Charities Cut Ties with Duchess of York Over Epstein Email
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, is facing a sharp reputational hit after at least seven charities confirmed they will sever ties with her. The move follows the release of a 2011 email in which she referred to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend.” The speed of the charities’ response makes clear just how delicate any association remains and poses yet another headache for the wider royal household.
Problems for the Duchess grew further this weekend when British tabloids published the private message, in which she apologized to Epstein for any hurt she may have caused just weeks after publicly declaring that she would have “nothing to do with” him.
The Contradictory Communications
The row arises from two sharp statements the Duchess of York made in 2011, both written in a matter of weeks, that present the clearest possible contradictions.
In a 2011 chat with the Evening Standard, Sarah Ferguson told the world she was still haunted by taking a £15,000 loan from Jeffrey Epstein, branding the deal a “practically brain-dead decision.” Distancing herself from Epstein, she tweeted that she “abhors any kind of abuse” and promised to cut ties with him for good.
Then The Sun and The Mail on Sunday published a smuggled email moment later. Under that email, she told Epstein she was sorry “for letting you hellaciously down” and labelled him an “unchangeably loyal” friend who had always been “vastly kind” to her family. The note was shocking to many who had expected an absolute cut from him. Critics saw the move as undoing her denunciation.
The Duchess’s Camp Responds
A rep for Ferguson stepped in to talk. The aide claimed Ferguson fired off the email to slam the shutters on a possible lawsuit after she used the Evening Standard interview to distance herself. Ferguson’s camp argues Epstein had warned her that any public ties to the abuse story could trigger a defamation suit. The rep insisted her shift was meant to keep the topic quiet and safeguard her family, nothing more.
A representative clarified that the Duchess of York sent the email “to follow advice meant to ease Epstein’s threats,” adding she stands by her earlier public denunciation of him. The spokesperson stressed that the Duchess of York was “deceived by his fabrications” and reaffirmed that her primary concern is with his survivors.
Charities Cut Ties
Response from the charity world was swift and unequivocal. Over the course of Monday, scores of groups declared they were severing formal links with the Duchess of York.
The table below shows the charities that have publicly confirmed they have ended their association with the Duchess of York as of September 23, 2025.
| Charity Name | Type of Cause | Reason Cited |
|---|---|---|
| Julia’s House | Children’s Hospice | Said it would be “inappropriate” for her to continue. |
| Natasha Allergy Research Foundation | Food Allergy Research | Was “disturbed” by the correspondence. |
| Teenage Cancer Trust | Youth Cancer Support | Ended a 35-year patronage. |
| Prevent Breast Cancer | Breast Cancer Prevention | Confirmed she was no longer a patron. |
| British Heart Foundation | Cardiovascular Research | Said she would no longer serve as an ambassador. |
| Children’s Literacy Charity | Children’s Literacy | Stated it would be inappropriate for her to continue. |
National Foundation for Retired Service Animals | Animal Welfare | Discontinued her status as a patron.
The use of the term “inappropriate” by multiple charities shows how dented the Duchess of York’s public standing has become.
Another Royal Headline
People quickly link the story to the Duke of York. Prince Andrew’s ties to Epstein culminated in his stepping back from public duties in 2019 after a tumultuous BBC interview, followed by the loss of military roles and royal charities the next year, and a settled yet still noisy sexual assault case in 2022, which the Prince claimed to have settled to enable his family to move on.
The Duchess of York’s current problem undoubtedly feels like déjà vu. She has lately been cultivating her public persona as a charity advocate, and losing this position of patron to the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals not only stings personally but also quietly nudges public interest in her away. Her voice at big charity events, the guest of honour, suddenly becomes thinner when the headlines move from her animal left to the Ministry of Silly Walks.
The new fallout supplies the Palace with fresh reminder of the late Mr. Epstein’s capacity to shadow the royal family. Court papers still trickling in from the U.S. courts, recently confirmed as coming from Epstein’s files, can pulled by counsel at any time. Whether his list of famous persons dredges more embarrassments from the archives anyone’s guess, just remember to mute Family Fortunes when the answers arrive.
Conclusion
The fallout from the leaked email shows that links to Jeffrey Epstein are still highly dangerous to anyone’s public image. For Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the effects have been swift and harsh, crippling her role as a charity supporter. She claims the email was written under legal pressure, yet public and charitable circles have already made their judgment. This episode means that Epstein’s shadow will likely hover over the Duchess of York and the wider royal family for a long time.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/23/uk/epstein-email-duchess-of-york-intl
For more incredible stories of everyday news, return to our homepage.
