Sarah Ferguson’s reputation has taken a huge hit after it emerged she continued to maintain ties with Jeffrey Epstein despite his being convicted of soliciting a child. A number of charities dropped her as an ambassador or patron after it was revealed she called Epstein her “supreme friend,” despite publicly claiming she had ended contact with him. A spokesperson for Fergie said she was writing to Epstein to counter a defamation threat. Her own charity, Sarah’s Trust, also said it would close in a further blow.
King Charles’s former sister-in-law has also faced calls to visit the US to answer questions from the authorities there about Epstein. She has also lost her title and reverted to her maiden name. While we cannot say with certainty how members of the Royal Family feel about Ms Ferguson, they appear to be maintaining a dignified silence publicly. So what do you think? Should the Royal Family feel sorry for Sarah Ferguson? Vote in our poll and join the debate in the comments section.
Besides pressure to speak about Epstein in the US and the loss of her charity roles, Ms Ferguson saw the freedom of the city of York taken away after councillors voted unanimously to remove the honour over her links to the financier, who was found dead in a New York prison cell in an apparent suicide in August 2019.
Ms Ferguson was also forced to move out of Royal Lodge, where she lived with her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and was tracked down to a £2,000 per night chalet in Austria.d
Her inclusion in files from Epstein’s estate, released as part of an investigation in the United States, is no indication of wrongdoing or misconduct.