Sarah Ferguson stripped of freedom of York over Epstein links

Sarah Ferguson has lost the Freedom of the City of York over her links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of the title during a City of York Council meeting on Thursday evening with members of the public telling councillors, ‘it is the absolute minimum you should be doing’.

The prestigious title was gifted to the then Duke and Duchess of York on their wedding day in 1987.

But councillors voted unanimously for the removal following fresh revelations about the former duchess’s shockingly personal emails to Epstein.

Speaking during the debate, Liberal Democrat councillor Darryl Smalley said: ‘We now know, following the release of thousands of documents, that Sarah Ferguson too had a close friendship with Epstein, which continued well beyond his conviction.

‘We don’t expect recipients of York’s highest honour to be saints. We simply do not want them to be best friends of convicted paedophiles.

‘We stand with victims. We stand for the rule of the rule of law. We stand for decency.’

He added: ‘York will have hopefully have etched out our city’s connections to both Andrew and Sarah.

‘We must wipe the slate clean, draw a line. Remember our duty to victims of sexual abuse, and move forward with our highest honour reserved for those that truly deserve the privilege. I urge all councillors to vote for the motion.’

Labour councillor Anna Baxter said: ‘We are not living in 1987, and it is right that the honours associated with our city reflect the values of York today.

‘It is reserved for those considered to be people of distinction, but those who have rendered eminent service, and it reflects the values we wish our city to be associated with.’

Gwen Swinburn, a member of the public, addressed councillors during the debate. She said: ‘The decision before you tonight is whether to remove the freedom of the city from Ms Ferguson.

‘It should not be a difficult one. It is the absolute minimum you should be doing.’

Councillor Claire Douglas, leader of the Labour group on the local authority, added: ‘As the people of York would expect, holding this status requires upholding the values and behaviours consistent with such an honour.

‘Those who continued to associate with Jeffrey Epstein after his crimes became widely known fall well short of these expectations.

‘Sarah Ferguson falls into this category as the Epstein files have shown. I therefore call on council to support the motion as presented.’

The honorary freedom of the city is given to residents who demonstrate notable service, to distinguished people and to royalty, the council has said previously.

Emails disclosed as part of millions of published files showed that Ms Ferguson had asked Epstein for financial support while the paedophile remained under house arrest.

Sarah Ferguson reportedly spent several weeks at a £13,000 a day wellness clinic in Switzerland while details emerged about her close relationship with Epstein emerged.

She also wrote to the financier thanking him for being a ‘supreme friend’ and took her children, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie for lunch with him less than a week after he walked free from jail.

In another embarrassing email, the former duchess appeared to ask Epstein to ‘just marry me’.

Many of her exchanges were conducted after Epstein was arrested for soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.

In another shocking email, she said the Royal family would discredit her ‘to obliteration’.

‘… No woman has ever left the Royal family with her head, and they cannot behead me, therefore they will discredit me,’ she wrote in July 2010.

‘I am totally on my own now. This is beyond scandalous, and nobody can do anything,’ she added.

‘I cannot believe what this is all coming to.’

Six companies linked to the former duchess started winding down in the wake of the publication of the Epstein files, according to Companies House documents.

Sarah’s Trust, a charity she founded, also announced it would close ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Comments Add as preferred source