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Sarah Ferguson’s long-standing connection to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has culminated in her eviction from the residence she shared with former royal, Prince Andrew, for three decades. The Duchess of York, who no longer holds her royal title, has been severed from seven charitable organizations following the leak of an email where she referred to Epstein as a “supreme friend” and appeared to retract her previous public criticisms of him.
At the same time, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew, has been stripped of his remaining royal titles and privileges. This comes after enduring significant pressure over his association with Epstein. While Andrew continues to deny any wrongdoing, both he and Sarah have retreated from public life in the wake of the latest developments in the Epstein saga.
Express.co.uk delves into the insights shared by celebrities who have encountered the former couple, offering a glimpse into their true personas.
Jennie Bond
Ex-BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond reflects on Ferguson’s past as a cherished public figure, noting that her recent actions are unlikely to win back public favor.
She told The Mirror: “My impression of her has always been that she’s someone quite hard to dislike. Misguided, yes. Over-enthusiastic, yes. But someone, I thought, with a good heart. Now, however, we know that she lied about her friendship with Epstein, and you do have to question what sort of person would do that. She says she can’t remember the meeting, but Epstein’s emails suggest otherwise.”
She explained: “I’ve always thought her downfall was her hopeless grasp of money, combined with her desire to have more and more of it. She allowed her debts to spiral on a level few of us would understand.”
(Image: Getty)
Emily Maitlis
The 2019 interview with Andrew was dubbed a “car-crash” as the royal spoke candidly about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC interview is widely regarded as causing huge damage to Andrew’s reputation and is seen by many as contributing to his downfall. Days after it aired, the duke announced he was stepping back from royal duties, saying the Epstein scandal had become a “major disruption” to the Royal Family.
Reflecting on the interview, Maitlis said: “Prince Andrew, he lost his royal duties, he lost the ability to wear uniform, he lost the respect of the nation, and it became, I think, much more difficult for him in his place in the Royal Family,” she said.
“And on the other side, we don’t know if Epstein’s victims gained anything from that. We don’t know if their lives materially changed,” she added.
“There’s been no trial. There’s been a settlement… but we haven’t had that sense of closure there,” she said.
(Image: BBC)
Denise Welch
Denise Welch opened up about an awkward incident she had with Prince Andrew around the time of Princess Diana’s death in 1997. The Loose Women panellist attended a gala with her ex-husband Tim Healy.
“Myself and this cricketer, who I won’t name, had made a decision not to mention Princess Diana because she had only recently died. I had never met Diana but loved her so much and was mortified when she died, like a lot of people. Anyway, Prince Andrew was very keen to talk about her and he brought it up,” the star said.
She continued: “He started to say things that really, really upset me, that were very to me disrespectful to somebody he shouldn’t have been sharing this information with.”
While Denise didn’t divulge her response to Andrew she admittedly was not impressed.
She said, “Back in the day, I liked a vodka or two, and all I can say is he got up to leave, walked around to the top of the table, put his hand on my then-husband’s shoulder and said, ‘Rather you than me, sir.’”
The audience gasped and Nadia clarified: “Because you’d told him how you felt?” Denise nodded. “I absolutely did tell him how I felt! I was very, very cross.”
The admission was part of a segment called Have We Lost Our Love for the Royals?
(Image: Getty)
