Duchess of York dropped as patron of children’s hospice Julia’s House over Epstein email

Sarah, Duchess of York, has been dropped as a patron of a children’s hospice after it emerged she sent an email apologising to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein for publicly disowning him.

The charity, Julia’s House, said in a statement: “Following the information shared this weekend on the Duchess of York’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, 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.”

Julia’s House provides support for “families caring for a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition”, according to its website.

It comes after reports surfaced of the duchess apparently writing Epstein a gushing message describing him as her “supreme friend”.

According to The Sun on Sunday, the ex-wife of the Duke of York had emailed him in April 2011 and “humbly apologised” for linking him to paedophilia in the media a few weeks previously.

She said in the message that he was a “steadfast, generous and supreme friend” to her.

Her spokesperson has since said she only wrote the note because Epstein had threatened to sue her.

The duchess’s interview with the Evening Standard on 7 March 2011 saw her apologise for accepting £15,000 from Epstein.

She told the newspaper: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite, I cannot say.

“Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”

But the Sun reported that little over a month later, the duchess emailed from her private account to the sex offender.

She apologised to him and said she was “bedridden with fear”, it was reported.