Just days ago we saw the Duchess of York joining her former husband Prince Andrew and many more members of the Royal Family at the funeral service for the Duchess of Kent. Sarah Ferguson, often known as Fergie, hadn’t been glimpsed at any royal occasions for quite some time prior to King Charles becoming monarch.
This had started to shift in recent years, with her being invited to spend Christmas at Sandringham House in 2024 and attending the Easter service in April. It looked like she was making quite the royal comeback, but the recent publication of an email between the Duchess and the late Jeffrey Epstein has embroiled her once again in a PR disaster.
Sarah referred to Epstein as a “supreme friend” in the email sent 2011 and in the wake of its release, several charities have cut ties with her, including The Teenage Cancer Trust who she’d been associated with for 35 years. Now royal commentator Dickie Arbiter has suggested she “might not survive” the scandal.
(Image credit: Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Speaking to The Telegraph, Dickie, who previously worked as Queen Elizabeth’s Press Secretary, said that it will be “very difficult” for the Duchess to return to the royal fold.
“I’m not sure she’s going to survive this one because mud does stick,” he declared. “It’s one thing to have financial problems, quite something else to be associated with a convicted paedophile.”
Dickie described it as a “very, very difficult one” and suggested that this “is in a completely different league” to PR disasters Sarah has faced in the past. Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams agreed, adding, “It’s deeply embarrassing for the Royal Family”.
A spokesperson for the Duchess of York told The Telegraph that the 2011 email was sent in the “context of advice” following alleged “threats” from Epstein regarding legal action. Weeks before she sent the email she’d publicly condemned him and said it was a “massive error of judgment” to have dealings with him.
(Image credit: Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage via Getty)
“The Duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims,” they stated. “Like many people, she was taken in by his lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia.”
They continued, “She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.”
Despite this explanation many charities have parted ways with the Duchess of York, including children’s hospice Julia’s House, The Teenage Cancer Trust, Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Children’s Literacy Charity and Prevent Breast Cancer.
(Image credit: Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
According to her friend Lizzie Cundy, the loss of these charities has hit Fergie hard. As per The Mirror, she recently appeared on the Jeremy Vine Show and revealed that the Duchess is “devastated”.
“Sarah is absolutely devastated about losing the charities,” Lizzie reportedly also divulged. “Especially the cancer one, she herself had a cancer diagnosis recently. She’s absolutely devastated. She’s a human being, a mother, she’s going through hell.”
This latest scandal continues to attract huge attention and, as Dickie said, it could be “very difficult” for the Duchess of York to return the Royal Family’s trusted inner circle amid all this renewed scrutiny.
