A newly unsealed batch of Jeffrey Epstein–related documents has reignited controversy around Britain’s royal family, revealing a crude email sent by Sarah Ferguson about her teenage daughter to the convicted sex offender.
The email, dated March 2010, surfaced Friday after the U.S. Department of Justice released more than three million files tied to investigations of Jeffrey Epstein. In the message, Ferguson — the former Duchess of York — responded to Epstein about a potential trip with a vulgar remark referencing her daughter Princess Eugenie, who was 19 at the time.
In the email, Ferguson wrote that she was waiting for Eugenie to return from what she described as a “shagging weekend.” At the time, Eugenie was days away from turning 20 and was visiting her then-boyfriend, Jack Brooksbank, whom she later married.
The email exchange occurred after Epstein had already pleaded guilty in 2008 to charges involving the solicitation of a minor and served time in jail, followed by house arrest. Despite that conviction, Epstein continued to correspond with high-profile figures, including Ferguson.
The newly released files also include other messages from Ferguson that have drawn scrutiny. In one January 2010 email, she reportedly told Epstein, “Just marry me,” thanking him for his generosity and support. Similar language appeared in earlier correspondence from 2009.
Ferguson shares daughters Eugenie and Princess Beatrice with her former husband, Prince Andrew, whose own ties to Epstein have been a source of sustained controversy. Andrew stepped back from public royal duties in 2019 following renewed scrutiny of his relationship with Epstein and allegations made by Virginia Giuffre, who said she was trafficked to Andrew as a teenager — claims Andrew has repeatedly denied. Giuffre died in 2025.
The DOJ files also reference Epstein’s longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking offenses. Additional images and emails involving Andrew and Epstein appeared in earlier document releases.
The resurfaced Ferguson emails arrive as pressure mounts on Andrew to cooperate with international inquiries. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has suggested that anyone with relevant information related to Epstein should be prepared to testify, emphasizing that victims must remain the priority.
Ferguson has previously acknowledged poor judgment in her dealings with Epstein. After it became public in 2010 that Epstein helped pay off debts she owed to staff, she issued a public apology the following year, calling the decision a “terrible, terrible error of judgment” and stating that she abhorred sexual abuse.
The newly unsealed email, however, has reopened uncomfortable questions about how closely Epstein remained woven into elite social circles long after his conviction — and how casually some of those connections were treated.
