Julia’s House, a UK children’s hospice, has ended its relationship with Sarah, Duchess of York, following the exposure of a 2011 email she sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
In the email, Ferguson apologised for publicly distancing herself from Epstein, calling him a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.” She had earlier, in a media interview, described her association with Epstein as a “gigantic error of judgment,” saying she would cut ties.
Julia’s House said it found Ferguson’s correspondence with Epstein “inappropriate” and therefore decided it was no longer suitable for her to continue as patron of the charity.
A spokesperson for the duchess said that the message to Epstein was written under pressure, including legal threats of defamation, and that she had tried to protect her reputation as a children’s author and philanthropist.
