The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has been removed as patron of Julia’s House, a children’s hospice charity, following the emergence of an email in which she described convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as her supreme friend.
The charity, which supports families in Dorset and Wiltshire, confirmed the decision in a statement. “Following the information shared this weekend on the Duchess of York’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, Julia’s House has taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron,” a spokesperson said.
“We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.”
The move comes after the release of a 2011 email reportedly sent by Ferguson to Epstein, despite her having publicly severed ties with him.
In the message, she appeared to apologise for distancing herself, writing: “You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”
She added that Epstein had threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia.
A spokesperson for Ferguson, the former wife of Prince Andrew, said the email was intended to counter a defamation lawsuit threat from Epstein, rather than a genuine expression of friendship.
Recall Jefferey was reported found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, in the US, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges
