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Sarah Ferguson has experienced another setback in her public standing as the City of York has officially revoked her honorary Freedom of the City. This distinction, which was originally awarded to her in 1987 following her marriage to Prince Andrew, was unanimously rescinded during an extraordinary council meeting held on Thursday evening.
The council’s decision comes amid increased examination of Ferguson’s association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice released millions of documents that brought renewed attention to Epstein’s connections, including those involving Ferguson. It is important to note, however, that simply appearing in the Epstein files does not imply any wrongdoing. The BBC has sought comments from Ferguson’s representatives but has yet to receive a response.
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew were both granted the honorary Freedom of York a year after their wedding. However, Prince Andrew had already been stripped of the same honor in 2022, with further losses of titles and honours imposed by King Charles the previous year over similar controversies related to Epstein. During the council meeting, members debated and subsequently voted in favor of removing Ferguson’s honor. Claire Douglas, leader of the City of York council’s Labour group, emphasized that this distinction is reserved for individuals who demonstrate “values and behaviours consistent with such an honour.” She stated that maintaining connections with Epstein after his criminal acts became public was incompatible with those expectations and supported the council’s unanimous decision to revoke the honor to safeguard the award’s integrity.
The honorary Freedom of the City has historically been granted to notable figures such as Sir Winston Churchill and Dame Judi Dench, highlighting the prestige of the accolade. The council had previously removed Prince Andrew’s honorary Freedom three years ago, a motion introduced by Liberal Democrat councillor Darryl Smalley. At that time, Smalley noted that after the Duke of York was stripped of military roles and royal patronages, it was appropriate to sever all remaining formal ties between him and the city of York.
Last October, Ferguson also lost her duchess title when Prince Andrew relinquished his Duke of York title amid continuing fallout from the Epstein links. New revelations uncovered in the recent document release indicated that Ferguson maintained contact with Epstein while he was incarcerated for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Moreover, it appears she took her daughters to meet Epstein for lunch in Miami just days after his release from prison. Despite pressure from US lawmakers for both Ferguson and her ex-husband to answer questions about their connections to Epstein, no legal measures exist to compel Ferguson to testify. When approached about these developments and the calls from US politicians for her to respond, her representatives declined to comment
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