Sarah, Duchess of York, sent an apology email to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in April 2011 after he threatened to "destroy" her family in a "chilling call", according to reports. The duchess described Epstein as a "supreme friend" in the message, despite having publicly disowned him in the media just weeks earlier.
Several charities severed ties with her on Monday following the emergence of the correspondence. The Teenage Cancer Trust dropped her as patron after 35 years, while other organisations including Julia's House children's hospice and Prevent Breast Cancer also cut their relationships with the duchess.
Threatening phone call details
James Henderson, the duchess's spokesperson at the time, revealed that the email was sent after a "really menacing and nasty" phone call from Epstein. According to the Telegraph, Henderson said: "People don't understand how terrible Epstein was. I can remember everything about that call."
Henderson described the call as chilling, telling the Telegraph: "He said he would destroy the York family and he was quite clear on that. He said he would destroy me. He wasn't shouting. He had a Hannibal Lecter-type voice. It was very cold and calm and really menacing and nasty."
Background to the email
The threatening phone call reportedly took place after the duchess's interview with the Evening Standard on March 7, 2011. In that interview, she had apologised for accepting £15,000 from Epstein, saying: "I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf."
She had also told the newspaper: "Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again." However, just over a month later, she sent the apologetic email to the convicted sex offender.
Content of the email
The email to Epstein, reported by The Sun newspaper, revealed the duchess's apparent fear and vulnerability. She wrote: "I know you feel hellaciously let down by me. And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that. You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family."
The message continued: "I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you. And if I did -- I would cause more problems to you, the duke and myself. I was broken and lost. So please understand. I didn't want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry."
Charity reactions
Multiple organisations ended their relationships with the duchess after the 2011 email came to light. Julia's House explained it would be "inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity", citing her correspondence with Epstein as a deciding factor.
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation said they were "disturbed" to read her correspondence with Epstein. The British Heart Foundation confirmed she was no longer a serving ambassador for the charity, while the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals also cut ties.
Henderson defended the duchess's actions, emphasising the pressure she faced to protect her family. He told the Telegraph: "The pressure she was put under to protect her family must have been huge. Her family and children will always come first for her."
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.
Sources used: "Telegraph", "The Sun", "Evening Standard" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
