Morgan McSweeney has resigned as the Downing Street chief of staff over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as US ambassador, in what could be a fatal blow to Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership.
Sir Keir’s right-hand man, who was credited with masterminding Labour’s landslide election victory in 2024, has stepped down from the role.
Mr McSweeney was seen as instrumental in the appointment of Mandelson to the most important diplomatic post, a decision which has become an embarrassment for the government following the latest revelations about his relationship with convicted paedophile and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Morgan McSweeney has quit as Downing Street chief of staff (Getty)
In a statement, Mr McSweeney said: “After careful reflection, I have decided to resign from the government. The decision to appoint Peter Mandelson was wrong. He has damaged our party, our country and trust in politics itself.
“When asked, I advised the prime minister to make that appointment and I take full responsibility for that advice. In public life responsibility must be owned when it matters most, not just when it is most convenient. In the circumstances, the only honourable course is to step aside.”
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He noted that it “has not been an easy decision“ but after months of briefing against him from within Labour he insisted “my motivations have always been simple: I have worked every day to elect and support a government that puts the lives of ordinary people first and leads us to a better future for our great country. Only a Labour government will do that.”
Insisting that he “leaves with pride” he called for a complete overhaul of the vetting procedures in the future warning that they “cannot simply be a gesture but a safeguard”.
Sir Keir said: “It’s been an honour working with Morgan McSweeney for many years. He turned our party around after one of its worst ever defeats and played a central role running our election campaign. It is largely thanks to his dedication, loyalty and leadership that we won a landslide majority and have the chance to change the country.
“Having worked closely with Morgan in opposition and in government, I have seen every day his commitment to the Labour Party and to our country. Our party and I owe him a debt of gratitude, and I thank him for his service.”
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But the decision leaves Sir Keir greatly weakened, with the man at the heart of the Starmer project out of government, and there are questions over whether the prime minister can survive in Downing Street without his right-hand man.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said that it raises even more questions about the prime minister himself.
She said: “It’s about time. But once again with this PM it’s somebody else’s fault: ‘Mandelson lied to me’ or ‘Morgan advised me.’ Keir Starmer has to take responsibility for his own terrible decisions. But he never does.”
It came despite his closest cabinet ally, welfare secretary Pat McFadden, saying that Mr McSweeney, who oversaw Labour’s election victory just 19 months ago with him, should not go.
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Mr McFadden dismissed the calls for a change of personnel in Downing Street as “beside the point”.
But Lord Blunkett had led the charge for McSweeney to be sacked as the only way Sir Keir can buy himself time to save his badly damaged government.
The former home secretary told BBC Radio 4: “He needs a new chief of staff, he needs an opening up of the routes to him so that people can reach him and he can hear what people are thinking and feeling.”
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Starmer appointed Mandelson as ambassador to the US with McSweeney’s advice (AP)
Meanwhile, a number of leading female Labour figures including Baroness Ayesha Hazarika condemned “the boy’s club” in Downing Street which had led to the appointment of Mandelson as ambassador to the US.
She said: “Everyone knew Mandelson mixed in these circles. The calculation was these are the slightly tawdry circles in which the US President moves… we need a guy who sits in those hot tubs.”
Mr McSweeney, 48, had already been a controversial figure in the Downing Street operation and was facing demands to resign as recently as December, following a hostile briefing from No10 officials about health secretary Wes Streeting.
A close ally of his Paul Ovenden was sacked from Downing Street when emails with lurid remarks about veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott emerged.
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But the outgoing chief of staff has had to fall on his sword after pushing for Mandelson to be made ambassador last year, despite concerns from the Donald Trump administration and red flags raised by the security services over the former Labour grandee’s links to China and Epstein.
Revelations that Mandelson leaked confidential and market sensitive government material to Epstein, as well as maintaining contact with the disgraced financier when he had been found guilty of sex crimes, have seen the Labour grandee forced to quit the party and give up his seat in the Lords.
Embarrassing pictures of Mandelson in his underwear with Epstein have also made the affair even more tawdry but there are claims that the security services warned Downing Street of the problems before he was confirmed as ambassador.
However, McSweeney has been accused of wanting to replicate the Tony Blair era of government and relied on big beasts from that period, including Mandelson, who had been his mentor.
