LONDON, February 3. /TASS/. The charitable organization Sarah’s Trust, founded by Sarah Ferguson, the former wife of British Prince Andrew, is closing down after new information was published about her close friendship with convicted American financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Sky News reported.
"Our chair Sarah Ferguson and the board of trustees have agreed that with regret the charity will shortly close for the foreseeable future. This has been under discussion and in train for some months. We remain extremely proud of the work of the trust over recent years," an official representative of Sarah's Trust stated.
American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of pedophilia, was arrested by New York State law enforcement agencies on July 6, 2019. Prosecutors said there was evidence that between 2002 and 2005, he arranged for dozens of underage girls, the youngest of whom was 14, to visit his home in Manhattan. Epstein’s circle of friends and acquaintances included current and former officials from the US and many other countries, including former heads of state, as well as major entrepreneurs and show business stars. Criminal proceedings against the financier in the US were terminated after he committed suicide in his prison cell in August 2019. Epstein’s acquaintances included former US President Bill Clinton and current leader Donald Trump.
On January 30, the US Department of Justice announced that it has released all documents from the case file. In particular, previously unknown correspondence between the financier and Ferguson from 2010 was discovered. In it, the former royal family member expressed her gratitude to Epstein for his help, despite the fact that by that time the businessman had already pleaded guilty in his first case involving the use of underage prostitutes.
Charges against the prince
In 2019, Prince Andrew was forced to step down from his official duties as a member of the royal family after an American woman, Virginia Giuffre, said he was among several men with whom she was forced to have sex at the age of 17.
Over the years, the prince has denied the accusations. However, when Giuffre filed a lawsuit against him in the United States, he settled the dispute out of court paying her 12 million pounds (about $15 million), according to media reports.
In 2022, by the decision of Elizabeth II, the prince was stripped of honorary military ranks and the role of patron of several public organizations. He also lost the right to use the official title of His Highness, although he kept it.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, brother of the current King of Great Britain Charles III, and Sarah Ferguson were married at Westminster Abbey in London in 1986. They have two children: 37-year-old Princess Beatrice and 35-year-old Princess Eugenie. In 1996, Prince Andrew divorced his wife, while Ferguson retained the title of Duchess of York. She ceased using this title in October 2025.