Giuffre family calls for Duchess of York to be stripped of title over Epstein email
Seven charities cut ties with Sarah Ferguson after a 2011 email described Jeffrey Epstein as a 'supreme friend'; her spokesman says the message was written to counter defamation threats and expresses regret for any association.
The family of Virginia Giuffre has called for the Duchess of York to be stripped of her courtesy royal title after she described sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a "supreme friend" in a 2011 email that resurfaced last week, a revelation that prompted seven charities to sever ties with Sarah Ferguson.
The email's resurfacing coincided with charity decisions. On Monday, seven charities including the Teenage Cancer Trust and the British Heart Foundation said Ferguson had been removed as patron or ambassador following the publication of the email. A Ferguson spokesperson said she would not comment on the charities' decisions and that the email was written to counter Epstein's threat to sue for defamation; she regretted any association with him.
Amanda Roberts, Giuffre's sister-in-law, told BBC Newsnight on Thursday: "If you are not safeguarding the most vulnerable people in your community, why should you hold those positions of power?" Roberts added that the duchess should "for sure" lose her courtesy title.
The 2011 email read, "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family." It appears to have been sent weeks after Giuffre said Epstein was "rightly jailed" in 2008 and that she had broken off contact.
Giuffre, who has said she was trafficked by Epstein to Prince Andrew in 2001, when she was 17, alleged he sexually assaulted her three times. Andrew has denied any wrongdoing. He and Giuffre reached a private out-of-court settlement in 2022 that contained no admission of liability or apology; terms remain confidential.
The duchess retained her title after divorcing Prince Andrew, in the same manner Diana, Princess of Wales, kept hers after separation. Prince Andrew, however, lost royal patronages and military titles as a result of the case, but he has retained the title Duke of York.
The Giuffre family has pressed for accountability. Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother, said the family wants to ensure accountability for those involved in Epstein's crimes, and that "carrying on her legacy is very important to us and accountability is our number one motivator." In an earlier BBC interview with Laura Kuenssberg, the family said the Duke of York should be fully investigated over allegations he sexually abused Giuffre, saying that "every single person deserves to be held to the fullest extent of the law," regardless of status.
Spokespeople for the duchess have said the email was written to counter Epstein's defamation threat, and that Ferguson regrets any association with him. The latest disclosures add to ongoing scrutiny of royal ties to Epstein and highlight the broader debate over accountability for powerful individuals.