Sarah Ferguson set to be stripped of the Freedom of York
Sarah Ferguson could have her Freedom of the City of York honour removed under proposals set to go before councillors.
A motion proposing to strip the former royal and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of the honour will be voted on by councillors on Thursday, March 26.
It was given to her when she visited York with her then-husband in 1987.
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Thursday’s vote comes after proposals to strip 66-year-old Ms Ferguson of the honorary status were first mooted in October.
They came after an email between her and the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein emerged.
An email published in the Mail on Sunday from her to Epstein in 2011 described him as a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to her and her family.
It was sent after the financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and after Ms Ferguson said her involvement with him was an error of judgement.
A spokesperson for the former duchess said the email was sent in response to legal threats from Epstein after her comments.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, in 2024. Photograph: Chris Jackson / PA wire
City of York Council leader Cllr Claire Douglas said in October it was deplorable that anyone bearing titles linked to the city associated with Epstein after his crimes became known.
Officials working for the duchess did not respond to a request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) for comment at the time.
Ms Ferguson’s ex-husband, the former Duke of York, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February.
The arrest followed the publication of emails between him and Epstein while the former prince was serving as a UK trade envoy. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied any wrongdoing.
Police investigations have also seen leading Labour figure Peter Mandelson arrested, also on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Both men have since been released and have not been charged as investigations continue.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of all his royal titles in October in the wake of revelations about his association with Epstein.
He resigned from public roles in 2020 and Queen Elizabeth removed him from his honorary military and charitable roles in 2022.
Sarah with her daughter Princess Eugenie at the York Minster wedding of Ellie Goulding in 2019. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Wire
York councillors voted to remove his Freedom of the City honour in 2022 after details of the former prince’s relationship with Epstein emerged.
Councillors said at the time it was inappropriate for the then Duke of York to hold titles linked to the city given the council’s commitment to tackling the violence and abuse of women and girls.
The former prince reached an out of court settlement on a civil sex assault case brought by Virginia Giuffre earlier in 2022.
Ms Ferguson still holds the Freedom of the City honour her and her ex-husband were given as a wedding present during a visit to York in 1987.
The honour has previously been awarded to the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill and Judi Dench.
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