A newly surfaced email revealed that Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, described Epstein, the disgraced financier, as a “supreme friend” despite his conviction for sex offenses.
It was sent by the duchess — the former wife of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York — in 2011, just weeks after she had publicly distanced herself from Epstein.
A spokesperson for the duchess said the email was sent to counter a threat Epstein had made to sue her for defamation.
But the duchess was dropped as a patron of several U.K. charities after the email was published.
“This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats,” the spokesperson added.
Epstein was found dead by suicide in 2019 while he was awaiting a trial on sex trafficking charges in New York.
Andrew returned his military affiliations and royal patronages in January 2022 after his lawyers failed to persuade a U.S. judge to dismiss Giuffre’s lawsuit. »