Sarah Ferguson’s charity formally closes down

Sarah Ferguson’s charity, Sarah’s Trust, has formally wound up and is marked as “removed” on the public register of charities.

The charity said in February it would close “for the foreseeable future” days after new details emerged about the former Duchess of York’s friendship with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Among more than three million documents released by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) earlier this year were emails appearing to show Ferguson was in contact with Epstein while he was in prison for soliciting sex from a minor. Being named in the documents does not indicate wrongdoing.

The BBC has contacted Ferguson’s representatives for comment on the closure of her charity.

Established in 2020, Sarah’s Trust was “dedicated to supporting frontline, grassroots work to address the humanitarian and environmental crisis, the hunger crisis and issues perpetuating cycles of extreme poverty”, according to its website.

In February, a spokesperson for the foundation said the decision to close had come after “some months” of discussion.

The foundation did not provide further details behind its decision to close at the time.

The massive drop of files by the DoJ earlier this year suggested Ferguson had been closer to Epstein than previously thought.

In the files, Ferguson was seen praising the late sex offender in 2009 as “the brother I have always wished for”.

The emails also suggest she took her daughters along for lunch with him in Miami, days after his release from prison.

Ferguson’s representatives have not responded to previous requests for comment on the documents.

The former duchess has already been dropped by multiple charities over her Epstein links.

In October, she lost her duchess title when her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, relinquished his Duke of York title over his links with Epstein, and she was also forced to move out of his Windsor mansion, Royal Lodge, where the couple lived together, despite having divorced in 1996.