Only weeks before sending the email, she had told reporters that her association with Epstein was a “gigantic error of judgement,” adding that “what he did was wrong and for which he was rightly jailed.”
From now on, Sarah will be known simply as Sarah Ferguson when acting in any official capacity. The change marks the end of her long-held title as Duchess of York, which she received upon marrying Prince Andrew in 1986.
The latest scandal surrounding the disgraced royal resurfaced after it was revealed that Andrew had continued to contact Epstein even after publicly claiming to have cut ties.
An email dated February 28, 2011, reportedly shows Andrew writing to Epstein, saying they would “have to rise above it.” The message also mentioned Virginia Giuffre, who has accused Epstein of trafficking her.
Giuffre claimed she was 17 when she was allegedly forced to have sex with Andrew. The Duke of York has repeatedly and strongly denied the allegations.