Seven charities have dropped the Duchess of York as a patron or ambassador after an email from 2011 revealed that she called sex offender Jeffrey Epstein her supreme friend and seemed to apologize for her public criticism of him.
Julia's House, a children's hospice, was the first to remove Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew's ex-wife, stating it was inappropriate for her to continue in the role.
The Teenage Cancer Trust, Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, Children's Literacy Charity, National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, and Prevent Breast Cancer also announced they had cut ties with the duchess as patron. The British Heart Foundation confirmed she would no longer serve as their ambassador.
A spokesperson for the duchess stated she would not comment on the charities' decisions to end their affiliations. This controversy arose after multiple newspapers published a 2011 email from Ferguson to Epstein, which appeared to contradict her public declarations of breaking off contact with him.
In the email, she expressed a desire to mend fences with Epstein, acknowledging his past support for her family while distancing herself from her prior public denunciation wherein she labeled her involvement with him a gigantic error of judgment. Ferguson's latest email raised further scrutiny about her connections with Epstein.
The response to the email's public release triggered a wave of charities distancing themselves from the duchess, outlining a significant damage to her public image, which had previously revolved around philanthropy, especially concerning children's causes. As she navigates the aftermath, the implications on her royal connections and future endeavors remain uncertain, with calls for a reevaluation of any future roles within royal circles.
