affections, comments that have deepened interest in the Duchess’s social network and motives. Ferguson’s prior public statements had described her involvement with Epstein as a “gigantic error of judgment,” a phrase echoed in some contemporary accounts of the affair.

Beyond the personal dimensions, observers note that Epstein’s death left many questions about the full extent of his network and the potential complicity of others in his trafficking operations. Investigators have pursued a broad set of inquiries into the reach of Epstein’s financing, philanthropy, and social connections, including the role that high-status figures may have played in facilitating or concealing wrongdoing. The 2022 settlement involving Prince Andrew in the Giuffre case remains a focal point in discussions of accountability and the legal processes surrounding the Epstein saga.

The chess-set project, the Ferguson correspondence, and the broader Epstein milieu intersect with ongoing debates about wealth, influence, and accountability. While Epstein’s life and death closed one chapter, the exposure of these artifacts and communications continues to offer a window into the kinds of associations that have prompted intense media and public scrutiny in recent years. As courts and journalists continue to examine the interconnections of Epstein’s circle, the public remains focused on how these revelations align with earlier testimony, court records, and the testimonies of accusers who have criticized a culture of impunity surrounding powerful individuals.