Julia’s House, a children’s hospice charity serving Dorset and Wiltshire, has formally ended its association with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, after the emergence of a controversial email referencing convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision follows the publication of a 2011 email in which Ferguson referred to Epstein as a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend.” The message appeared to be a private apology for publicly distancing herself from him, contradicting her earlier public statement describing their association as a “gigantic error of judgement” and acknowledging that “what he did was wrong and for which he was rightly jailed.”
In a statement, Julia’s House said:
“Following the information shared this weekend regarding the Duchess of York’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, Julia’s House has determined that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity. We have informed the Duchess of our decision and thank her for her past support.”
A spokesperson for Ferguson clarified that the email had been sent in response to a threat from Epstein to sue her for defamation, and reiterated that she deeply regrets any connection with him.
Ferguson had served as patron of Julia’s House since 2018 and had previously visited one of its hospices.
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