Newly unearthed documents have exposed a desperate attempt by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein to rebuild his public image, which included explicit instructions to sever his controversial ties with the Duke of York and Sarah Ferguson.
The Reputation Rehabilitation Plan
Deep within the recently released Epstein files lies a revealing message from the PR firm Osborne & Partners LLP. The communication, dated 2011, was part of a strategy to rehabilitate Epstein's standing following his 2008 guilty plea for child sex trafficking offences. Advisors pinpointed his association with then-Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson as a primary obstacle, branding the relationship "disastrous" for his public profile.
The document explicitly warned Epstein that UK newspapers, particularly the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, were intent on "taking down Prince Andrew." It stated that his connection to the couple had become a major "distraction" and that he was being used as a "means to attack" them. The firm's stark advice was for the convicted sex offender to "studiously avoid any involvement whatsoever" with Andrew and Fergie.
A Strategy of Avoidance and Positive Press
The proposed reputation management plan was multifaceted. A key objective was a "clean up" of Google search results, where the first page was dominated by references to his paedophilia charges and his link to Prince Andrew. The strategy also involved promoting Epstein's philanthropic interests and his support for scientific research, which advisors labelled "extremely helpful" to his rehabilitation.
Long-term goals were even more ambitious, with the firm considering aligning Epstein's image with high-profile targets like the Gates Foundation's aim to eradicate malaria by 2015. The plan envisaged that after a period of avoiding the royals, it would eventually "be possible to run a positive piece about your philanthropy."
Lasting Consequences and Continued Links
Despite these warnings, both Andrew and Ferguson were later found to have maintained contact with Epstein after claiming to have cut ties. In a particularly damaging email, Ferguson described Epstein as a "supreme friend" and expressed regret for her previous public criticism of him following his conviction.
The fallout from their association with the disgraced financier has been severe. Prince Andrew has suffered the humiliation of being stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages. Both he and Sarah Ferguson have since been ordered to leave their home at the Royal Lodge. Andrew has consistently and strongly denied the allegations made against him.
Epstein was later charged with further child sex trafficking offences in July 2019 and died by suicide in his Manhattan prison cell while awaiting trial later that year.
