(NewsNation) — Several charities have cut ties with Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, after a message surfaced wherein she allegedly referred to Jeffrey Epstein as a “supreme friend.”
Ferguson is the former wife of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, whose ties to convicted sex offender Epstein have remained a headache for the royal family.
The duchess’s 2011 message, made public on Sunday by two newspapers, was sent weeks after she publicly drew a line between herself and the disgraced financier.
Julia’s House, an English children’s hospice charity, said Ferguson’s correspondence with Epstein was behind the decision: “Julia’s House has taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity. We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.”
Sarah Ferguson poses for photographers upon arrival at the U.K. premiere of the film ‘Marlowe’ in London, March 16, 2023. (Scott Garfitt/Invision/AP, File) 
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, attend the Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse on June 21, 2019, in Ascot, England. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images) 
Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at the Mar-a-Lago club, Palm Beach, Florida, on Feb. 12, 2000. (Photo by Davidoff Studios/Getty Images)
Other charities cutting ties with the duchess include the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, the Children’s Literacy Charity and Prevent Breast Cancer, according to the Associated Press.
Last week, President Donald Trump — another onetime associate of Epstein — was welcomed for a historic second state visit to the U.K., where he was treated to pomp, pageantry and little prodding about Epstein’s crimes.
Prior to Trump’s trip across the pond, the British ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, was fired after his relationship with Epstein was revealed in the pages of a “birthday book.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.