Sarah Ferguson has reportedly been staying at a £2,000-a-night ski chalet in Austria, where she is said to be keeping a low profile amid ongoing fallout linked to the Epstein scandal
Sarah Ferguson is said to be reluctant to return to the UK after reportedly feeling “abandoned” by the Royal Family, sources have revealed. The former Duchess of York, who lost her title alongside her ex-husband Andrew amid scrutiny over their links to Jeffrey Epstein, has reportedly kept out of the public eye for months following action taken by King Charles last October.
Fergie has not been seen publicly since attending the christening of her one-year-old granddaughter Athena at London’s St James’s Palace on December 12. However, she has now reportedly been spotted staying at a £2,000-a-night ski chalet in Austria, where she is said to have been moving around the alpine village discreetly.
Uncertainty had surrounded her whereabouts after she was repeatedly named in a batch of documents released by US investigators examining the crimes of late financier Epstein.
A source close to the York family claimed Sarah has not been contacted by any member of the Royal Family since being stripped of the title she had used for decades, despite having been divorced from Andrew for 30 years.
One friend said: “Sarah is living in fear right now. She’s not immune to everything that is happening. She realises how serious everything is, and she is not coping with it.
“She is definitely worried about returning home to the UK and is relying on the kindness of friends to help her through the situation. But she knows she can’t keep moving around forever. Sarah feels she has been abandoned by the royal family and has been treated very unfairly. She is at a complete loss over what to do.”
Back in February, Fergie reportedly checked into one of the world’s most exclusive wellness clinic, following details about her close friendship with Epstein were revealed, the Mirror reports.
The luxury Paracelsus Recovery Clinic – where stays can cost around £13,000 a night – is understood to have offered her treatment free of charge, having previously worked with her as an ambassador.
Other reports suggest Sarah has been moving between a number of wellness retreats across Europe, with unconfirmed stays in Switzerland, Ireland and the Middle East. Sources also claim she has been offered the chance to stay with her sister in Australia.
Meanwhile, speculation in publishing world continues to grow that she is planning a comeback with a tell-all memoir, reportedly seeking a fee of more than £1 million. A source said:”One thing is for certain, she is desperately short of cash.”
It comes as the first image of Fergie since the release of the Epstein files have surfaced, showing her appearing stony-faced as she stepped out of a blacked-out people carrier wearing glasses and a baseball cap, covering her trademark red hair.
Sources say she has largely avoided the spotlight since her last public appearance at the Duchess of Kent’s funeral at Westminster Cathedral in September, instead keeping a low profile in the Alps and rarely venturing out.
Epstein has also been central to the downfall of her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his titles by King Charles over what were described as “serious lapses of judgement” in relation to his friendship with the late paedophile.
Fergie also lost her courtesy royal divorcee title and reverted to her maiden name. More recently, she was stripped of the freedom of the city of York after councillors unanimously voted to remove the honour due to her links to Epstein.
She and Andrew were originally granted the honour as a wedding gift from the city in 1987 during an official visit.
The Epstein scandal intensified for Fergie last September when it emerged she had written to the convicted sex offender, describing him as a “supreme friend” despite previously distancing herself publicly – a revelation that led to several charities dropping her as a patron.
Further documents released in January appeared to show Fergie writing in an email to Epstein: “I am at your service. Just marry me.” In another email, she made a crude remark about her daughter Princess Eugenie’s love life, while also referring to Epstein as the “brother I have always wished for” and calling him a “legend”.
Another exchange reportedly suggested she had asked the disgraced financier for a job as a house assistant. It also emerged that she appeared to have taken her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to visit him in Florida just days after his release from prison in 2008.
The revelations prompted a US lawmaker to contact the former duchess, urging her to testify before Congress about Epstein. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam requested that she provide evidence as part of a government investigation into Epstein’s sex trafficking operations.
Subramanyam’s letter to her read: “The Committee is seeking information from anyone who has knowledge of Mr Epstein’s criminal operations, and reports and released Department of Justice files reveal your close personal and business ties with him.
“As the Committee seeks justice for the survivors of Mr Epstein’s criminal enterprise, and transparency for the American public, I respectfully request your cooperation with the Committee’s investigation.” As a non-US citizen, Ferguson is not compelled to appear before Congress or respond to the request.
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