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To make matters worse when Sir Keir sacked Mandelson as ambassador in September last year it is understood that McSweeney pleaded to keep him in post.
While some believe McSweeney is being made a scapegoat to protect a prime minister whose own position is in doubt, others believed that McSweeney’s position had become untenable.
He had already caused controversy by ousting the previous chief of staff Sue Grey and replacing her just a few months into the government.
As the man who ran the election campaign in 2024, McSweeney, whose wife Imogen Walker is an MP and party whip, was also blamed for the overpromising in the manifesto which is in part responsible for the various U-turns in recent months.
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Along with the prime minister he was also blamed for an apparent lack of direction and narrative in a Labour government which has plummeted to below 20 per cent in the polls and never enjoyed a honeymoon period despite winning a huge majority.
The resignation though has not protected Sir Keir from demands he also quit.
Asked by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg whether Sir Keir should quit, Fire Brigades Union (FBU) general secretary Steve Wright said: “Everybody’s thinking it.”
He joined a growing number of Labour peers and MPs who believe the PM’s position is “untenable”.
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He noted that senior figures such as the current deputy prime minister David Lammy, who was foreign secretary at the time of the appointment, and his predecessor as DPM Angela Rayner, have said they advised against appointing Mandelson at the time.
Mr Wright said: “Unfortunately we’re seeing MPs being wheeled out again today to sweep up the mess behind the prime minister at the moment.
“I want to see the change that was promised and that this country needs.”
Many of us love traditional recipes, tried and trusted over generations in their beloved home county. Yorkshire pork pie, Yorkshire fritters, Yorkshire tea loaf, we love keeping these recipes – some of which date back centuries – alive.
Colin Neville, of Silsden, has gone one step further, and created a special website Traditional Yorkshire Recipes, which brings together dozens of recipes not only from across the Yorkshire region, but local dishes special to towns and villages.
Bingley redcurrant cobbler, Harrogate tart, Scarborough plum pudding, Whitby potato whirls and Batley pudding are among the offerings on this entertaining, wittily-written website.
Meat and tatie pie
Herders’ fattie cakes
‘O, we do love our puddings in God’s Own,’ writes Colin, ‘And here’s a beauty, dating back to the 16th century: Tadcaster Pudding. You’ll need to do a five mile walk afterwards to burn off the calories, but what the hell!’
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Old favourites like meat and tatie pie, Yorkshire hot pot and Yorkshire tea cakes are present, as well as bizarre-sounding concoctions such as meat rock cakes and woof pie, made from an ‘ugly looking devil’ type of catfish caught off the Yorkshire coast.
Retired University of Bradford lecturer Colin, who also curates the Not Just Hockney website profiling local artists, past and present, says: “I have always been interested in cooking, but was growing frustrated at convoluted modern recipes that asked you to buy some unfamiliar ingredient you might only use once, and certainly wouldn’t be stocked at the local shop,” he says.
“It was the simplicity of the old regional recipes, combined with the readily available ingredients that drew me to them. I also admired the creativity of past cooks, who could take food, often grown in their gardens, and add their own touch of magic to create something special. The simplicity of the recipes was also a pragmatic response to the fact that their kitchens had none of the electronic appliances at our disposal today.”
Colin began to look around for regional recipe books at car boot sales and charity shops and found old books going back to the 19th century. He also asked local people in Silsden for their family recipes.
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“In the process I found a range of recipes that appeared to originate from the Bradford or neighbouring districts, including Ilkley Cakes, Ben Rydding Pudding, Wharfedale Orange Tart, and Skipton Pudding. ‘Baker Mike’, who writes a regular baking column in the Keighley News, has also been an invaluable source of help to me.
Skipton Pudding
Medley pie
“I decided it would be a challenge to pull the recipes together into a website and with the help of a local computer programmer, the website was launched in 2018. It is a non-commercial site, so I don’t seek advertising, nor accept it, which keeps it uncluttered and, I hope, easy to use.
“I encourage visitors to give me feedback on the recipes, which often leads to some lively online discussion, their own tweaks to the recipes and happy memories of past family meals. The recipes can generate much nostalgic discussion among visitors to the site. All the original sources for recipes are cited, which includes a number of recipe books still in print.”
