Sarah Ferguson faces further humiliation as councillors in York prepare to vote on stripping her of the Freedom of the City of York, following revelations in the latest Epstein files. The motion, set to be debated on March 26, cites her ties to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which have been brought into question by newly released documents.
Ferguson, 66, and her then-husband Prince Andrew, 66, were granted the honorary status as a wedding present in 1987. Andrew had his own Freedom of the City revoked by the council in 2022. The upcoming extraordinary council meeting at The Guildhall will consider the sole agenda item: removing Ferguson's honour under Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972.
The Epstein files, released last month, suggest the financier had been financially supporting Ferguson for 15 years. In a 2009 email, she allegedly wrote: 'I urgently need 20,000 pounds for rent today. The landlord has threatened to go to the newspapers if I don't pay. Any brainwaves?' Another message reportedly includes her saying 'Just marry me' after complimenting Epstein, who had been convicted of soliciting sex from a minor in 2008.
York Council’s Labour leader, Cllr Claire Douglas, previously described it as 'deplorable' that anyone associated with Epstein would hold a title linked to York. The motion follows the council's earlier removal of Andrew's honour, citing commitments to protecting women and girls from violence and abuse.
A spokesperson for Ferguson said the 2011 email in which she called Epstein a 'steadfast, generous and supreme friend' was sent in response to legal threats after her public comments. Ferguson has not commented on the latest developments.
