Renowned royal biographer Andrew Lownie has ignited fresh controversy by alleging that Jeffrey Epstein secretly provided Sarah Ferguson with approximately £2 million over the years—far exceeding the £15,000 she publicly admitted accepting in 2011. In interviews promoting his book Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, Lownie described the disgraced financier’s financial support as a strategic investment to gain access to royal circles through Ferguson and her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
Lownie told NewsNation and Tina Brown’s Fresh Hell Substack that Epstein viewed the payments as worthwhile for introductions to other royals and the prestige associated with the Yorks. He cited sources, including one of Andrew’s former girlfriends, estimating the total at around $2 million (roughly £2 million at historical rates). “Epstein paid a lot of Fergie’s bills,” Lownie said, portraying Ferguson as “greedy and needy” amid her longstanding financial troubles.
The claims build on earlier revelations. Ferguson has long acknowledged accepting £15,000 from Epstein to settle debts owed to her former assistant, calling it a “gigantic error of judgment” and expressing deep regret. However, leaked 2011 emails published by The Mail on Sunday showed her privately calling Epstein a “steadfast, generous, and supreme friend” weeks after publicly disowning him. Further emails suggested Epstein bankrolled her for up to 15 years, with insiders claiming she repeatedly sought funds.
These allegations resurfaced amid the December 19, 2025, release of new Epstein files by the U.S. Department of Justice, which included photographs of Ferguson alongside images of Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell. While no new financial documents emerged in this tranche, the timing has amplified scrutiny.
Ferguson, who lost several charity patronages in September 2025 over the Epstein emails, has not directly responded to Lownie’s £2 million figure. Her representatives previously emphasized her remorse and efforts to repay the admitted amount. Andrew has consistently denied wrongdoing in his Epstein associations, settling a related civil suit without admission of liability.
The revelations raise uncomfortable questions about the depth of the Yorks’ entanglement with Epstein’s network, especially as both were stripped of titles in October 2025. Victims’ advocates argue the payments underscore how Epstein leveraged wealth to cultivate elite connections. As more files are expected, the scandal continues to cast a long shadow over the former royals’ reputations.
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