The site today has around 170 recipes so far, but is still growing and I am always on the look out for more to include. As I researched the origins of the recipes, I came across interesting articles, so the website also includes over 20 articles on regional food history. These include the story of the 1901 Bradford Workhouse Food Strike, when the workhouse residents rebelled against the poor quality of the food served.”
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Adds Colin, whose wife Wendy is his most truthful fan/critic of his cooking, “Visitors to the site include many Tykes now living in Australia, New Zealand. Canada, America ,and Scandinavia. This includes Alan a Yorkshire ex-pat now living in Sweden, who regularly makes a batch of his much-coveted Yorkshire recipe pork pies for the locals in his village.”
One contributor to the site, Judy Williamson, of Silsden, provided Grandma’s ‘Toss In’ Cake. She writes:
‘As the name suggests, this recipe was given to me by my grandmother and has been handed down in the family for at least four generations. This makes a lovely foolproof and light fruit cake which we use at Christmas, birthdays, anytime! It is easy to increase the ingredients and cooking time for larger cakes and icing it makes it a good ‘occasion’ cake.’’
In the past 12 months the website had had were 64,000 visitors, with a peak of 822 on one day.
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Colin’s personal favourite recipe is Yorkshire Mint Pastry in the baking section. “It is so simple and cheap to make; just grab a handful of garden mint, add currants, make your pastry, and you’re in business. The smell of it straight from the oven is marvellous too. And the taste definitely hits the spot.”
He adds: “I get a lot of pleasure researching, writing up and testing the results. I can’t bear the sight and smell of tripe and onions though.”
“I enjoy cooking and the simplicity of most of the recipes attract me, combined with the often fascinating historical origins of them. Cooking too, is a way that many people express their creativity, and that is particularly important in this our Bradford City of Culture year.”
A HUGE fire has erupted near a scrap site this afternoon with plumes of smoke seen for miles.
The blaze has broken out near Craven Road in Broadheath, on what is understood to be a nearby scrap site.
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At least six fire engines are thought to be at the sceneCredit: Zenpix
Huge smoke plumes have been seen billowing overhead, with video footage being taken from the nearby retail park on George Richards Way.
At least six fire engines are thought to be at the scene with cordons currently being put in place this afternoon.
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “At around 2.40pm today (Sunday 8 February), five fire engines from across Greater Manchester and one aerial ladder platform attended a commercial building fire at Craven Road, Altrincham.
“Crews wearing breathing apparatus arrived quickly and are currently using two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.
Greater Manchester Police have confirmed they are in attendance at the scene this afternoon.
Officers are currently assisting with road closures, including along Craven Road in Broadheath.
People have been asked to avoid the area and close windows amid the ongoing blaze.
Local councillor, Ulrich Stephane Savary urged people to ‘avoid the area’ amid the blaze this afternoon. “Please avoid the area near Davidson on Craven Road/Barlow Road,” he said. “Please close your windows and take precautions.”
Ismaila Sarr struck a second-half winner as Crystal Palace halted a miserable 12-match winless run by snatching a 1-0 Premier League victory away to bitter rivals Brighton.
Forward Sarr, who scored twice in the Eagles’ 3-1 success at the Amex Stadium last season, fired home in the 61st minute to settle a tight derby encounter.
Victory for the Eagles was a first in all competitions since December 11 and lifted them to 13th place – a point above the Seagulls.
Brighton were booed off at full-time after home supporters vented displeasure at head coach Fabian Hurzeler by chanting “you’re getting sacked in the morning” in the closing stages of a match in which they created little.
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Albion, who would have gone into the top half of the table with three points, have now won just one of their last 12 top-flight fixtures.
Palace handed a debut to £48million club-record signing Jorgen Strand Larsen as part of two changes, while Brighton’s three alterations included a first Premier League start for 17-year-old midfielder Harry Howell.
A heavy police presence outside the ground indicated the importance of this fixture to the two sets of fans but passion on the terraces was not matched by entertainment on the pitch in a dour first half.
Seagulls captain Lewis Dunk glanced off target from a Pascal Gross free-kick before Eagles defender Maxence Lacroix blocked a powerful effort from Maxim De Cuyper with his left thigh.
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Palace grew into the contest to end a scrappy opening period in the ascendancy.
A series of long throws from Chris Richards caused Brighton some concern before Sarr sliced wide in the 43rd minute after being played in by Daniel Munoz.
