The former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, finds herself in the eye of a new storm after a combination of leaked Jeffrey Epstein emails and claims from former household staff reignited public and media scrutiny in early June 2026.
According to reports from Closer magazine, Ferguson, 66, is said to be deeply rattled by the renewed attention and has been privately venting her frustration to those around her.
Ferguson Reportedly Blames Andrew for ‘Dragging Them to the Bottom’
Sources close to Ferguson suggest she believes her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has left her exposed through his continued association with the Epstein scandal — with one insider reportedly saying she feels he has dragged them both down. While Ferguson had long positioned herself publicly as supportive of Andrew, the latest wave of negative coverage appears to have strained that loyalty considerably.
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Closer magazine reported on June 11, 2026, that Ferguson has been left feeling “panicked” by recent accounts from former employees, and that the charm which helped her weather past controversies is no longer serving her in the same way.
Among the most damaging disclosures was an email from March 2010, in which Ferguson made a crude remark about her then-19-year-old daughter Princess Eugenie in an exchange with Epstein.
The email was among millions of Epstein-related records released by the US Department of Justice earlier in 2026 and drew widespread condemnation.
Separately, convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell has claimed in a 2025 interview that it was actually Sarah Ferguson who first introduced Andrew to Epstein — a claim that contradicts previous accounts and has added further complexity to the already tangled narrative surrounding the former couple.
The scandal reached a dramatic peak on February 19, 2026 — Andrew’s 66th birthday — when he was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in connection with his ties to Epstein. After being held for approximately 11 hours, he was released by Thames Valley Police. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged in connection with the case.
In the aftermath, both Andrew and Ferguson were required to vacate Royal Lodge, the Windsor property they had shared since 2008 despite having divorced in 1996. The move accelerated significantly following the DOJ’s January 2026 document release. Wikipedia
Ferguson Seeks Distance from Andrew
According to reports, Ferguson has told a confidant that upon her return to the UK, she intends to create clear distance between herself and Andrew — a significant shift from the united front the pair had maintained for years.
Royal biographer Ingrid Seward has suggested that unlike previous scandals, this one may be impossible for Ferguson to recover from, noting that public appetite for giving her a platform has largely evaporated.
Reports indicate that Ferguson has been staying at a ski chalet in the Austrian Alps while the controversy continues to unfold, keeping a low profile as headlines about her Epstein links and staff allegations continue to circulate. Her daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, are reportedly distressed by the ongoing situation.