Royal Visit to Epstein Days After Prison Release Revealed in Documents
Fresh details concerning Jeffrey Epstein's connections with British royalty have surfaced following the release of three million files by the United States Department of Justice. According to these newly disclosed documents, Sarah Ferguson appears to have taken her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to visit the convicted sex offender merely five days after he was released from prison.
Email Correspondence Details Alleged 2009 Meeting
An email sent by Epstein to his associate Ghislaine Maxwell on 28th July 2009 reportedly states: "ferg and the two girls come [sic] yesterday." This message was preceded by an email from an individual named "Sarah" the previous day, which inquired: "What address shall we come to. It will be myself, Beatrice and Eugenie. Are we having lunch?"
The alleged visit would have occurred during the summer of 2009, when Princess Beatrice was 20 years old and Princess Eugenie was 19. This timing is particularly significant as it falls less than a week after Epstein's release from jail on 22nd July 2009, where he had been serving a sentence for soliciting a child for prostitution. Following his prison term, he was placed under house arrest.
Travel Arrangements and Financial Discussions
Additional correspondence from the week before the purported visit shows arrangements being made for the Duchess and her daughters' travel. An email from a redacted address discussed ticket options, noting that matching exact timing and airport preferences would result in "crazy high price tags" and asked if the party could be flexible with their plans.
The documents further reveal that Ferguson later expressed feeling "deeply hurt" by what she perceived as Epstein's ulterior motives. She accused him of using their friendship primarily to gain access to her former husband, Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
Subsequent Communications and Financial Requests
Following what appeared to be Epstein cutting off contact, Ferguson sent a series of frustrated messages in an apparent attempt to reconnect. In September 2011, she messaged him via BlackBerry to congratulate him on what she had heard was the birth of a baby boy, despite their lack of recent communication.
When she received no reply within eight minutes, she followed up with further messages, explicitly stating her belief that Epstein had only befriended her to reach Prince Andrew. "It was sooooo crystal clear to me that you were only friends with me to get to Andrew. And that really hurt me deeply. More than you will know," she wrote.
Other communications show Ferguson referring to Epstein as "the brother I have always wished for" before requesting £20,000 to cover rent following a failed business venture. In a later email, she called him a "legend" and expressed her "gratitude," even joking: "Just marry me."
Pressure to Defend Epstein's Reputation
Several emails indicate that Epstein pressured Ferguson to publicly defend his character after she told a newspaper she wanted "nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again." He reportedly wanted her to state that he was "not a pedo" and had been "duped" into believing false allegations.
Charity Closure and Previous Statements
In the wake of these revelations, Ferguson's charity, Sarah's Trust, announced it would close "for the foreseeable future." The organisation, launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to support NHS staff, care home workers, and hospice employees, stated that this decision had been under discussion for several months.
When previous associations between Ferguson and Epstein were revealed in September 2025, a spokesperson for the Duchess stated that she had long regretted the connection. "Like many people, she was taken in by his lies," the spokesperson said, adding that Ferguson had cut off contact and publicly condemned Epstein once aware of the allegations against him, to the extent that he threatened to sue her for defamation.
The spokesperson further explained that certain emails were sent in the context of advice given to Ferguson to try to assuage Epstein and his threats. The Independent has contacted representatives of Sarah Ferguson for comment regarding these latest document releases.