November’s reverse fixture at Selhurst Park ended goalless and, based on the opening hour, a similar outcome here seemed a distinct possibility.
However, the deadlock was eventually broken a minute later as substitute Evann Guessand made an instant impact on his Eagles debut.
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Ismaila Sarr broke the deadlock for Crystal Palace after being set up by Evann Guessand (AFP via Getty Images)
The Ivory Coast forward, who joined on loan from Aston Villa on 30 January, seized on a poor headed clearance from Dunk to slip in Sarr, who took his time before finishing beyond Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
Eagles keeper Dean Henderson denied Charalampos Kostoulas an equaliser by saving with his legs four minutes later.
Albion boss Hurzeler responded to the deficit with a triple change in the 71st minute, introducing Diego Gomez, Yankuba Minteh and Danny Welbeck in place of De Cuyper, Carlos Baleba and Howell, which prompted chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” from some supporters.
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Strand Larsen twice threatened to double Palace’s lead before they comfortably held on during six minutes of added time to claim bragging rights and a first Premier League win since a 2-1 victory at Fulham on 7 December.
Hello and welcome to live, over-by-over coverage of England v Nepal in Mumbai. It’s the start of England’s World Cup campaign, one they will approach with confidence after a fine recent run in T20 internationals. They’ve won 11 of the last 12 completed games, including a clean sweep in Sri Lanka, and are generally rated either third or fourth favourites to win the competition.
Harry Brook will be pleased just to start the tournament and talk about cricket rather than his infamous night out in New Zealand. “It has been pretty horrendous to be honest,” Brook said. “It has just been tough. It’s not been a very nice time of my life. It’s just not been easy. All I do is hit a ball with a bat and that’s what I want to carry on doing for the rest of my career.
“I’d rather it had not happened, but it’s happened now and we’ve got to move forward and hopefully things can blow over and hopefully things are brighter on the other side.”
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England should cruise through from Group C, which also includes West Indies, Nepal, Italy and Scotland. The top two go through to the Super Eights, where the tournament starts to heat up. And they should win today against Nepal, a fast-improving side with an enormous fanbase, but that’s all part of the awkwardness – in the 19-year-history of the T20 World Cup, England have lost twice to the Netherlands and once to Ireland.
They named their side yesterday, with Tom Banton and Luke Wood preferred to Ben Duckett and Jamie Overton. Both are making their World Cup debuts. The match starts at 9.30am, and we’ll have details of the toss shortly.
Ken Goudie pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism following the incident at Larne Leisure Centre
A pervert at a Co Antrim leisure centre was restrained multiple times by a man he was “recording” in the changing rooms as he attempted to destroy his phone and escape.
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Ken Goudie of Carrickburn Road, Carrickfergus, pled guilty to one count of voyeurism at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, January 28, following the incident at Larne Leisure Centre in May 2024.
Goudie admitted to watching a man in the changing rooms for his own “sexual gratification” with his victim believing that he had used a mobile phone to record him.
Speaking to Belfast Live following the conviction, his victim said that he had been showering at the changing room when he noticed Goudie staring at him which “creeped him out”, with this continuing when he moved into the changing area beside the lockers. He said that he became very concerned about what Goudie was doing when he noticed his phone was positioned in his gym bag in such a way that the camera was pointing directly at him.
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The victim, who is a martial arts coach, said that when he confronted Goudie about this, he started to act in a strange way and refused to open his phone and show his victim whether or not there was videos or pictures of him on the phone.
He says that he restrained Goudie when he started to try and destroy his phone and eventually managed to get it off him when he then ran to the front desk of the leisure centre and asked them to call the police.
Shortly after this, Goudie attempted to leave the leisure centre via a fire escape, however his victim chased after him and restrained him outside until the police arrived.
The man said that following the incident he suffered with increased anxiety and still fears there could be images of him online somewhere.
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He said that even though police seized Goudie’s phone, he refused to provide officers with a pin and they were not able to examine the phone to see if there were any images of the victim on it, something the man did not believe “was good enough”.
He said: “This incident has had a huge impact on me over the past couple of years and I am still struggling with anxiety from it as I don’t know what sort of images or videos were taken of me, or if they have been put online somewhere.
“This man dragged this case right up until the final day when he changed his plea, which put me through even more stress.
