The King may be forced to ban the Yorks from private family occasions over their latest scandal involving convicted paedophile Jeffery Epstein.
Although Buckingham Palace has not issued any public comment, there was clear frustration in royal circles last night over new revelations involving the publication of gushing emails from Sarah, Duchess of York, to the shamed financier following his release from jail on child sex offences.
In the correspondence she issued a grovelling apology to Epstein for publicly disassociating herself from ‘her supreme friend’ when it emerged he had bailed her out financially, and claiming she had only done so to save her career as a children’s author.
The bombshell email shows Sarah had written to the convicted sex offender to ‘humbly apologise’ in 2011 just weeks after telling the press she had cut all ties with him.
In an interview, the duchess said her involvement with Epstein, who had served time for soliciting prostitution from a minor, had been a ‘gigantic error of judgment’.
A spokesperson for Sarah said the email was sent to counter an aggressive threat Epstein had made to sue her for defamation.
As the ex-wife of a non-working royal, the King has no power to control what the Duchess of York says and does, either publicly or privately.
But the revelations once again shine an uncomfortable spotlight on the Yorks’ proximity to the Royal Family.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York attend the funeral of Katharine, Duchess of Kent at Westminster Cathedral on September 16, 2025
The King may be forced to ban the Yorks from private family occasions over their latest scandal involving convicted paedophile Jeffery Epstein (pictured)
While Sarah was ‘persona non-grata’ while Prince Philip was alive, Queen Elizabeth did allow her to accompany her family to estates such as Balmoral or Sandringham when he wasn’t around as a gesture of kindness towards her young granddaughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.
The King further took pity on her when she was diagnosed with cancer, allowing her to join the family in Norfolk on Christmas Day, as well as Windsor Castle at Easter.
But that may now have to stop, sources say.
A friend of the duchess said that she had ‘acted on advice’ when sending the grovelling email in an attempt to appease Epstein.
‘Epstein aggressively threatened to sue her. He was a nasty, unpleasant and very threatening man.
‘She acted on the advice she was given [in writing the emails] to try and get him to drop the threat, which he subsequently did,’ the friend added.
‘She stands by what she said many years ago. She deeply regrets any association with him and abhors paedophilia. She has worked for many years to support vulnerable young people.’
A spokesperson for the duchess added: ‘The Duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims.
‘Like many people, she was taken in by his lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia. She does not resile from anything she said then.
Prince Andrew pictured heading to Windsor Castle today for an afternoon walk after the news broke of his ex-wife’s Epstein email bombshell
‘This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats,’ they added.
However, it is clear that many will feel her explanation rather impotent in the circumstances.
The Duke of York has already been forced to relinquish all his public duties and offices as a result of his association with Epstein, and is barred from attending official royal events.
But both the late Queen and her son, King Charles, have had their hands tied in preventing him from attending private family occasions, not least because the Duke has always denied any wrongdoing.
In recent years the Duke and, now, his ex-wife, have even appeared with the Royal Family on their annual walk to church at Sandringham on Christmas Day, as well as Windsor Castle at Easter.
And there was public shock this week when they both appeared front and centre alongside senior royals at Westminster Cathedral at the funeral of the Duchess of Kent.
One source has told the Mail that the King has tried ‘every avenue available to him’ to ring-fence his brother.
This includes cutting off all his private funding, withdrawing his security and trying to persuade him to downsize from Royal Lodge, his 30-room mansion at Windsor, by offering him alternative accommodation – such as Harry and Meghan’s former home, Frogmore Cottage.
By doing this he hopes that it will lessen the current financial pressure on Andrew and make him less likely to pursue dangerous business deals or relationships.
Prince Andrew smiling as he stands with his left arm around the waist of a young Virginia Roberts (now Virginia Giuffre) and Ghislaine Maxwell
However, Andrew has refused to budge, claiming he has a ‘cast iron’ lease on his home and that he can afford his financial responsibilities, leading to what is effectively a war of attrition between the brothers.
One clearly frustrated source said: ‘There is literally no more the king can do to cut off support [to the duke].’
Andrew has also continued to attended family gatherings ‘through the front door’, without any apparent concern for the ongoing embarrassment he is causing.
Last week it emerged that US investigators may have access to a damaging ‘cache’ of emails written by the duke to Epstein, that could prove even more ‘explosive’ than those pertaining to his ex-wife.
Some insiders believe Charles will now have no option but to explore ways to prevent his brother attending family events in a private capacity too – or at least if does, do so in a less conspicuous manner, through the back door.
‘It is about the last sanction he may be able to take,’ a source said, pointing out that there is a ‘real fear’ there may be more of this to come.
