Unearthed email raises new questions as monarch focuses on royal duties
Buckingham Palace has released an update on King Charles’s latest engagement
just hours after a new scandal involving Sarah Ferguson made headlines.
The monarch has long maintained a working bond with his former sister-in-law,
especially during the fallout from Prince Andrew’s scandals, most notably his
ties to Jeffrey Epstein. But newly unearthed details linked to the Duchess of
York are expected to bring fresh unease within the royal family.
A resurfaced email shows that Ferguson privately addressed Epstein as her
“supreme friend” only weeks after publicly apologising for her connection to
him in a 2011 interview. At the time, she insisted Epstein was “rightly
jailed” but later admitted in the email that she had made those remarks to
protect her reputation as a children’s author.
The revelation could intensify pressure on King Charles to fully distance
himself from both Andrew and his ex-wife, particularly as Prince William is
reportedly pushing for decisive action. For now, however, Buckingham Palace is
holding its line of neutrality, continuing to stress that it does not speak on
behalf of the Duke and Duchess of York since they are no longer working
royals.
Instead, the Palace spotlighted the King’s recent engagement. Charles met
Ethel Caterham, the world’s oldest living person, who turned 116 last month.
Alongside a warm photograph, the Palace shared:
“Earlier this week, The King met Ethel Caterham: the world’s oldest living
person. Ethel celebrated her 116th birthday last month, and received a
birthday card from His Majesty: an honour extended to all UK citizens or those
in UK Overseas Territories when they turn 100, 105 and every year thereafter.”
The carefully timed announcement underscores the Palace’s focus on the King’s
public role, even as controversy continues to swirl around the wider royal
family.