“I am still disappointed that more was not done to properly examine his phone and extract what was on it after he refused to give up the PIN for it. The original plan was to have the phone destroyed, so it would never be known what was on the device, and I had to ask the courts not to do this and it is still in the possession of the police.”
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Goudie was sentenced to 100 hours community service, a probation order for a year and a half and will have to sign onto the sex offenders register for five years and a sexual offences prevention order for ten years.
A wonderful 17th-minute goal by Olivia Smith helped Arsenal consign Women’s Super League leaders Manchester City to a first defeat since September.
City had not lost since the opening day of the season but Andree Jeglertz watched the 17-match unbeaten run of his pace-setters end at Emirates Stadium.
Smith raced onto a wonderful Mariona Caldentey pass and rounded Ayaka Yamashita to score her seventh goal for Arsenal.
Even though WSL leading scorer Khadija Shaw threatened before and after half-time, Renee Slegers’ side held on for a vital three points.
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Arsenal have dealt Manchester City a first defeat since September (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool moved off the bottom for the first time since November with a fine 4-1 win over Aston Villa.
It took the Reds 12 matches to get off the mark in the WSL this season, but they made it two wins in three after goals by Mia Enderby, Martha Thomas, Grace Fisk and Aurelie Csillag in St Helens.
Enderby and Thomas scored within 14 minutes and while Miri Taylor reduced the deficit before the break, Fisk and Csillag struck late on to help Liverpool leapfrog relegation-rivals Leicester.
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Liverpool moved off the bottom for the first time since November (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
West Ham were set to go bottom after they went two goals down at home to Brighton before they produced a remarkable turnaround to win 3-2.
Manuela Vanegas put Brighton 2-0 up after 63 minutes following Kiko Seike’s 40th-minute opener, but Ffion Morgan gave the hosts a lifeline with eight minutes left when her cross caught out goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie.
Shekiera Martinez levelled in the 86th minute before Viviane Asseyi completed the comeback after a goalmouth scramble in the first minute of stoppage-time to spark wild celebrations.
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Viviane Asseyi completed the comeback in Dagenham, sparking wild celebrations (WSL Football via Getty Images)
Everton responded to the midweek dismissal of Brian Sorensen with a 1-0 triumph at London City.
After a goalless first 45, Inma Gabarro broke the deadlock in the 62nd minute.
It proved enough to help Everton register back-to-back WSL wins for the first time this season after a string of saves by goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.
Peter Andre was pictured having a bite to eat at Italian spot Uno’s Trattoria in Newcastle on Saturday (February 7), even taking time to snap a picture with servers.
The ‘Mysterious Girl’ hitmaker is said to have quietly booked a table, having been in the toon for show The Very Best of Frankie Valli starring Peter Andre at the Tyne Theatre.
Peter Andre at Uno’s Trattoria. (Image: UNO’S TRATTORIA)
Those on shift have now said how “lovely” and “genuine” Andre was, who signed the restaurant’s wall before leaving.
Supervisor Tori Robson told The Northern Echo: “He came in with his tour manager Carl and just casually asked for a table for two – obviously we were quite shocked!
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“They had called us a few minutes earlier (we didn’t know who was calling at that point) to confirm our location as our restaurant had been recommended to him by the hotel.”
Peter Andre at Uno’s Trattoria. (Image: UNO’S TRATTORIA)
After his visit, Andre took the restaurant by surprise once again when he took to Instagram and shouted out the restaurant, telling his two million followers the “food was excellent”
“Every single person we met was so friendly and so helpful,” he said.
“I feel like there was this consistency of niceness everywhere.”
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Speaking of the praise, Tori added: “He was a really lovely genuine guy, full of compliments to me and our manager Antonio regarding both our friendly staff and his meal (particularly how much he enjoyed our freshly baked in house selection of breads).
“He even posted a video on his social media pages stating how lovely people in Newcastle are and mentioned how much he enjoyed his lunch with us!”
Trump had also criticised the choice of pre-game and half-time entertainment in Green Day and Bad Bunny. “I’m anti-them,” he said. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”
According to the NFL, last year’s Super Bowl averaged a record 127.7 million US viewers across television and streaming platforms. It was also watched by 62.5 million outside the US.
