Sarah Ferguson's charitable foundation has suffered a dramatic collapse in donations, with contributions falling by nearly 80% in a single year, newly filed documents reveal.
Charity Income Crashes Amid Personal Turmoil
Sarah's Trust, established by the former Duchess of York in 2018 to combat global poverty and inequality, reported income of just £31,000 for the last financial year. This represents a steep decline from the almost £150,000 it received in the previous twelve-month period.
The charity's annual report, filed with the Charity Commission on August 11, was submitted just weeks before a cache of emails showed Ferguson had called the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a "supreme friend" in 2011. In the report, the 66-year-old alluded to a difficult year, mentioning her "personal challenges" following a diagnosis with skin cancer.
Trustee Resigns Following Epstein Email Revelations
Further compounding the charity's troubles, one of its trustees, leading London heart surgeon Professor Ramzi Khamis, stepped down from his role. His resignation came shortly after Ferguson's connections to Epstein were made public in September.
Documents show Elizabeth Mitford Ferguson, a Cambridge-educated barrister and long-term associate of the duchess, was appointed as a replacement trustee on September 26.
The fallout from the email scandal was swift and severe. In September, seven charities dropped Ferguson as a patron or ambassador. The controversy also contributed to a wider royal crisis involving her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.
Royal Repercussions and Lost Titles
The Epstein scandal had profound consequences for the York family's standing within the monarchy. King Charles stripped his brother Andrew of his royal and military titles, a move that also meant Sarah Ferguson lost her right to use the title 'Duchess of York'.
The couple now face being evicted from their 30-room home, Royal Lodge in Windsor, by the end of January. In a further blow announced recently, the King cancelled Andrew's membership of the Order of the Garter and annulled his Knight Grand Cross, backdating the removal to October 30.
In her charity report, signed while she still used her title, Ferguson wrote of her cancer diagnosis: "It has deepened my resolve to stand beside those working to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure this disease." She reiterated her commitment to humanitarian causes and supporting young people, but the financial figures suggest a significant loss of donor confidence preceding the public scandal.
