Sarah Ferguson's charity has announced it will be closing "for the foreseeable future" just days after the former Duchess featured in the latest release of emails with Jeffrey Epstein. Sarah's Trust was founded in 2020 to "champion charities across the globe" - and has now announced it will be shutting down, with deliberation "months" in the making.
Newly released emails from the US Department of Justice last week appeared to show that Sarah was in contact with the late sex offender Epstein during and after his prison sentence for soliciting sex from a minor. The emails suggested she had taken her daughters to visit the paedophile less than a week after he had been freed from jail, while other messages asked him to "just marry me". The messages contain no indication of wrongdoing.
Sarah, the former wife of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, said she was inspired to start Sarah's Trust after becoming a grandmother and wanting to "do everything I can to improve the state of the world that we are leaving for our grandchildren", according to its website.
A spokesperson said on Monday evening: "Our chair Sarah Ferguson and the board of trustees have agreed that with regret the charity will shortly close for the foreseeable future. This has been under discussion and in train for some months." The foundation has not given a formal reason for its decision to close.
© Getty ImagesWhat has happened to Sarah Ferguson's charities?
The former Duchess of York was dropped by a series of charities last year after previous revelations about her ties to Epstein. These included Julia's House, a children's hospice in Corfe Mullen, and food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation.
Sarah had been the patron of Prevent Breast Cancer since October 2024, following her own breast cancer diagnosis in June 2023 and was also dropped by this and the Teenage Cancer Trust, who had worked with her for 35 years. Finally, two more charities announced they had parted ways with the former Duchess, the Children's Literacy Charity and the British Heart Foundation, who thanked her for her "support" and "past efforts".
The previous revelations saw Sarah calling Epstein a "supreme" friend, and apologising for linking him to paedophilia in the media, in messages reported by The Sun. It was reportedly sent just weeks after the then-Duchess said she would "never have anything to do with" Epstein again in a 2011 interview with The Evening Standard, where she also apologised for accepting £15,000 from the disgraced financier.
Sarah Ferguson shares two daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, with her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. Beatrice has two children, Sienna and Athena, with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, while Eugenie shares August and Ernest with husband Jack Brooksbank. Beatrice also has a step-son called Wolfie, from Edo's previous relationship with architect Dara Huang.
© WireImageWhat was in the latest release of Epstein files?
On Friday, more than three million documents were published by the US Department of Justice relating to the disgraced paedophile financier, Jeffrey Epstein. The latest release showed photos of the former Prince Andrew appearing to kneel on all fours over a woman lying on the ground. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, his ex-wife, Sarah, praised Epstein as the "brother I have always wished for" and appeared to congratulate him on having a "baby boy". One message, sent in January 2010 - just six months after Epstein was released from prison - Sarah wrote: "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness. Xx I am at your service. Just marry me."
Andrew has faced allegations, which he strenuously denies, that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein. He paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022, and stepped down from royal duties in 2019.
