Alongside her former husband, Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson has experienced a steep fall from grace, which has seen her shunned by charities and stripped of her titles
On July 23, 1986, Sarah Ferguson married a prince in a Westminster Abbey service that looked, to ongoing crowds, straight out of a fairytale. Few could have predicted how things would turn out for the newlyweds, nearly 40 years on.
Amid ongoing controversy over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew, who has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, has relinquished his titles and honours. This follows allegations that the former Duke of York emailed convicted paedophile Epstein on February 28 2011, telling him they would “have to rise above it”.
In his car crash 2019 Newsnight interview, Andrew, 65, told Emily Maitlis that he had ceased contact with Epstein in December 2010. He stepped back from royal duties and was stripped of royal patronages and military links soon after amid a wave of public criticism.
Mum-of-two, Sarah, who has remained close with Andrew since their 1996 divorce, has also seen a steep downward spiral, with recently emerged emails between herself and Epstein prompting fresh scrutiny. Now the former Duchess of York, alongside her ex-husband, will be stripped of her regal titles and will henceforth be known simply as Sarah Ferguson.
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On March 7 2011, Sarah declared she had distanced herself from Epstein in an interview with the Evening Standard, in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from the sex offender. The now 66-year-old grandmother told the publication: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite, I cannot say. Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”
However, as recently revealed in emails published by The Sun, Sarah took quite a different tone in emails allegedly sent to sex offender Epstein, in which she “humbly apologised” for linking her “supreme” to paedophilia in the press, and praised him as “steadfast” and “generous”.
The email, dated April 26 2011, read: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.” She continued: “I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you. I was bedridden with fear. I was paralysed. I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. And if I did – I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself. I was broken and lost. So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.”
In response, Sarah’s spokesperson issued a statement explaining that the email had been sent “in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats”. Shortly after Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire, announced that it would no longer be appropriate for the former duchess to continue in her role as patron.
Now, Sarah will no longer be known as Duchess of York – a title under which she has frequently courted scandal. From her rocky marriage to Prince Andrew to falling for embarrassing schemes by a ‘Fake Sheikh’, she has rarely been out of the headlines.
Writining for the iPaper, former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond reflects: “The rumours and scandals involving Andrew — and his ex-wife Sarah (now just plain Sarah Ferguson) — have been swirling around for more than 30 years. From Fergie’s topless toe-sucking saga to the far more sickening allegations of Andrew’s activities with Epstein, this oddly divorced couple have heaped embarrassment and damage on the monarchy. And one thing Andrew correctly identifies in his farewell note is that the continued accusations about him distract from the work of the rest of his family.”
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