Councillors in York have voted unanimously to remove Sarah Ferguson’s title of the Freedom of the City of York over her friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The honour was presented to the-then Duke and Duchess of York as a wedding gift and has previously been bestowed upon figures including Winston Churchill and Dame Judi Dench.
The decision comes after revelations emerged about Ms Ferguson's ongoing relationship with the convicted sex offender Epstein, despite her public statements distancing herself from him.
York Council's Labour leader, Councillor Claire Douglas, previously described it as "deplorable" that anyone holding titles connected to the city had associated with Epstein after his crimes became public knowledge.
Sarah Ferguson has been stripped of her Freedom of the City of York title by York council
|GETTY
The council invoked Section 249 of the Local Government Act 1972 to withdraw the Honorary Freeman status conferred upon Ms Ferguson nearly four decades ago.
Ms Ferguson's ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, faced similar action from the council in April 2022, when councillors voted to remove his Freedom of the City honour and Honorary Freeman title.
At the time, councillors argued it was inappropriate for him to retain titles linked to York given the council's commitment to addressing violence and abuse against women and girls.
The news comes just hours after it was announced she may be at risk of losing another honour.
The Stationers' Company, established in 1403 to represent the communications and content industries, has confirmed it is examining the honorary membership it granted Ms Ferguson in 1988.
Ms Ferguson received her honorary freeman status from The Stationers' Company two years after her marriage to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, in recognition of her involvement with the organisation's initiatives.
Sarah Ferguson's membership at The Stationers' Company is now under review
| GETTYA spokesman for the livery company, which historically controlled the book trade and held a printing monopoly for three centuries, confirmed the review is underway.
"Sarah Ferguson was given Honorary membership of the Stationers' Company by the Court (the decision-making body of the Company) in 1988 for her support and involvement in Company initiatives in 1987," the spokesman told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).
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Following the release of the Epstein files in January, a number of charities have distanced themselves from the former Duchess of York, after the files seemingly revealed she had a much closer link to the disgraced financier then initially known.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, following the publication of emails between him and Epstein during his time as a UK trade envoy.
He was questioned at Aylsham police station in Norfolk before being released without charge, with investigations continuing.
Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor have always strongly denied any wrongdoing
| GETTYMr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Being named in the Epstein files does not indicate any wrongdoing.
Sarah Ferguson has previously stated she regretted her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, she stated: “I would never have anything to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again. I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children. It was a gigantic error of judgment."
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