Duchess of York Removed as Children's Hospice Patron Over Epstein Email Revelations

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has been dropped as a patron of the children's hospice charity Julia's House following revelations of her correspondence with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Despite publicly denouncing Epstein and vowing never to have contact with him again after his conviction, an email from 2011 surfaced in which she apologised to Epstein, calling him a "supreme friend" and explaining that she only distanced herself to protect her career as a children's author. Julia's House deemed it inappropriate for her to continue in her patron role due to these revelations. The Duchess had previously accepted financial support from Epstein, which she described as a "gigantic error of judgment." Reports indicate the email apology came amid threats of legal action from Epstein, with Ferguson expressing fear and attempting to clarify she never called him a paedophile. The controversy has also raised discussions about potential restrictions on the Duke and Duchess of York's participation in private Royal Family events by King Charles.