Sarah Ferguson has reportedly resurfaced after quite some time out of the public eye, as she keeps her distance from the growing scandal surrounding her former husband.
Sarah Ferguson has reportedly resurfaced after months of being absent from the public eye, as turmoil continues to surround her former husband.
The 66-year-old has not been seen publicly for weeks following the release of fresh Department of Justice files containing correspondence with convicted paedophile and sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Although inclusion in the files does not indicate wrongdoing, the revelations have caused renewed embarrassment for the Royal Family.
The situation has escalated further following the arrest of the former prince on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
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Ms Ferguson is now said to have been seen for the first time outside the UK, keeping her distance from the growing scandal surrounding Andrew, with whom she had lived until recently.
It has been reported she left the country as her ex-husband became further entangled in the controversy. She had not appeared publicly since the Christening of her granddaughter Athena Mapelli Mozzi and is said to have been staying in Zurich, Switzerland.
Ms Ferguson’s absence comes as documents revealed correspondence with Epstein in multiple documents releases from the US Department of Justice, showing that she had spoken with the paedophile on friendly terms while he served time for heinous crimes.
Among the revelations involving the royal was that she had repeatedly emailed with Epstein while he was serving a sentence for child sex offences. Epstein was released from prison on July 22, 2009, having served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for soliciting an underage girl for sex.
In an email included in the files dated to June 14, 2009, just under a week before his release, a contact identified as “Sarah” emails him about one of the then Duchess of York’s business initiatives.
The contact asks: “I need to ask you how I start The Mothers Army company so it can be commercial, how do I do that? Can you help me?” In a follow-up on June 26, she signs off an email with “love you”, writing: “I am alive… yes I did go to the first lady and she loved the Mothers Army. I am going to call you later Love you”.
Her association culminated in the closure of her charitable foundation, Sarah’s Trust, which was “dedicated to supporting frontline, grassroots work to address the humanitarian and environmental crisis, the hunger crisis and issues perpetuating cycles of extreme poverty”.
It was shuttered “for the foreseeable future”, a spokesperson announced, just days after new details of her relationship with Epstein emerged. The spokesperson said the decision had followed “some months” of discussion.
They said it had also followed agreement between Ms Ferguson and her board of trustees, saying: “Our chair Sarah Ferguson and the board of trustees have agreed that with regret the charity will shortly close for the foreseeable future,” a spokesman said on Monday evening. This has been under discussion and in train for some months.”