Proposal to remove Sarah Ferguson’s Freedom of York honour
Former royal’s connection with Jeffrey Epstein prompts reassessment of honorary status
Sarah Ferguson could have her Freedom of the City of York honour removed under proposals set to go before councillors.
A motion proposing to strip the former royal and ex-wife of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of the honour is set to be voted on by councillors later.
It proposes removing the honour that was given to her when she visited York with her then-husband in 1987.
Thursday’s vote comes after proposals to strip 66-year-old Ms Ferguson of the honorary status were first mooted in October.
They came after an email between her and the late convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein emerged.
An email published in the Mail on Sunday from her to Epstein in 2011 described him as a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to her and her family.
It was sent after the financier was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and after Ms Ferguson said her involvement with him was an error of judgement.
A spokesperson for the former duchess said the email was sent in response to legal threats from Epstein after her comments.
In a statement the City of York Council say: “Honorary Freedom is bestowed only on persons of distinction and those having given eminent services to the City of York. As the people of York would expect, holding this status requires upholding the values and behaviours consistent with such an honour. Those who continued to associate with Epstein after his crimes became widely known fall well short of these expectations.
“These are the issues City of York councillors will consider when they meet on 26th March to discuss the proposal to remove the honour from Sarah Ferguson”.
The honour has previously been awarded to the Duke of Wellington, Winston Churchill and Judi Dench.