EXCLUSIVE: Disgraced 'Duchess of Disaster' Sarah Ferguson 'Was Pals With Jeffrey Epstein for 2 YEARS Longer Than She Claimed'
Disgraced Sarah Ferguson stayed friends with Jeffrey Epstein two years longer than she claimed.
Sept. 23 2025, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Sarah Ferguson secretly maintained ties with Jeffrey Epstein for at least two years after she claimed to have severed all contact with the abuser, a royal biographer is alleging, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The revelations raise fresh questions about the 65-year-old's credibility and cast a shadow over Prince Andrew, also 65, whose own reputation remains scarred by his friendship with pedophile sex trafficker Epstein.
Ferguson's 2011 Apology Now Seen As Hollow
Ferguson secretly kept ties with Epstein until 2013.
Ferguson, the Duchess of York – dubbed the 'Duchess of Disaster' – publicly apologized in March 2011 for accepting money from the convicted sex offender, calling it a "gigantic error of judgment."
At the time, she said she would never deal with Epstein again.
But author Andrew Lownie, who recently published his bombshell new book on Andrew and Fergie entitled The Rise and Fall of the House of York, claims she continued to benefit from Epstein's circle until 2013 and may have received as much as $3million from him – far more than the $20,000 figure she previously admitted to taking from the predator.
Palace Shocked by Hidden Millions
Biographer Andrew Lownie alleged Ferguson received up to $3million.
One former royal aide claimed: "It has become increasingly clear that the duchess' apology was not the full truth. She told the public she cut all contact, yet privately, she was still in Epstein's world. That is a devastating revelation for the Palace."
Lownie cites the testimony of a New York resident who recalled Ferguson staying at an apartment linked to Epstein's brother in 2013. He also reports sources close to Epstein believed Andrew himself brokered a large financial package from the disgraced financier to cover Ferguson's debts.
A palace insider said: "The scale of the money involved makes this far more serious than people realized. If it was $3million and not $20,000, then the question is, what was expected in return? That's what troubles people inside the institution."
Emails Reveal Ferguson's Secret Praise For Epstein
Ferguson described Epstein as a 'steadfast, generous and supreme friend.'
Lownie says Ferguson's email to Epstein in April 2011 revealed her duplicity when it came to the extent of their friendship. In it, she described him as "a steadfast, generous and supreme friend" just weeks after she had publicly denounced him.
Lownie said: "These new revelations further prove the insincerity of Fergie's 2011 apology."
Financial Recklessness And Royal Fallout
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King Charles views Ferguson’s Epstein ties as a stain on the monarchy.
Ferguson has long been criticized for her financial mismanagement. After separating from Andrew in 1992 and divorcing four years later, she was known for lavish holidays and extravagant spending.
Lownie notes by the mid-1990s, she was renting multimillion-pound properties in the south of France, complete with full household staff, while also claiming financial hardship.
Another source close to the royal household claimed: "This isn't just about poor judgment. It's about a pattern – money problems, expensive tastes, and then seeking help from deeply questionable people. The King is determined that these associations will no longer tarnish the monarchy."
Charities have already distanced themselves from Ferguson. Julia's House, Prevent Breast Cancer, and the Teenage Cancer Trust – where she had been a patron since 1990 – severed ties. The British Heart Foundation and the Children's Literacy Charity quickly followed suit.
According to Lownie, Ferguson's reliance on Epstein fits a long history of behavior. He writes in Entitled: "Sarah Ferguson has led a life of extraordinary luxury since her separation from Prince Andrew… reports of her excesses began in 1994 when she rented Domaine La Fontaine near Cannes for $25,000."
Although the property was supposed to be self-catering, she brought her own staff, including a butler, two housekeepers, a dresser, a general assistant, and a nanny.
A senior royal source claimed: "The sense within the Palace is that the Duchess has once again been exposed. Her closeness to Epstein went on far longer than she admitted – and that is something the monarchy can no longer ignore."