NFC play-offs: Wild Card Weekend, January 10 Los Angeles Rams 34 Carolina Panthers 31 Green Bay Packers 27 Chicago Bears 31 January 11 San Francisco 49ers 23 Philadelphia Eagles 19 Divisional Play-offs, January 17 San Francisco 49ers 6 Seattle Seahawks 41 January 18 Los Angeles Rams 20 Chicago Bears 17 Conference Championship, January 25 Los Angeles Rams 31 Seattle Seahawks 27
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AFC play-offs: Wild Card Weekend, January 11 Los Angeles Chargers 3 New England Patriots 16 Buffalo Bills 27 Jacksonville Jaguars 24 January 12 Houston Texans 30 Pittsburgh Steelers 6 Divisional Play-offs, January 17 Buffalo Bills 30 Denver Broncos 33 (OT) Houston Texans 16 New England Patriots 28 Conference Championship, January 25 New England Patriots 10 Denver Broncos 7
February 8 New England Patriots vs Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX, Levi’s Stadium, 11.30pm
Sarah Ferguson is alleged to have been in a sexual relationship with Jeffrey Epstein but there is more to the disturbing love triangle between the pair and Andrew.
Georgia Burns Trainee Trends, Showbiz and Lifestyle Writer and Emma Mackenzie
14:53, 08 Feb 2026
The troubling connections between Andrew, Fergie, Epstein and Maxwell have taken an even more shocking turn. Newly released emails and texts from Sarah Ferguson to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealed in the latest files from the US Department of Justice, suggest she was once “madly in love” with the disgraced financier and they may have “slept together”.
Millions of documents from the Epstein files have been released online, providing insight into the billionaire pedophile’s life and his connections with associates. They have also revealed new details about his disturbing relationship with Fergie, who he is reported to have “bankrolled” for 15 years.
From messages pleading with the predator to “marry” her to furious texts claiming he had “disappeared” from her life and “used her,” the emails have once again brought their bizarre bond into the spotlight. Their twisted connection has contributed to Sarah’s dramatic fall from grace, alongside her ex-husband Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, who strongly denies any wrongdoing.
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This week, on a live episode of his Lownie Report podcast on Substack, royal author Andrew Lownie stated: “Andrew was sleeping with Ghislaine, Ghislaine was sleeping with Epstein … I’ve heard that Epstein and Sarah were sleeping together. It doesn’t surprise me.”
The author, who wrote an explosive biography of the Yorks and spoke to numerous sources close to Andrew and Sarah, has now gone even further with his claims, telling the Mirror : “Sarah Ferguson was madly in love with Epstein and apparently spent several nights with him.”
In July 2025, Maxwell herself claimed Fergie had made advances toward Epstein, saying during an interview with Deputy Attorney-General Todd Blanche that Sarah had “put the moves on Jeffrey”.
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On his podcast, Lownie added: “There’s a complicated psychosexual network going on as well as a financial one. Certainly Ghislaine and Sarah were not friends. I think Ghislaine was rather jealous of Sarah and vice versa. She felt that Sarah was moving in on someone she saw as her boyfriend.”
Andrew himself is alleged to have been an “occasional lover” of Epstein’s girlfriend, convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell, a claim Lownie says was “common knowledge” within Epstein’s circles.
In Entitled, Lownie states the alleged relationship between Ghislaine and Andrew was on and off over many years. Andrew had previously said he met Ghislaine in Oxford in the 1980s, while the book claims “Andrew resumed his on-off affair with Ghislaine Maxwell” in May 1999, a few months after his 40th birthday.
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Both Maxwell and Epstein were invited by Andrew to royal residences over the years. Former police protection officer Paul Page has previously claimed the pair were romantically involved, saying in 2022 he and his colleagues at the palace believe they shared an “intimate relationship”.
“From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace at will, we suspected that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew,” he told ITV. “She was allowed to enter and exit the Palace night and day at will,” Page claimed, “Myself and my other colleagues formed the opinion they were in some sort of relationship.”
Back in 2007, Epstein admitted he and Andrew “have shared the same women”. He also dubbed the King’s brother his “closest friend in the world”.
Meanwhile, Maxwell has said she regarded Andrew as a “dear friend” following her sex trafficking conviction, but was reportedly “shaken” to learn the former prince’s legal team claimed the pair were never close.
