A senior US lawmaker has formally requested that Sarah Ferguson testify before a congressional committee investigating convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam wrote to the former duchess, citing her “close personal and business ties” with Epstein, and asked for her cooperation by 9 April 2026.
The letter, first reported by the BBC, highlights emails Ferguson sent to Epstein after his 2008 conviction, in which she called him a “legend” and wrote “I am at your service. Just marry me.” It also references a request for a loan of £50,000 or £100,000 to help with bills. While there is no legal mechanism to compel her testimony, the letter represents the most direct pressure she has faced.
The committee is also interested in any knowledge Ferguson may have had about Prince Andrew’s involvement with Epstein. Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing. The letter states: “It is clear that you possessed social and business ties to Mr Epstein and have knowledge of information that can assist our investigation.”
Recent releases from the Epstein files reveal a close relationship, with Ferguson describing Epstein as “the brother I have always wished for”. The files also suggest she took her daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, for lunch with him shortly after his release from prison. Being named in the files does not indicate wrongdoing.
The family of Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre said they “strongly believed” Ferguson should testify. A representative for Giuffre’s brother told the BBC: “If Ferguson knows anything, she should testify in the United States immediately.”
Meanwhile, the City of York Council voted to strip Ferguson of her Freedom of the City title. Liberal Democrat councillor Darryl Smalley said: “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.” Six companies linked to Ferguson have begun winding down, and her charity Sarah’s Trust announced it would close “for the foreseeable future”.
