Sarah Ferguson Speaks Out After Prince Andrew Is Permanently Banned From Royal Duties
Several months back, Queen Elizabeth‘s second-oldest son, Prince Andrew, did a televised interview in which he attempted to explain his association with late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The duke also addressed the allegations that he had sex with one of Epstein’s alleged victims when she was a minor.
That interview was seen as a complete disaster as Andrew did not come off as believable and showed no empathy for any of Epstein’s accusers. He was then forced to temporarily step down from his royal duties, but now the palace has decided that move is permanent.
After the royal family stated that Andrew will not resume official duties and there are “no plans to review his position,” the duke remained silent but his ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York did not.
Sarah shares video on social media
In the days following the decision that Andrew will no longer be a working royal, Sarah took to social media to share some news of her own.
She announced the launch of her new charity Sarah’s Trust. The duchess did not mention her ex, who’s she currently lives with, when she talked about her foundation. Hello! noted that the organization will match charities with people who have the “social responsibility and the financial ability” to provide aid.
It was initially reported that Sarah convinced Andrew to do the “car crash” interview, but she denied having any involvement. Fergie has come under fire in the past for not expressing sympathy for Epstein’s alleged victims.
What she previously said about the scandal surrounding Andrew
The Duchess of York previously spoke to Vogue Arabia about her ex-husband’s association with Epstein.
“It’s incredibly difficult,” she said, before defending the prince’s character, “To see such a wonderful man go through such enormous pain…He is the best man I know. It’s just incredible what he has done for Britain, and it’s all nonsense [her voice raises as she alludes to the Epstein scandal], so I talk about familyhood, and I’m very strong about it.”
The duchess has her own ties to Epstein
Sarah’s ties to Epstein go back years. She was in debt when her marriage ended and reportedly owed her former personal assistant, Johnny O’Sullivan, more than $100,000. She didn’t have the means to pay for it so Epstein stepped in to help her and the amount was lowered to just under $20,000.
In 2011, it was revealed that the duchess had direct contact with the sex offender about paying off that debt. She then released a statement apologizing for her actions and condemning Epstein.
“I deeply regret Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me,” the statement read. “I abhor pedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say. Whenever I can I will repay the money and will have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again. What he did was wrong and for which he was rightly jailed.”
