The Teenage Cancer Trust has ended its 35-year patronage with Sarah, Duchess of York, following the disclosure of an email in which she described convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein as a 'supreme friend'. The charity confirmed the decision on Monday, stating it had communicated the move to the duchess and thanked her for her support.
The announcement came after several other charities severed ties with the duchess on the same day. Wiltshire and Dorset-based children's hospice Julia's House was the first to act, saying it would be 'inappropriate for her to continue as a patron' given her correspondence with Epstein. Prevent Breast Cancer, which the duchess joined as a patron last year after her own breast cancer diagnosis, also cut ties, as did The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and the British Heart Foundation.
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, founded after teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died from an allergic reaction, said its founders were 'disturbed' by the duchess's correspondence with Epstein. In a statement, Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse said she had not been actively involved for some years and that it was inappropriate for her to remain associated with the charity.
The controversy stems from an email sent by the duchess to Epstein in April 2011, in which she apologised for publicly disowning him in the media. The email, reported by The Sun, included the line: 'You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.' Her spokesman said the email was sent 'in the context of advice the duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats' after he threatened to sue her for defamation.
Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The duchess's spokesman previously stated she regretted her association with Epstein and 'does not resile' from condemning him publicly.
