Over the summer, when royal biographer Andrew Lownie was promoting his book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, he made some interesting claims specifically about Sarah Ferguson and Jeffrey Epstein. According to Lownie’s research and sources, Epstein had given Fergie close to $2 million all told, across many years. When Fergie publicly apologized in 2011 for “borrowing $15K” from Epstein, many felt it was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to how much money she actually conned out of Epstein. Well, now that more of the Epstein files/emails are coming out, it looks like Lownie had it right. And it was probably much, much worse than Lownie knew. According to this Daily Mail exclusive, Epstein “secretly bankrolled” Fergie for 15 years. Some highlights from the Mail:

Jeffrey Epstein secretly bankrolled Sarah Ferguson for 15 years, astonishing new emails claim. The convicted paedophile complained to friends about the disgraced duchess’s scrounging ways in messages that suggest his financial support went far beyond the £15,000 she admitted taking from him.

In the previously unseen emails, Epstein reveals Fergie was so desperate to cosy up to him that ‘she was the first to celebrate’ his release from jail ‘with her two daughters in tow’. Princess Beatrice would have been 20 at the time and Eugenie 19, the same age as many of his victims.

The shocking claims are contained in a huge tranche of documents under review by the US Congress. They are set to be released once they have been redacted to protect the identity of hundreds of young girls Epstein raped and sexually abused. The sordid nature of Fergie’s relationship with the paedophile and the chummy tone of their correspondence makes sickening reading that will repulse the sex offender’s many victims.

Emails seen by The Mail on Sunday show: Fergie begged to borrow $50,000 to $100,000 to help with ‘small bills’; She asked to visit Epstein’s private island, joking whether her financial woes made it ‘unavailable to bankrupts?’; Epstein paid off debts the duchess owed a former employee but became angry when she failed to pay him back as promised; While disavowing Epstein in public, Fergie kept up contact and let him help set up a charity for her; Epstein brazenly gave Fergie ‘talking points’ before she was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.

Tonight a well-placed source said: ‘Sarah and Prince Andrew have always maintained they distanced themselves from Epstein after his conviction for child prostitution. In fact, it was Epstein who ended up dumping them. He got sick and tired of Sarah constantly asking him for money. She borrowed far more money off him than has ever come out. In public she said one thing but in private she was always holding out the begging bowl.’

Earlier emails show how close the pair were, despite Epstein having admitted to soliciting a minor for prostitution in a ‘sweetheart deal’ that led to 13 months in a low-security jail with day release. He was let out in July 2009 and remained under house arrest until July 21, 2010. He exchanged a number of emails with Fergie in that time. In June 2010, Sarah told Epstein: ‘I will never forget your kindness and friendship at this time’ to which he replied: ‘A-team or no team. It’s your line.’

On January 16, 2010, Sarah wrote: ‘Is there any chance I could borrow 50 or 100,000 US dollars to help get through the small bills that are pushing me over? Had to ask.’ Epstein was having his bank accounts monitored at the time and said he couldn’t help. Undeterred, Sarah told him to ‘ask Giuseppe… I would be so grateful.’ Epstein replied: ‘I could but it would be impolite. You need to address these issues. You are great.’ It is thought this is a reference to New York restaurant owner Giuseppe Cipriani, an old friend of the duchess. Tonight his representative declined to say whether Mr Cipriani gave Fergie money.

A source said tonight: ‘Andrew and Sarah were in it up to their necks with Epstein. It was always about the money. This was always going to be their downfall.’

[From The Daily Mail]

Re: Fergie borrowing/taking all of that money, I’ll admit to finding it morbidly and horrifically funny in a way. Fergie was and is such an unrepentant grifter that she was conning a convicted sex trafficker out of millions, millions he “earned” through blackmailing public figures with what he knew of their criminal predilections. Fergie didn’t care about any of that – she thought she had found the golden goose, the mark of her dreams. As for connecting Beatrice and Eugenie to this, and Fergie taking her daughters to see Epstein after he got out of prison… YIKES. Holy sh-t. Whatever deal struck by Prince Andrew and King Charles, it included a hands-off approach to Bea and Eugenie – as in, Charles wouldn’t touch their titles. I wonder if we’re going to find the princesses’ names in more emails. What a mess.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, Fergie’s social media.