Sarah Ferguson sent a private apology to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, addressing him as a “supreme friend” just weeks after publicly promising to sever all connections with him.
The correspondence, dated April 2011, appeared to show the Duchess of York explaining her public disavowal of the disgraced late financier was an effort in self-preservation.
In March 2011, the Duchess had given an interview declaring she would “never have anything to do with” Epstein again, expressing deep regret over previously accepting financial assistance from him.
However, the April email showed a contrite Fergie assuring Epstein she had not used “the P (paedophile) word” to describe him and thanking the financier for his aid.
Sarah Ferguson has been revealed to have sent apologetic emails to Jeffrey Epstein just weeks after publicly disowning him
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In an April 26, 2011 email, acquired by The Mail on Sunday, she was seen to say: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me from what you were either told or read 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,” the email read.
“As you know, I did not, absolutely not, say the ‘P word’ about you but understand it was reported that I did.”
In the email, Fergie claimed she 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.”
Fergie was seen referring to the late convicted paedophile financier as her ‘supreme friend’
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“I was broken and lost. I shut down and ran away,” she said.
The duchess explained that she imagined: “All my children’s work disappearing. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time.”
Sarah claimed she had been instructed to: “Act with upmost speed if I would have any chance of holding on to my career as a children’s book author and a children’s philanthropist.”
In the emails, she was seen to add: “I write this from the truth of my heart.”
The Duchess of York had publicly apologised for earlier receiving financial aid from Epstein, arranged by Prince Andrew
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The Duchess had made her public denunciation of Epstein in a front-page Evening Standard interview on March 7, 2011, following media revelations about his £15,000 payment to settle debts owed to her former personal assistant, Johnny O’Sullivan.
The arrangement, facilitated by Prince Andrew, came approximately 18 months after Epstein’s release from prison, after his conviction for soliciting prostitution from minors, and mounting scrutiny over the York’s connections to the disgraced financier.
In her interview, Sarah declared: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgement on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say.”
She pledged to repay the money and stated emphatically: “I will never have anything to do with him again. I deeply regret it. How many more times do you want me to underline that?”
Epstein helped Fergie with debts owed to her former personal assistant in 2011
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Ferguson also said: “I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me.”
A separate email from January 22, 2011, addressed to “my dear, dear friend Jeffrey,” appeared to express gratitude for his recent financial assistance with her substantial debts.
Ferguson wrote: “How can I thank you enough? You are a friend indeed and I will one day give it to you back. But I can not have the words to thank you now.”
She added: “Sometimes the heart speaks better than the words. You have my heart. With lots of love, dear Jeffrey.”
A spokesman for Fergie has said she was ‘taken in by his (Epstein) lies’
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Responding to the new disclosures, a spokesman for the Duchess told GB News: “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.
“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.
“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,” they added.
