Sarah Ferguson loses her Freedom of York honour due to her association with Jeffrey Epstein, following a unanimous city council vote.
YORK: Officials have stripped Sarah Ferguson, the ex-wife of Britain’s former Prince Andrew, of the Freedom of the City of York over her ties to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The city council’s unanimous vote closes what one resident called “a rather embarrassing chapter” for the historic city.
Council leader Claire Douglas said the city expects honour recipients to uphold “the values and behaviours consistent with such an honour”. She stated that “those who continued to associate with Epstein after his crimes became widely known fall well short of these expectations”.
The decision took just a few minutes in the mediaeval Guildhall. Retired teacher Helen Gibbons, 78, attended the vote, calling it “a good thing” despite having “always had a soft spot for” Ferguson.
Ferguson received the honour in 1987, a year after her marriage to Andrew. Andrew himself was stripped of his freedom of the city in 2022 due to his own Epstein links.
The latest cache of Epstein documents, released by US authorities in January, revealed Ferguson’s close links to the convicted sex offender. She reportedly called Epstein “the brother I have always wished for” and sought money from him.
These documents showed she remained friendly with Epstein even after his 2008 conviction for sex trafficking and sex with a minor.
US Democratic congressman Suhas Subramanyam has since written to Ferguson asking her to testify to US lawmakers about her “social and business ties” to Epstein.
Ferguson’s public image has been shattered, with numerous charities severing ties. Her own charity, Sarah’s Trust, announced its closure in mid-February.
She has kept a low profile since the scandal broke and was last seen publicly in December. Prince Andrew was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
He has since been ousted from the royal Windsor estate to a remote property in Norfolk. Andrew was also stripped of his royal titles, including Duke of York, in October.
In York’s Shambles district, reactions ranged from indifference to anger. Retired railway worker Robert Pratt hoped the city could “move on”. Bank worker Oliver Dardillo said he would “rather talk about the cost of living, rising rents and taxes than the royal family”.
At a local pub, conversation focused more on the war in Iran. One unemployed customer, Joe Whitehair, swore at the mention of the couple.
