Duchess of York’s email to Epstein spurred by ‘chilling’ call

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and former wife of Prince Andrew, has come under scrutiny this week after an email that saw her praising pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was unearthed. The Duchess’s spokesperson said that Ferguson had received a “chilling” phone call from the criminal after she gave an interview in 2011 confessing to have made a “terrible, terrible error of judgement” in accepting £15,000 from Epstein and insisting: “I abhor pedophilia” After the phone conversation, Ferguson emailed Epstein to say she “humbly apologized” for criticizing him publicly and described the convicted child sex abuser as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend.” Good heavens…

In light of that correspondence with Epstein, the Duchess was dropped as a patron by a number of charities – including a children’s hospice. Defending Ferguson, her spokesperson and adviser James Henderson recalled:

People don’t understand how terrible Epstein was. I can remember everything about that call. It was a chilling call and I’m surprised anybody was ever friends with him given the way he talked to me. He said he would destroy the York family and he was quite clear on that. He said he would destroy me. He wasn’t shouting. He had a Hannibal Lecter-type voice. It was very cold and calm and really menacing and nasty.

Henderson told the Telegraph that as a result of the call, he saved Epstein’s number to ensure he would never pick up again if the pedophile chose to make another call. But while her adviser may understand the rationale behind Ferguson’s gushing email to Epstein, the charities she has worked with for decades are not quite as forgiving. After years of philanthropy, the Duchess has had her ties to organizations including the Teenage Cancer Trust, the British Heart Foundation and the Children’s Literacy Charity severed.

Ferguson’s former husband, Prince Andrew, settled a civil case out of court with the late Virginia Giuffre – who accused him of sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was 17 years old, accusations he denied. Andrew’s Newsnight interview in 2019 on his friendship with Epstein further damaged his reputation and he no longer uses the title His Royal Highness in an official capacity. More recently, ex-UK ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, was sacked from his role after email exchanges with Epstein were uncovered – showing the diplomat had offered to help the pedophile try and overturn his conviction.

But will the intervention of Ferguson’s adviser earn her much sympathy? Cockburn wouldn’t be so sure…