Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has lost her role as patron of several UK charities after a 2011 email resurfaced in which she called convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a "supreme friend."

According to TMZ, Julia's House, a children's hospice, has become the first charity to part ways with Ferguson. The organization confirmed on Monday, September 22, that he is no longer serving as their patron.

According to the BBC, her name has since been removed from the charity's website. She had been affiliated with the organization since 2018.

Other major UK charities — including Teenage Cancer Trust, British Heart Foundation, Children's Literacy Charity, and Prevent Breast Cancer — followed suit, ending their association with Ferguson shortly after the email became public.

The email, reportedly sent in 2011 and leaked over the weekend, showed Ferguson apologizing to Epstein for previously distancing herself from him.

In the message, she wrote that he had been a "steadfast, generous and supreme friend" to her and her family.

Ferguson Loses Patron Role After Defending Jeffrey Epstein

The backlash was swift. The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, where Ferguson had also been a patron, released a statement to CBS News saying, "We were disturbed to read of Sarah, Duchess of York's, correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein."

The organization said it would be "inappropriate" for her to continue in the role, despite her not being actively involved for several years, according to People.

Ferguson's spokesperson explained that the email was meant to ease tensions after Epstein threatened to sue her for defamation following her public criticism of him.

"The duchess spoke of her regret about her association with Epstein many years ago," the statement read. "Like many people, she was taken in by his lies."

According to the spokesperson, Ferguson continues to stand firmly by the statements she made about Epstein.

They added that the email was only sent following legal advice, aimed at easing the pressure from his threats at the time.

In a separate interview back in March 2011, Ferguson had called her association with Epstein a "gigantic error of judgment," saying, "What he did was wrong and for which he was rightly jailed."

Jeffrey Epstein died in 2019 by suicide while in jail awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

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Sarah ferguson, Jeffrey Epstein