Newly surfaced images reveal the close relationship between Sarah Ferguson and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Following this disclosure, the 65-year-old Duchess of York faced removal as a patron from various charities, including Prevent Breast Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust, and Children’s Literacy Charity, due to her association with Epstein. In one of the photos dated February 2010, Sarah is seen alongside Epstein’s housekeeper Jun-Lyn Fontanilla, and in another, she appears smiling with the disgraced financier’s driver Jojo Fontanilla on the streets of Manhattan, New York City. Another image released recently depicts Prince Andrew, Sarah’s ex-husband, with the Fontanilla couple.
The scandal has severely tarnished Fergie’s reputation in the wake of these revelations. In a 2011 email to Epstein, the Duchess of York referred to him as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend,” just a year after disavowing him publicly. These photos were originally shared on Facebook in 2010, prompting one observer to comment on Sarah’s association with royalty.
Julia’s House, a children’s hospice in Dorset and Wiltshire, was among the first organizations to distance themselves from Sarah Ferguson following the Epstein correspondence revelations. The hospice stated that her continued patronage would no longer be appropriate given the circumstances. Subsequently, seven charities decided to sever ties with the duchess, with others reconsidering their affiliations due to her regretful messages to Epstein.
There is now mounting pressure on King Charles to exclude Sarah and Prince Andrew from private family gatherings and to find a way to remove them from Royal Lodge, their residence in Windsor. In response, a spokesperson for the duchess expressed deep regret over any association with Epstein and condemned pedophilia. The spokesperson highlighted Sarah’s longstanding efforts to support vulnerable youth and acknowledged that like many others, she had been deceived by Epstein’s deceitful behavior.