Duchess of York apologised to Jeffrey Epstein in emails after publicly cutting ties

In a shocking email, Sarah Ferguson "humbly apologised" to the convicted sex offender and admitted she only distanced herself from him to save her own reputation.

The Duchess sent the grovelling message - seen by the Mail on Sunday - less than two months after telling journalists: "I will never have anything to do with [Epstein] again."

But this proved to be a cynical deception, as she would go on to tell Epstein in an email that she was told to speak out if she wanted to save her career as a children's author.

Fergie publicly denounced the disgraced billionaire on March 7, 2011, amid mounting pressure over the links she and ex-husband Prince Andrew had to him.

In an interview with the London Evening Standard, she also admitted that accepting a £15,000 bailout from Epstein was a "a gigantic error of judgment... I am just so contrite I cannot say".

Read more: King Charles 'made £1m at taxpayers' expense' by selling land for scrapped HS2 leg

Read more: King Charles meets world's oldest person - who recalls 'all the girls were in love with you'

However, in another email - addressed to 'my dear, dear friend Jeffrey' and sent on January 22, 2011, the Duchess thanks him for helping clear huge debts racked up after years of lavish spending.

"How can I thank you enough? You are a friend indeed and I will one day give it to you back. But I can not have the words to thank you now," she wrote.

"Sometimes the heart speaks better than the words. You have my heart. With lots of love, dear Jeffrey."

In a follow-up email sent on April 26, 2011, the Duchess apologised for disowning Epstein – who was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019 – and reassured him that she had never described him as a paedophile.

"I know you feel hellaciously let down by me from what you were either told or read and I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that," she pleaded.

The Duchess also wrote: "You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.

"As you know, I did not, absolutely not, say the "P word" [paedophile] about you but understand it was reported that I did.

"However, I am apologising to you today for not replying to your email or reaching out to you when the tabloids were so horrendous.

"I was advised, in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you and if I did I would cause more problems to you, the Duke and myself.

"I was broken and lost. I shut down and ran away. So please understand, as I do about you, that I was broken and not the strong person you know and I got completely obliterated and I saw all my children's work disappearing.

"I didn't want to hurt Andrew one more time."

Discussing her Evening Standard interview, she told Epstein: "I was instructed to act with the utmost speed if I would have any chance of holding on to my career as a children's book author and a children's philanthropist."

Signing-off, she wrote: 'In the meantime, I write this from the truth of my heart.'

This correspondence between the Duchess and the child abuser Epstein was exchanged after he was released from a Florida jail in July 2009, having served 13 months of an 18 month sentence for soliciting prostitution from girls as young as 14.

A spokesman for the Duchess said Epstein had threatened to sue her for defamation after her Evening Standard interview and she had been advised to try and 'assuage' him.

“The Duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago, and as they have always been, her first thoughts are with his victims," the spokesman said.

"Like many people, she was taken in by his lies. As soon as she was aware of the extent of the allegations against him, she not only cut off contact but condemned him publicly, to the extent that he then threatened to sue her for defamation for associating him with paedophilia.

"She does not resile from anything she said then. This email was sent in the context of advice the Duchess was given to try to assuage Epstein and his threats.”

The leaked emails will fuel calls for King Charles and Prince William to completely ostracise the disgraced Yorks.

The revelation comes after Lord Mandelson was fired as the British US Ambassador after a string of embarrassing emails between himself and Epstein were released.

Epstein agreed to pay £15,000 owed in unpaid wages and other bills to Sarah's former personal assistant, Johnny O'Sullivan, in December 2010, just under 18 months after he was released from prison.

Prince Andrew orchestrated the deal, which allowed a wider restructuring of the Duchess's debts, which were approaching £5million.

Epstein's financial assistance caused embarrassment for the Royal Family when it was uncovered by the media in March 2011.