Duchess wrote to Epstein despite claiming to cut ties

Sarah, Duchess of York, apologised to Jeffrey Epstein for disowning him and called him a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend” after saying she had cut ties with him, according to a leaked email.

- ALEX CROFT

The email from the Duke of York’s ex-wife, dated 26 April 2011, reportedly came just weeks after she told reporters she would “never have anything to do with” the convicted sex offender again.

The emails, first reported by The Sun on Sunday and The Daily Mail, reportedly showed that the duchess had “humbly apologised” to Epstein for linking him to paedophilia in the media, before lathering him with praise about his strength and generosity.

But her spokesperson has insisted that Ms Ferguson sent the letter only in an attempt to “assuage Epstein and his threats”, claiming that he had threatened to sue her for her comments in the media.

The duchess gave an interview to the Evening Standard on 7 March 2011 in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from Epstein. She went on to issue what appeared at the time to be a heartfelt apology for her association with the disgraced financier, who died in prison eight years later in 2019.

“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,” the duchess told the newspaper.