The former Duchess of York has gone into hiding, with pals helping her keep her whereabouts under wraps. But now an insider warns she is facing a fresh fear in the Epstein scandal
16:18, 07 Apr 2026Updated 16:19, 07 Apr 2026
Sarah Ferguson has not been seen in public for months (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Once a fixture of royal life, Sarah Ferguson has slipped almost entirely out of sight in recent months.
In the wake of the latest drop of Epstein files, Fergie found herself at the centre of a storm that has upended not only her public role, but her home, work and closest relationships.
Just months ago, Fergie was still living at Royal Lodge in alongside her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor – despite their divorce in 1996. But that chapter has abruptly closed. The pair were forced to vacate the sprawling residence, ending decades of cohabitation that raised eyebrows over the years. Andrew has been living in Sandringham ever since, but Sarah was not offered a royal residence.
Her exact whereabouts are uncertain, but reports suggest that she has been “sofa surfing”, staying with a network of wealthy friends while keeping a low profile. From Switzerland to Italy, even a Tuscan castle has been mooted as a temporary refuge – a far cry from royal drawing rooms.
READ MORE: Inside Prince Edward’s Easter Garden House getaway after Andrew forces duke into holidayREAD MORE: Sarah Ferguson’s astonishing emails to Epstein from ‘marry me’ to £20,000 plea
Fergie hasn’t been since since her granddaughter’s christening in December(Image: UK Press via Getty Images)
One place she is unlikely to be holed up is America. According to an insider, Sarah, 66, ‘will never’ go back to the US amid fears she will face scrutiny from Epstein’s victims and be forced to testify about him. A source told the Daily Mirror that Fergie has become increasingly apprehensive about returning to the States amid damaging revelations from the files.
Two weeks ago, a US lawmaker wrote to Sarah, urging her to testify to Congress about the paedophile. Lawmaker Suhas Subramanyam requested that Ferguson give evidence in a government investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking operations. As a non-US citizen, Ferguson, 66, is not compelled to appear before Congress or respond to the request.
“She feels it would be unbearable and does not want to be put in a position under oath where she would be asked not only about Epstein but also about Andrew,” the pal told us. “It has not been a difficult decision despite how deeply entrenched in America she once was.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Fergie has not been seen at Sandringham since Andrew moved there – with one source warning that she wants to ‘keep her distance’ from her ex-husband.
Sarah and Andrew with their daughters in happier times, before the Epstein scandal unfolded(Image: Instagram)
But she is apparently hiding out somewhere else in the UK, thanks to the loyalty of some close friends. Sources recently told the Daily Mail that Sarah has since been ‘sofa-surfing’ – relying on pals and her daughters to help her keep a low profile.
It’s said she is constantly on the move, switches her phones and is paranoid that her location will be discovered. “She notifies friends of her last location only once she has safely moved on to the next. She wants to avoid being photographed,” one source said.
A friend of Sarah’s recently spoke about her wellbeing, adding: “She feels deeply depressed and that the world is out to get her. She is very, very down. Some people, including Sarah herself, are worried for her mental health.
“[But] what she doesn’t appear to feel is remorse for what has happened. She just wants this to all go away and allow her to get on with her life. Her head is in the sand.”
Shortly after Christmas, Sarah reportedly checked into one of the world’s most expensive wellness clinics. It’s claimed that she booked a stay at the £13,000-a-day Paracelsus Recovery Clinic in Zurich, Switzerland, where she remained until the end of January.
It’s one of a number of locations she apparently jetted off to after the Epstein files dropped. Sarah is also said to have spent time in the French Alps before moving on to the United Arab Emirates – where she reportedly reunited with her youngest daughter Eugenie, who was in Doha attending an art fair as part of her job with art dealer Hauser and Wirth.
Sarah is then said to have travelled to Florida with her son-in-law Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi – Princess Beatrice’s husband – as he attended a design conference in Palm Beach, before moving on to a French ski resort to ‘get her head together’ with friends. Most recently, she is said to have hopped over to Switzerland to join Eugenie’s half-term ski holiday in Gstaad.