The Teenage Cancer Trust has dropped Sarah, Duchess of York as patron after 35 years following the disclosure of an email to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein in which she described him as a “supreme friend”.
Several charities severed ties with the duchess on Monday after it emerged she apologised to the sex offender in April 2011 after publicly disowning him in the media.
In a statement, the Teenage Cancer Trust said: “We have made the decision to end our relationship with the Duchess of York, and as of today she is no longer a patron of Teenage Cancer Trust.
“We have communicated this decision to the Duchess. We would like to thank the Duchess of York for her support.”
The charity’s announcement followed similar statements from Wiltshire and Dorset-based children’s hospice Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, and The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, who all cut ties with the duchess on Monday.
Julia’s House was the first to announce its decision to end its association with the duchess, saying it would be “inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity” – citing her correspondence with Epstein as a deciding factor.
Prevent Breast Cancer, which the duchess became a patron of last year, also announced it was cutting ties with her.
She joined forces with the charity following her own experience with breast cancer in 2023, but a spokeswoman confirmed she was no longer a patron and thanked her for her work.
Food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation also announced it had dropped the duchess as a patron, with the founders saying they were “disturbed” to read her correspondence with Epstein.
The charity, which was launched after teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died from a severe allergic reaction to eating a baguette, asked the duchess to become a patron when it was founded in 2019.
In a statement, founders Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse said: “We were disturbed to read of Sarah, Duchess of York’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.
“Sarah Ferguson has not been actively involved with the charity for some years.
“She was a patron, but in the light of the recent revelations, we have taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue to be associated with the charity.”
Read More