In yet another explosive twist for the House of York, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, has been caught in the eye of a storm after it emerged she once privately referred to convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend.” The revelation comes years after she publicly disowned him in the media, and it is now threatening to fracture her most sacred bond — that with her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.
The email, reportedly sent in 2011, contained a grovelling apology to Epstein for publicly cutting ties. But far from fading into history, its emergence this week has plunged the Duchess, now 65, into a new scandal that has already cost her dearly. Seven charities — including the British Heart Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust, and the Children’s Literacy Charity — have swiftly severed connections with her.
“A Major Bond of Trust” Broken
Royal insiders warn the princesses will feel blindsided by the betrayal. One expert told the Daily Mail: “Revelations that their mother was much closer to Epstein, and for longer than claimed, will break a major bond of trust. Exactly what hold did Epstein have over her? Are there more skeletons hidden? The girls will have as many questions as the rest of us.”
Beatrice and Eugenie, who were in their early 20s at the time, were said to be the very reason Ferguson later claimed she reached out to Epstein — allegedly to shield them from a “menacing” threat. Her spokesman insists she only wrote the email after a chilling phone call in which Epstein threatened to “destroy the York family” in what she described as a Hannibal Lecter-like voice.
Craven Greed or Desperate Protection?
Critics, however, are not convinced. Sources have branded Ferguson’s words to Epstein as “craven greed” and “shameless grovelling,” accusing her of betraying the countless victims of his abuse. The revelation is particularly damaging given the wider context: her ex-husband Prince Andrew’s long-running association with Epstein and the allegations surrounding Virginia Giuffre, which the Duke of York has always strenuously denied.
Haunted by the Past
Beatrice and Eugenie’s childhood links to Epstein only add another layer of discomfort. As young girls, they once visited his notorious private island, Little St James — later branded “Paedo Island” — during a family holiday in the late 1990s. Today, the island is infamous for hosting debauched sex parties involving underage girls.
While the sisters have, in recent years, visibly distanced themselves from their disgraced father, their loyalty to their mother has remained firm. But with this latest revelation, even that relationship may be under strain.
Standing By Their Mother
Royal commentator Ingrid Seward believes the princesses’ instinct will be to protect their mother, despite the betrayal. “They probably knew what a state she was in when that email was sent 14 years ago. I think their first instinct will be to protect her. They’ve got no alternative but to support her, even though they’ve already had to put up with a lot.”
Yet the scars may run deep. What was once considered a safe maternal bond has been cracked open by an email that refused to stay buried. For Beatrice and Eugenie, the question lingers: was their mother a victim of Epstein’s threats — or a willing participant in keeping ties with him?
One thing is certain: the ghosts of Epstein’s shadow continue to haunt the House of York, and this revelation ensures that scandal remains its unwelcome companion.
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