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Newly released emails in the explosive Epstein files suggest Ferguson once shared a close relationship with Epstein. In September 2011, Sarah emailed Epstein to congratulate him on having a “baby boy” – it was not previously known he had fathered children – before sending a furious follow-up message just minutes later.
“Don’t know if you are still on this bbm [BlackBerry Messenger] but heard from The Duke that you have had a baby boy,” the initial email reads. “Even though you never kept in touch, I still am here with love, friendship and congratulations [sic] on your baby boy. Sarah xx.”
Just eight minutes later, she wrote: “You have disappeared. I did not even know you were having a baby. It was sooooo crystal clear to me that you were only friends with me to get to Andrew. And that really hurt me deeeply. More than you will know.”
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In a separate exchange from 2009, she wrote: “You are a legend. I really don’t have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness…Xx I am at your service . Just marry me.”
The blaze at Malone House in 1976, caused by two fire bombs, completely destroyed the Ulster Museum’s entire costume and textile collection.
A huge fashion and textiles collection lost in a fire bomb attack in Belfast has been brought back to life 50 years later.
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The blaze at Malone House in 1976, caused by two fire bombs, completely destroyed the Ulster Museum’s entire costume and textile collection.
However, after five decades of painstaking work, the museum said the collection has been reborn.
It described a major new exhibition of the collection, named Ashes to Fashion, as a cultural moment for the South Belfast museum, Northern Ireland and the fashion world.
It will reveal 50 years of dedicated collecting, and highlight the expertise and resilience involved in rebuilding a collection from scratch.
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Bringing together five centuries of historic and contemporary garments and textiles, the collection has been rebuilt through thoughtful curation, acquisitions, donations and bequests.
Among the highlights of the 120 objects on display is the Lennox Quilt, the only surviving item from the original collection.
Measuring 6ft by 6ft and entirely handstitched, the quilt was made in 1712 by Martha Lennox, the daughter of John Hamilton, one of the first sovereigns, or mayors, of Belfast.
It was purchased at auction by the Ulster Museum in March 1976, and escaped destruction as it was on display at the museum at the time.
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The earliest object on display will be a rare stumpwork embroidery casket from the 1660s, donated to the museum in 2025 by renowned needlework expert Lanto Synge.
Other items include silk gowns from the 18th century, juxtaposed with modern pieces including a Chanel Haute Couture suit worn by supermodel Christy Turlington.
A range of pieces by international and local designers will be on display for the first time ever, including items from Northern Ireland-born Jonathan Anderson, as well as Elie Saab, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Rodarte, Christopher Kane and Kindred of Ireland.
Charlotte McReynolds, curator of art at National Museums NI, said Ashes to Fashion allows the museum to tell the story of what happened next, and not dwell on the profound cultural loss.
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“The 1976 fire destroyed around 10,000 items in the original collection, with garments affected by flames, smoke, heat and water,” she said.
“For curators, conservators and the wider museum team, the incident represented profound cultural loss.
“Now, 50 years on, it has become an opportunity to reflect on our resilience.
“The exhibition traces the journey from disaster to recovery, revealing the meticulous work undertaken by a succession of curators, beginning with Elizabeth McCrum, to rebuild a new collection from scratch.
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“Ashes to Fashion reframes fashion.
“It positions textiles as significant cultural objects that carry stories, emotions and history, which can be both fragile and enduring.”
Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said the exhibition is an opportunity to transform people’s perceptions of museums.
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She said: “Ashes to Fashion is an honest and powerful response to a devastating moment in our history.
“It acknowledges what was lost, whilst celebrating the extraordinary expertise involved in rebuilding it.
“It demonstrates how creativity and resilience can emerge from even the most devastating circumstances.
“At the heart of the exhibition is a commitment to transparency and reflection.
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“Visitors are given rare insight into the behind-the-scenes realities of museum collecting and conservation.
“Resilience and constant renewal are markers of the fashion world, and now also of the Ulster Museum’s own reborn fashion collection.
“We are immensely proud to put on this exhibition, our first major fashion exhibition in 15 years, and look forward to welcoming new audiences to experience the Ulster Museum through the lens of fashion and design.”
Various public talks and workshops in partnership with Ulster University will take place while the exhibition runs, allowing students, designers and the public to connect with Ashes to Fashion beyond the gallery.
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The Ashes to Fashion exhibition will open at the Ulster Museum on February 27.
