The Duchess of York has been keeping a low profile since her email to Jeffrey Epstein was leaked, with some experts saying she has been ‘lying low’ in Royal Lodge
Sarah Ferguson hasn’t been seen in public since the email emerged(Image: Noam Galai, Getty Images)
Sarah Ferguson is reportedly laying low at Royal Lodge following the revelation of her leaked email to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, which has plunged the York family into a new scandal.
The Duchess of York has been dropped by several charities since the details of an email she sent in 2011 were published, which seems to have been sent after she publicly stated that she had severed ties with him.
Ingrid Seward, the duchess’ biographer who has known Sarah and her family since the 1980s, doesn’t dismiss the possibility of a future comeback but admits it won’t be straightforward.
She told the I newspaper: “(Fergie) has come back so many times. This time she is probably going to have to do what she’s never done before and lie low for quite a while.”
The duchess is usually a familiar face around Windsor Great Park, where she shares the controversial £30million Royal Lodge with Prince Andrew, from whom she was divorced in 1996.
The royal couple have been hit by repeated scandals(Image: Getty Images)
She might typically have been seen walking the late Queen Elizabeth’s corgis or embarking on one of her frequent shopping trips, but royal expert Richard Palmer says there has been “no sign of her” since the embarrassing letter emerged weeks ago.
It’s difficult to predict when Fergie might reappear. With Christmas just a few months away, Royal commentator Jennie Bond has said it’s “inconceivable” that the Yorks could join the rest of the Royal Family for the traditional festive church service at Sandringham.
Reports suggest Sarah’s former husband Andrew has maintained his regular schedule, despite fresh accusations emerging in the US this week regarding his connections with convicted paedophile Epstein.
Sarah, Duchess of York, has been hit by innumerable scandals(Image: PA)
Flight logs from Epstein’s aircraft released at the weekend reveal that the duke travelled with Epstein on his private plane for several days in Florida during May 2000, whilst he was supposedly conducting an official taxpayer-funded visit to champion Britain’s premier child protection charity, the NSPCC.
Andrew, 65, has not yet responded to the latest allegations, though he has consistently refuted any participation in or awareness of Epstein’s illegal activities.
The pair’s two daughters, Princess Beatrice, 37, and Princess Eugenie, 35, have also been conspicuously absent from the Royal Lodge.
Princess Beatrice is thought to have been keen to become more involved in royal duties(Image: PA)
The two young princesses typically visit their parents regularly but haven’t been spotted near Windsor since the publication of the email in which their mother described sex offender Epstein as “a supreme friend.”
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams pointed out: “The York brand has been toxic for some time and this may well get even worse. Both will obviously be devastated by the fact that their parents are both in disgrace.”
Beatrice, particularly, is understood to have been eager to strengthen the diminished Royal workforce during a period when both King Charles and Kate Middleton have been performing fewer royal duties due to serious health problems.
Sarah Ferguson still lives with her ex-husband Prince Andrew (Image: PA)
The King has reportedly been attempting to persuade his younger brother to move into Frogmore Cottage, a four-bedroom house within the security perimeter of the Windsor Castle estate, previously inhabited by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
However, Andrew has steadfastly declined to leave the more prestigious Royal Lodge.
Despite no longer receiving financial support from the King, Royal biographers believe that Charles’ younger brother has inherited sufficient funds from the late Queen and other family members to remain in Royal Lodge. They also suggest that income from business deals will enable him to stay in the house.
The Duke and Duchess of York are also facing a renewed effort to strip them of their titles.
Rachael Maskell, the independent MP for York Central, is keen to revive her private members’ bill that would grant either the King or a grand committee of peers and MPs the power to revoke a hereditary title from those who tarnish its reputation.